Marsh, Starc help Australia end losing streak
Aussies secure 4-run win over West Indies
GROS ISLET, St Lucia, July 15, (AP): Mitchell Marsh struck 75 and then took three wickets to get Australia into a winning position, but in the end it came down to paceman Mitchell Starc’s fearless last-over bowling to end the West Indies’ winning streak.
The West Indies had won the first three games to clinch the five-match Twenty20 International series with two games to spare, and went within one scoring shot of making it four straight wins.
The hosts needed 11 runs off the last over but Starc bowled five consecutive dot balls, cramping Andre Russell’s scoring options, before conceding a six on the final ball to secure a fourrun win for Australia. Australia captain Aaron Finch said the last over was more about trust than jitters.
“We knew that if Mitchell Starc executes he’s as good as anyone in the world,” Finch said. “He’s done it for the best part of 10 years, so we had a lot of faith in him. He’s got a lot of faith in himself. Just great to get across the line.”
The Australians batted first and posted 189-6 in an innings twice interrupted by rain breaks, with Marsh belting his 75 from 44 balls for his third half-century of the series and sharing a 114-run second-wicket stand with Finch, who contributed 53.
Marsh raised his 50 from 24 balls with a straight six against Fabian Allen as light rain started falling in the 9th over.
The West Indies were better after the interruption. Hayden Walsh Jr. (3-27), the leading wicket taker in the series, bowled Finch and took a return catch to remove Alex Carey (0) on the next delivery to slow down the Australians at 126-3.
The run-rate only lowered as the West Indies’ slow bowlers contained the middle-order.
The West Indies started aggressively in reply, with openers Lendl Simmons (72) and Evin Lewis (31) racing to 62, taking 15 in the second over from Riley Meredith and 23 in the fourth over from Dan Christian.
Wrist spinner Adam Zampa was introduced early, in the fifth over, and had almost immediate success when he bowled Lewis for 31 from 14 deliveries.
Marsh’s first wicket was a big one, having Chris Gayle (1) caught just inside the long-on boundary and the Australians rallied to peg back the runrate.
“To defend what we defended tonight, against a very good West Indies team, was a great performance,” Marsh said. “It was a great finish and Starc’s last over was excellent.”
When Marsh removed Nicholas Pooran (16) and ended Simmons’s 48ball innings on consecutive deliveries in the 16th over, it appeared the West Indies counterattack had withered. But there was sting in the tail. Needing 36 off the last two overs to win, Russell and Fabian Allen (29) took on the bowling and plundered Meredith for 25.