Australia end West Indies World Twenty20 hopes
It was probably always a question of how big Australia’s winning margin would be against the West Indies in the final match of the World Twenty20 Super Eights, and so it proved as the Aussies romped to a six-wicket victory in St Lucia yesterday.
That though is hardly an indication of just how dominant Michael Clarke’s team were, or indeed how lacklustre their opponents performed.
The fact the West Indies were restricted to a measly 105 in 19 overs, starts to paint a clearer picture of the lopsided nature of the match.
The Caribbean hosts needed Chris Gayle to fire if they were to have any hope of victory against an Australian team that are playing as though they’ve already booked a seat for the World Twenty20 trophy on the flight home and don’t plan on seeing their money go to waste.
Thus, the West Indies skipper began his innings with intent. After watching Dirk Nannes send the opening ball of the innings wide, Gayle drove the first legitimate delivery of the day for four but it was the seamer who had the last laugh with the next ball, as what is surely his favourite soundtrack, the clattering of stumps was played in the middle.
Gayle’s opening partner, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (24 from 18) and next man in Ramnaresh Sarwan (26 from 31) made a commendable attempt to steady the West Indies’ innings but when Mitchell Johnson dismissed Chanderpaul at the end of the fifth over the resistance crumbled.
While Nannes, Johnson and Shaun Tait will be itching to dispatch Pakistan in the semi-finals and return to the pacier and bouncier pitch at Bridgetown for the final, there was one man in the Australian XI who in the middle overs clearly enjoyed the slower pace of St Lucia.
Leg-spinner Steven Smith recorded his best figures in the World Twenty20 so far as he finished with 3-20 from his four overs, his haul including the wicket of the dangerous Kieron Pollard (13 from 14).
Beginning their run-chase with a required run-rate of 5.52 runs per over, reeling in the meagre target was always going to be a formality for Australia. And so it proved as they won the match with 22 balls to spare, and continued in the tradition of sharing around the scoring responsibilities with Brad Haddin top-scoring with 42 from 46 after David Warner started the Australian innings with a bang as he blasted 25 runs from 12 deliveries.
It was a defeat that marked an inglorious exit from the World Twenty20 for the West Indies, but for Australia another victory that entrenches their favouritism for the title as they booked a semi-final against defending champions, but most inconsistent side remaining in the competition, Pakistan.
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