West Indies taste T20 defeat

West Indies crashed to an 11-run defeat against Australia in the opening Twenty20 International of the three-match series at Bellerive Oval.

Batting first, veteran left-hander David Warner had top-scored with 70 off 36 deliveries as Australia made 213 for 7 off their 20 overs.

Warner struck a dozen fours and a six, resulting in a 93-run, opening stand with Josh Inglis, who struck five fours and a six in a 25-ball knock.

Once the pair departed, the innings fell, with only Tim David producing a 17-ball unbeaten 37, which included four fours and two sixes.

Holder broke the opening stand in the eighth over when he got Inglis to hole out to mid-off and Warner added a further 36 for the second wicket with Mitchell Marsh who made 16 before becoming one of four wickets to tumble for 30 runs, leaving the innings stumbling on 159 for five in the 16th over.

Former West Indies’ Captain Nicholas Pooran. Associated Press/Mahesh Kumar A., file

Warner was third out, to wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran in the 13th over, off Joseph who produced 2 for 46.

David then posted a sixth wicket partnership with Matthew Wade, 21, scoring exactly 50 off 24 balls.

Andre Russell grabbed 3 for 43, two of his wickets coming in the final over as West Indies managed to limit the Aussie scoring to 61 runs from the last five overs.

In reply, Brandon King lashed 53 off 37 balls and Johnson Charles smacking 42 off 25 deliveries putting the Caribbean side on 89 off 51 balls.

King belted seven fours and a six in his ninth T20I 50 while Charles carved out a half-dozen fours and a six before outing to Warner in the ninth over.

King followed soon after, with Powell on 14, not too far behind, West Indies were stuttering at 115 for 3 at the end of the 12th.

Former captain Pooran made 18 and skipper Shai Hope on 16 tried to revive the chase in a 26-run, fourth wicket stand but was taken by Stoinis in the 15th over, becoming one of five wickets to tumble for 22 runs as leg-spinner Adam Zampa took 3 for 26.

With his side on 163 for 8 in the 18th over, Holder blasted three fours and two sixes in a 44-run, unbroken ninth-wicket partnership with Akeal Hosein, on seven not out, but the 27 runs required from the final over proved out of reach.

“In the middle, we struggled to get a partnership but it was still a good game of cricket. We’ve just got to back ourselves a little bit more,” said Captain Rovman Powell.