West Indies dismantled in record time
The West Indies team was dismantled in record time when Australia, inspired by a Player-of-the-Match performance from rookie pacer Xavier Bartlett, galloped to an eight-wicket win at Manuka Oval in the Australian capital in the third One-day International and wrapped up a clean sweep of the series.
Put in to bat, opener Alick Athanaze, hit the top score of 32, but Bartlett, snatched four for 21 from 7.1 overs. The Caribbean side collapsed to 86 all out in 24.1 overs.
“Our batting let us down,” West Indies Captain Shai Hope said. “It did for the entire series … We need to do some real soul-searching to understand what’s needed in certain conditions … I can’t really put my finger on any one thing, it comes down to mindset.”
West Indies, Shai Hope bats during the Cricket World Cup match between Afghanistan and West Indies at Headingley in Leeds, England. Associated Press / Rui Vieira, file
The Caribbean side batting collapsed spectacularly under the disciplined bowling from the Australians.
Opener Kjorn Ottley was lbw to Bartlett for eight in the third over, Keacy Carty joined Athanaze and batted resolutely through the remainder of the first Power Play.
Carty, was spectacularly caught off pacer Lance Morris in the 11th over, and the visitors lost wickets in each of the next two overs and slumped to 44 for four.
Hope was lbw to Sean Abbott for four in the 12th over, and Teddy Bishop, on his ODI debut, was bowled by Morris for a six-ball duck in the 13th over.
Athanaze stuck around to carry West Indies past 50, and they were 71 for four when he was caught from a delivery from leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
Two wickets in three balls left the Caribbean side shredded when Romario Shepherd was caught behind off Bartlett for one, and Matthew Forde was run out for a duck after a mix-up with Chase in the 21st over.
None of the West Indies bowlers put on any type of performance, the Aussies needed only 6.5 overs to complete their shortest men’s ODI win on home soil putting a further dent in the pride of West Indies. Jake Fraser-McGurk slamming 41 off only 18 balls and sharing 67 for the first wicket with fellow opener Josh Inglis, not out on 35, to set them on course.
The Aussies streaked to their 12th consecutive ODI win after they won the first ODI by eight wickets in Melbourne and the second ODI by 83 runs in Sydney.
It was the widest margin of defeat in terms of balls for West Indies in men’s ODIs, and they are still without an ODI win against the world champions in Australia for 22 consecutive matches, their last win coming 27 years ago.
