Australia displayed the composure and assurance of world champions to chase down a target of 283 and advance to the final with a six-wicket victory over the West Indies in the seventh match of the Tri-Nation One-Day International Series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Tuesday.
Marlon Samuels’ first-ever hundred against Australia and a record-breaking partnership with Denesh Ramdin lifted the West Indies to a competitive 282 for eight batting first. But half-centuries by captain Steven Smith and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, together with a quickfire unbeaten 46 from Glenn Maxwell ensured that the target was reached with eight balls to spare.
West Indies and South Africa will now meet in the last preliminary match tomorrow with the winners to face the Aussies in Sunday’s final.
Smith and Marsh steadied Australia’s effort following the loss of three early wickets with a 122-run fourth-wicket partnership that set the World Cup-holders back on course. However, when Smith was run out for 78 in the 42nd over, any hopes the West Indies had of claiming the victory that would have eliminated Australia were extinguished by Maxwell.
Displaying his full range of unorthodox shots, he crashed five fours and two sixes off just 26 balls to banish any lingering anxiety among his teammates in the dressing room. Marsh was left unbeaten on 79, his mature knock going a long way towards fulfilling a lot of the promise that has been expected of him in Australia’s middle-order.
“Mitch played really well all the way through and Glenn was brilliant at the end there,” said a delighted Smith after the match. “We knew it was challenging target but we always backed ourselves to get home.”
It was so different at the halfway point of the match following Samuels’ superb knock, an effort that earned him the Man of the Match award.
Dismissed off the last ball of the innings for 125 which included 14 fours and two sixes off 134 deliveries, Samuels’ tenth one-day hundred followed a match-winning 92 in the last meeting between the two teams in St Kitts a week earlier. Amazingly, they were his first two scores over 50 in ODI cricket against the Australians for more than 14 years.
Ramdin, who matched his senior partner shot-for-shot in an entertaining innings of 91, joined Samuels at the crease with the West Indies faltering at 31 for three in the ninth over after Smith had won the toss and chose to field.
“We put in a good effort but being a bowler short for most of the innings cost us,” said West Indies captain Jason Holder, who could only deliver two overs before leaving the field with a leg injury.
“We have to lift ourselves to face South Africa on Friday and I’m confident of us putting in a good effort.”
BRIEF SCORES: West Indies 282 for eight in 50 overs (M Samuels 125, D Ramdin 91; M Starc 3-51) lost to Australia 283 for four in 48.4 overs (M Marsh 79 not out, S Smith 78) by six wickets