GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Spinners Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa tore through the West Indies batting line-up to set up a dominant Australian victory by six wickets in the second match of a triangular One-day International series in Guyana on Sunday night.
Lyon claimed three for 39 off 10 overs, including the prized scalp of Kieron Pollard for a golden duck, while Zampa, in just his third ODI, had figures of 3-16 off 5.3 overs on another slow pitch at Providence Stadium in Georgetown.
Australian captain Steve Smith described his spinners as “magnificent” but fast bowler Mitchell Starc (2-37) also did his part after six months out with injury, dismissing West Indies openers Andre Fletcher (four) and Johnson Charles (22).
Later, David Warner scored an unbeaten half century as Australia romped to a six-wicket win.Warner’s 55 not out saw Australia home with almost 25 overs to spare after the West Indies earlier collapsed from 50 for one to 116 all out from 32.3 overs.
Spinners Sunil Narine, with two wickets in one over, and Sulieman Benn caused the discomfort but it was not enough to save the hosts.
The emphatic victory earned Australia a bonus point to move ahead of the West Indies in the three-team standings before Tuesday’s final game at Providence against South Africa.“Our batting is a real concern,” said West Indies coach Phil Simmons.
“The bowlers and fielding side are doing a great job but we need to get it together with the bat for the next two matches in St Kitts.”
Boosted by a four-wicket win in the tournament-opener against the South Africans at the same venue two days earlier, the West Indies plummeted back down to earth at the feet of the World Cup-holders, whose frontline spinners Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa did the bulk of the damage with three wickets apiece after the usual effective opening burst from Mitchell Starc.
“I really enjoyed it out there on that pitch,” Zampa enthused after his performance.“South Africa will be a big challenge though on Tuesday with so many quality batsmen.”
Playing his first international match for more than six months after being sidelined by injury, the left-arm fast bowler breached the defences of openers Andre Fletcher and Johnson Charles to finish with figures of two for 37 from nine overs.
He showed signs of rustiness in delivering five wides and a no-ball, however his lethal pace proved more than a handful for the West Indies top order.
Starc’s tally of ODI wickets is now at 92 in his 47th match and should he take eight more before the end of this competition he will eclipse Pakistan’s Saqlain Mustaq for the record as the fastest to 100 wickets in terms of matches played in this format of the international game.
Charles topscored with a chancy 22 while all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite was last out for 21, Aaron Finch taking the catch at long-on to give Zampa his third wicket.
Notwithstanding the turgid surface, the home batsmen contributed to their swift demise with a succession of poor shots, exemplified by Darren Bravo’s loose cover-drive at seamer Mitchell Marsh which offered a straightforward catch to Zampa at cover.
Lyon, the experienced off-spinner, had an almost instant impact in disposing of Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard off successive deliveries.
Australia won toss
West Indies
J Charles b Starc 22
A D S Fletcher c Maxwell b Starc 4
D M Bravo c Zampa b Marsh 19
M N Samuels lbw b Lyon 10
†D Ramdin lbw b Maxwell 12
K A Pollard c Warner b Lyon 0
C R Brathwaite c Finch b Zampa 21
*J O Holder b Zampa 1
S J Benn c & b Lyon 3
S P Narine st Wade b Zampa 5
J E Taylor not out 5
Extras (lb 3, w 9, nb 2) 14
Total (all out; 32.3 overs) 116
Fall: 1-6, 2-50, 3-59, 4-70, 5-70, 6-85, 7-88, 8-91, 9-111, 10-116
Bowling: Starc 9-0-37-2 (1nb, 5w); Hazlewood 3-0-13-0 (1nb); Lyon 10-2-39-3 (2w); Marsh 3-1-5-1; Zampa 5.3-0-16-3; Maxwell 2-1-3-1
Australia
D A Warner not out 55
A J Finch lbw b Holder 19
U T Khawaja c Holder b Benn 27
*S P D Smith lbw b Narine 6
G J Maxwell b Narine 0
M R Marsh not out 9
Extras (lb 1) 1
Total (4 wickets; 25.4 overs) 117
Did not bat: †M S Wade, M A Starc, A Zampa, J R Hazlewood, N M Lyon
Fall: 1-44, 2-85, 3-92, 4-92
Bowling: Narine 10-2-36-2; Taylor 3-0-20-0; Benn 6-0-21-1; Holder 3-0-21-1; Brathwaite 3-0-14-0; Fletcher 0.4-0-4-0
Result: Australia won by 6 wickets
Points: Australia 5, West Indies 0
Man of the Match: N M Lyon (Australia)
Umpires: G O Brathwaite and N J Llong (England). TV umpire: R K Illingworth (England). Match referee: J J Crowe (New Zealand)