Aussies ‘braver’ with the ball as coach lauds young gun

Australia's willingness to bowl different deliveries to West Indies superstar Hayley Matthews paid off in the third T20I last night according to coach Shelley Nitschke, who reserved special praise for young pace ace Darcie Brown.

As the Aussies move swiftly into 50-over mode with the first ODI against the Windies on Sunday, Nitschke was pleased with how her bowlers responded from a disappointing second T20I in which they had no answers for a dominant Matthews (132 off 64 balls).

And while Matthews again proved a handful on Thursday night (79 off 40) to claim an eighth straight player of the match award, it was Australia who had the last laugh in prevailing by 47 runs and taking the series 2-1.

Reflecting on a "fantastic series", Nitschke said the playing group had some "honest discussions" after the loss at North Sydney Oval which was characterised by dropped chances and wayward bowling.

"You want a good competition and a good challenge, and Hayley's in unbelievable form at the moment," she said.

"We probably didn't get it right to her at North Sydney and didn't take our chances … I think we really tightened up last night and also got a little bit braver with some of our variations and changes that we made, trying to be proactive.

"I think there was a bit more clarity and there was a bit more of the bowlers backing themselves."

Young quick Brown typified the 'braver' bowling, executing a slower ball that Matthews herself later admitted "outsmarted her".

The 20-year-old finished with 3-20 and delivered what turned out to be the match-winning spell at Allan Border Field.

"When she (Matthews) is going she's got pretty big bat speed and (I wanted) to just disrupt her … I've been working on that slower ball for a long time and luckily it paid off," Brown said post-match.

Her coach was pleased not only with what the wicket meant in the context of the game, but with what it revealed in her development as a fast bowler.

"She's brought that out a little bit over time but to see her use it quite a lot last night was excellent, and just shows I guess the development in her thinking and her mindset and the bravery to do that in pressure moments.

"That's the sort of thing we want to encourage and (we're) really happy to see Darce do that and get the reward for it as well. We know it doesn't always come off when people are trying things like that … it's fantastic for her.

"We know how impactful she is with the ball.

"I think she's actually bowled pretty well at times this series and been unlucky, (she's) had some really good rhythm and some good pace so to see her change the game with the ball and try some new variations and still bowling with some good pace, it was excellent."

Brown wasn't the only young gun to impress, with Phoebe Litchfield again showing her worth as a late-order finisher in Brisbane, smashing 36 off 17 balls to back up her record-equalling 18-ball 50 on Monday night.

The left-hander finished the series with a strike rate in excess of 240.

Nitschke said moving Litchfield, normally a top-order batter, down the order simply made sense.

"Moons (Beth Mooney) and Midge (captain Alyssa Healy) up the top have been very successful as a left-right combination and we just felt potentially having a left-hander through the middle is a really good option.

"Phoebe hits in different areas and plays a slightly different style of game to some of our batters.

"So I think the confidence she took out of probably the Ashes, but also The Hundred, and the way she played over there (in the UK); we've just given her the freedom to go out and express herself and play her shots because we know how good she is and how damaging she can be."

The Aussies remain in Brisbane for Sunday's first ODI before travelling to Melbourne for games two and three at Junction Oval next week.

Nitschke said the experienced Jess Jonassen was "unlucky to get squeezed out" of the XI on Thursday night and expected her to play a role in the upcoming ODIs.

CommBank T20s v West Indies 2023

First T20: Australia won by eight wickets

Second T20: West Indies won by seven wickets

Third T20: Australia won by 47 runs

CommBank ODIs v West Indies 2023

First ODI: October 8, Allan Border Field, 10.35am AEDT

Second ODI: October 12, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

First ODI: October 14, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris (T20Is only), Jess Jonassen, Alana King (ODIs only), Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Shemaine Campbelle (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams