Windies send warning with big win over undermanned Aussies

West Indies underlined their status as one of the T20 World Cup's top contenders after comfortably accounting for a short-handed Australian team in a warm-up match in Port of Spain.

Trinidad local boy Nicholas Pooran delighted his home crowd with a stunning 75 off 25 balls, taking advantage of the Queen's Park Oval’s small dimensions and its dewy outfield to fire the Windies to an imposing 4-257.

This was not an official T20 International – if it had, the tournament co-hosts' total would have comfortably been the highest ever conceded by an Australian men's team.

Back-up gloveman Josh Inglis (55 off 30) fared best in the run chase, clearing the rope four times on the way to a 25-ball half-century, while both Tim David (25 off 12) and Matthew Wade (25 off 14) spent valuable time in the middle.

But playing two men down meant Australia were never going to threaten. Nathan Ellis (39 off 22) and Adam Zampa (22 off 18) cameos late in the innings brought the scores closer, but the Windies' 35-run win was more comprehensive than the margin suggested.

As they did in their eight-wicket win over Namibia at the same venue on Tuesday, the Aussies were forced to rely on support staff to substitute field with only nine of their squad members available due to their decision to allow players who went deep into the Indian Premier League season some additional time at home.

The slippery outfield from rain earlier in the day proved an extra challenge, necessitating four ball changes during the Windies’ innings and several more when Australia batted.

The hero of last summer's Gabba Test, Shamar Joseph made use of the skiddy surface to continue his hold over Australia's top order, adding David Warner to his enviable list of victims.

Joseph slid one into Warner's off-stump and could have had his replacement, Mitch Marsh, out the next ball if Alzarri Joseph had held on to a hot chance at short fine leg.

But Marsh was dismissed by Alzarri soon after, meaning Australia's skipper (coming off a hamstring injury) will head into their opening clash with Oman next week with negligible recent time in the middle.

Ashton Agar did a passable impression of still-absent squad member Travis Head in a surprise elevation to open the batting, belting 28 off 13 including a pair of sixes, but failed to push on.

David started in blazing fashion with a four and a six off his first two balls, hitting the ball as cleanly as any of the powerful West Indians, before skewing one to deep mid-wicket.

Inglis and Wade were dismissed in consecutive deliveries to all but end Australia's hopes of a comeback win.

Their lack of a full squad was little excuse for their initial inability to contain Pooran, who chiefly belted the ball over fielders' heads entirely.

The left-hander smashed his first three balls for six, including one that cleared the stands entirely, on the way to a 15-ball half-century.

After pumping Agar for consecutive sixes, he got a life when fielding coach Andre Borovec put down a tough skied ball at mid-wicket off the next delivery.

Selection chief George Bailey was the man to finally end the Pooran onslaught when he took a simpler catch two overs later off Adam Zampa.

Captain Rovman Powell hit four sixes as he belted 52 off 25, while Sherfane Rutherford matched Pooran's clean hitting with a late cameo of 47no from 18.

The pain was distributed equitably among the Aussie bowlers; Agar was expensive for the second game in a row, while Rutherford carted three sixes off Zampa's final over to blow his figures out to 2-62.

David (1-40) finished as the visitors' most economical bowler, an encouraging sign for the part-time off-spinner though he will likely see little bowling time in the tournament when Glenn Maxwell and Head arrive, while Ellis (0-42) did little wrong.

West Indies XII: Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gukadesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Obed McCoy. Sub fielders: Brandon King, Roston Chase

 

Australia IX: Mitch Marsh (c), David Warner, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood. Sub fielders: Andre Borovec, George Bailey, Andrew McDonald, Brad Hodge

2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Australia's squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Australia's Group B fixtures

June 6: v Oman, Kensington Oval, Barbados, 10.30am AEST

June 9: v England, Kensington Oval, Barbados, 3am AEST

June 12: v Namibia, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua, 10.30am AEST

June 16: v Scotland, Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia, 10.30am AEST

Super Eights, finals to follow if Australia qualify

For the full list of fixtures click here. All matches live and exclusive on Prime Video. Sign up here for a 30-day free trial