Sport
West Indies salvages pride as they defeat Australia by 27 runs in Twenty20
Australia’s Aaron Finch leaves the ground after his dismissal against West Indies during their Twenty20 international cricket match at the Gabba in Brisbane February 13, 2013. PHOTO/Aman Sharma/Reuters
(Reuters) – Johnson Charles smacked a half-century and West Indies tore through Australia’s batsmen with slow bowling to win their Twenty20 match by 27 runs in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Charles, coming off his maiden one-day international century, struck 57 off 35 balls to propel the tourists to an imposing first innings total of 191 after captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat at the Gabba.
Australia’s Adam Voges blasted a swashbuckling 51 off 33 balls to give them hope of hauling in the total, but paceman Kieron Pollard and spinner Sunil Narine combined for five quick wickets to make sure the hosts’ chase came to a crashing halt.
The emphatic victory against a second-string Australia side ensured West Indies finished their tour Down Under on a high, having dismally surrendered the preceding one-day series 5-0.
“Obviously, it’s a bit too late … We are world (Twenty20) champions so we had to play like that,” man-of-the-match Pollard said in a televised interview after rattling through Australia’s middle order to take 3-30.
“We had a good score on the board and we just had to try to defend it.”
After the early loss of opener Aaron Finch for four, Australia appeared to be sailing toward victory before sharp work by wicketkeeper Devon Thomas saw Shaun Marsh (21) and Voges run out in three balls.
