Zampa feels the pain as West Indies post 6-220
Justin Chadwick |
Australia have been made to pay dearly for a late dropped catch as Andre Russell unleashed a barrage of sixes to lift the West Indies to 6-220 in the T20 clash in Perth.
The West Indies crashed to 3-17 in Tuesday’s match at Optus Stadium following an early onslaught from debutant paceman Xavier Bartlett (2-37).
But big knocks from Russell (71 off 29 balls) and Sherfane Rutherford (67no off 40 balls) lifted the visitors to a formidable total.
Russell came to the crease with his team in big trouble at 5-79.
He combined with Rutherford for a 139-run stand that changed the complexion of the match.
It was the largest sixth-wicket stand in a T20I.
But it wasn’t until the penultimate over – bowled by Adam Zampa – where Russell took the damage to the next level.
Russell cracked 28 runs – including four sixes – during that devastating over.
His three consecutive sixes to finish the over came after Tim David dropped a diving catch on the boundary.
If that catch had been taken, Zampa would have had figures of 2-43 with three more balls left in his spell.
Instead, he finished with 1-65 – the most expensive figures of his 77-match T20I career.
“I love to entertain the crowd. That’s what they came out to see,” Russell told Fox Cricket.
“I just decided I was going to go at everything (during that Zampa over).
“We are never out. Five wickets down, there wasn’t any panic inside the change room.
“We have dangerous players in the middle, so I wasn’t really worried.”
The Windies’ decision to bat first looked like a bad one early.
Bartlett snared his first T20 scalp when Johnson Charles went for a big heave but only managed to edge it behind.
Nicholas Pooran (1) fell to Jason Behrendorff (1-31) next over and the West Indies were three down when Kyle Mayers chopped Bartlett onto his stumps.
There was a light-hearted moment shortly after that when Australian players made a point to vehemently appeal for a run out following a direct hit.
It came on the back of Sunday’s controversy when the umpire didn’t send a run out to the third umpire after deeming not one Australian player had appealed.
This time, replays showed Roston Chase (37) had made his ground in time.
Russell was knocked to the ground after being struck flush on the glove by a rising Spencer Johnson delivery shortly after coming to the crease.
Russell recovered from that hit to strike seven sixes and four fours.
Rutherford joined in on the fun with five fours and five sixes as the West Indies’ run-rate ballooned.
Marcus Stoinis, who injured his back during the warm-up of Sunday’s win in Adelaide, was replaced in the XI by Aaron Hardie.
AAP
