West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series as Aaron Finch’s side suffered yet another collapse to lose the second T20I by 56 runs.
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A collapse of 6/19 in the first game. In the second Twenty20 International, a collapse of 7/39 saw Australia succumb to another loss in the five-match T20I series against West Indies. An aggressive fifty from Shimron Hetmyer and aggressive cameos from Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell gave West Indies a massive total. Mitchell Marsh was the only shining light for the Aussies but he had no support. Australia lost by 56 runs as the West Indies took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. It was a dominant display of batting and bowling by the Windies as they continued to make a statement ahead of the ICC World T20.
Australia chose to bowl and they fielded an unchanged 11. West Indies made two changes from the previous game, with Obed McCoy and Evin Lewis rested. Andre Fletcher and Sheldon Cottrell were included in the team. There was drama in the first over as Andre Fletcher was given out LBW but he reviewed the decision and reversed it. The batsman responded by depositing Mitchell Starc over deep midwicket for a six.
Ashton Agar sent back Fletcher for 9 but Lendl Simmons carried on. He smashed Josh Hazlewood for a six and a four as the bowler conceded more runs than he had in the first match. Simmons hit another couple of sixes of Starc and Hazlewood. But, it was the bowler who had the perfect revenge as he sent back Simmons for 30. Chris Gayle’s struggles continued as he inside-edged a short ball from Mitchell Marsh back onto the stumps.
Shimron Hetmyer and Dwayne Bravo steadied the ship and made good progress. Bravo hit a six off Zampa and he got a life in the same over as Dan Christian spilled the catch at long-off. Bravo and Hetmyer hit a six each off Agar. Both batsmen continued to deal in sixes as Windies eyed a big score. At 135/3 in 16 overs, Australia looked to restrict West Indies to under 160.
But, there was carnage. Hetmyer reached his fifty off 29 balls with a six off Starc while Bravo also followed suit with another six. Hazlewood conceded two boundaries but Hetmyer was run-out in the 19th over for 61. Russell continued from where he left off in the first game by thrashing a six and a four off Starc, who ended with 49 runs in four overs. Russell ended the innings with a six off Christian as West Indies thumped 61 runs in four overs to end on 196/4.
Aaron Finch and Matthew Wade fell quickly to Fidel Edwards and Cottrell. Mitchell Marsh looked in good touch as he smoked a six off Russell. Josh Phillippe looked to give Marsh support. But he was sent back for 13 by Hayden Walsh who bowled a brilliant delivery that spun away. Henriques showed his intentions with a six. Marsh reached his fifty off 36 balls with a cut through cover off Dwayne Bravo.
At 101/3, the game was evenly poised. But, when Walsh sent back Marsh for 54, the rest of the batting collapsed in a heap. Walsh took his third wicket and Agar’s run-out only piled on the agony. Russell, Bravo and Cottrell ran through the Australian lower order. Even Gayle got the wicket of Hazlewood as the Windies secured their second straight win and extended their head-to-head record in T20Is against Australia to 8-5.
The third match will take place on July 13 at the same venue. Australia will be hoping to keep the series alive while the Windies will be aiming to secure the series.
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