Tim David’s bellicose ton helped Australia make light work of West Indies’ gigantic 214-run target as they got the job done with 23 balls to spare. David, who careened 11 sixes in his brute of a knock, rendered Shai Hope’s century in the first innings futile.
West Indies’ clasp on the proceedings at the halfway stage began to give way as early as the first over of the chase, when Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell collected 16 runs off Jediah Blades. They backed that up with 14 off the experienced Jason Holder to push the home side on the backfoot. The hosts retaliated ferociosuly though with Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd and Holder combining for three wickets inside the PowerPlay, sending both the openers back along with Josh Inglis, but the platform – 65/3 in 6 overs – was robust enough for David to capitalize on.
West Indies attempted to strangle Australia with spin through the middle phase as Cameron Green appeared to be in trouble facing the tweakers. Albeit David pushed from the other end to keep Australia’s scoring rate north of 10-an-over. Shepherd ended Green’s nervous presence at the crease in the ninth over but David and Mitchell Owen did not allow West Indies as much as a sniff thereafter. Straightaway after Green’s dismissal, David threw caution to the wind and hammered four successive sixes in a 28-run 10th over from Gudakesh Motie that propelled Australia to 120/4 at the halfway stage.
THE FASTEST T20I 50 IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY! 🔥 🔥 🔥
Tim David absolutely monsters his way to the half-century off 16 balls.
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With an ensuing boundary, he became Australia’s fastest half-centurion in T20Is by getting there off just 16 deliveries. On either side of that four, were maximums in another expensive over that expedited the pursuit further. Hope threw the ball to off-spinner Roston Chase in the desperate hope of stemming the run flow but David was rampant by now. He laid into the spinner, clobbering three sixes and a four. To make matters worse for West Indies, David and Owen hit Romario Shepherd for a six apiece and the misery was compounded by Brandon King making a meal of a catch at mid-wicket that could’ve sent David packing.
The pair’s 100-run stand was raked up in the 15th over, with Owen contributing a mere 18 to it. On the first ball of the 17th over, David whipped a four through the leg side to wrap up the win as well as the fastest T20I ton by an Australian (37 balls).
Before David’s one-man show, West Indies found themselves in pole position, for a welcome change, in a series marked by frequent setbacks. An emphatic 125-run opening stand off just 11.4 overs between Hope and King strokes the West Indies’ aspirations of keeping the series alive. Between them they thundered 12 sixes and scored at a strike rate of over 170 but David well and truly took the gloss off their pyrotechnics with 11 sixes of his own and a century brought up at an incredible strike rate of 275.68.
Even after the opening alliance was dislodged, West Indies kept their foot on the gas pedal. Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford departed quickly but Hope continued on his merry way as West Indies hoarded 49 runs off the last overs to finish with a total in excess of 200. However, it proved grossly inadequate in the final analysis.
Brief Scores: West Indies 214/4 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 102, Brandon King 62; Nathan Ellis 1-37) lost to Australia 215/4 in 16.1 overs (Tim David 102*, Mitchell Owen 36*; Romario Shepherd 2-39) by 6 wickets
