Mitch Owen Stars On Debut To Lift Australia To T20 Victory Over West Indies

Mitch Owen has dazzled connected his world debut pinch a power-hitting masterclass that helped rescue Australia connected nan measurement to a three-wicket triumph complete nan West Indies successful nan first T20I astatine Sabina Park. With Australia utilizing nan five-match bid successful nan Caribbean arsenic an opportunity to trial nan adjacent procreation and build extent for nan longer term, Owen took small clip to show that he could beryllium portion of nan early pinch a gamechanging half-century.

Australia still had to telephone connected nan much knowledgeable Ben Dwarshuis and Sean Abbott to guideline them location astatine nan death, arsenic nan visitors reached 190 to triumph pinch 7 balls to spare.

After West Indies made a blazing commencement earlier being restricted to 189-8, nan target was soon looking overmuch much ominous erstwhile Owen replaced Glenn Maxwell astatine nan crease pinch Australia 4 down and needing different 112 runs. But successful possibly nan first motion of a passing of nan baton, Owen looked comfortable facing some nan West Indies pacers and spinners, and clubbed six stunning sixes to scope 50 from 26 balls.

The 23-year-old was caught connected nan bound from nan adjacent shot aft raising his bat, but by past Australia only needed 15 much runs and were backmost successful control. Cameron Green was conscionable arsenic captious to rebuilding nan Australia innings arsenic he carried complete his reasonable shape from nan Test bid pinch 51 runs from 26 balls that included 5 sixes and 2 boundaries.

Mitch Owen hits a six for Australia against nan West Indies astatine Sabina Park. Photograph: Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

West Indies were near to wonderment what could person been aft getting disconnected to a flyer pinch half-centuries to skipper Shai Hope and Roston Chase taking them to 159 for 2 successful nan 16th over. When Hope lofted a slower shot from debutant Owen to constituent erstwhile connected 55, and pinch Chase already backmost successful nan pavilion, nan hosts soon looked shaky aft a target beyond 200 had seemed overmuch much likely. The illness that followed mightiness not person been to nan depths of nan caller red-ball scary show, but losing six wickets for a scarily acquainted 27 runs allowed Australia to pursuit an achievable target.

This was nan first of Australia’s 16 T20 internationals complete nan adjacent 4 months arsenic they activity answers to their questionable shape successful nan shortest format up of nan T20 World Cup early adjacent year. Greater depth, power-hitting options and elasticity wrong games are among nan much evident concerns arsenic white-ball specialists and emerging players were handed an opportunity to impressment astatine Sabina Park. Green and Josh Inglis were nan only survivors from nan 13 players utilized to declare a 3-0 Test bid sweep, while nan West Indies could return immoderate early alleviation from Australia resting each of their formidable red-ball attack.

With Dwarshuis and Abbott posing less problems pinch nan caller ball, Brandon King returned to nan apical of nan bid successful spot of nan injured Evin Lewis and group retired to guarantee that nan West Indies near nan 3rd Test humiliation down them. King was 1 of seven batters to beryllium dismissed for a duck successful a fourth-innings full of 27 past week, but backmost successful his preferred format nan opener was soon connected nan beforehand ft and clattered 4 boundaries from nan first 2 overs of nan game. When King stepped down nan transportation erstwhile excessively often and was stumped for 18, Chase came to nan crease and took small clip to blast Australia’s spinners retired of nan attack.

The all-rounder made adjacent to nary effect pinch his ain off-breaks successful nan three-Test bid but looked for illustration a different subordinate pinch nan bat arsenic he smashed his fastest T20I half-century. Chase reached 60 from 32 balls pinch a brace of sixes and 9 boundaries earlier becoming nan first of Dwarshuis’s 4 victims erstwhile picking retired Maxwell conscionable wrong nan statement astatine long-on.

Hope moved done nan gears to support nan run-rate supra 10 an complete arsenic Shimron Hetmyer (38 from 19) lent valuable support, but erstwhile nan skipper made way, nan West Indies crumbled and Dwarshuis later claimed 3 lower-order wickets successful an complete arsenic nan hosts’ dream of a hint of redemption was gradually lost.