Mitch Owen, Cameron Green blast West Indies bowlers in big T20 Australian win in Jamaica

A Big Bash hero stepped up to make an international impact on debut for Australia in the West Indies as a new dynamic duo emerged.

Australia has a new T20 hero after first-gamer Mitch Owen blasted his first scoring shot for six and a maiden half-century, steering his team to victory in the West Indies with some stunning hitting that could propel him to the top of the order.

Owen, who emerged as a white-ball star with a century in the Big Bash final opening the batting for the Hobart Hurricanes last summer, was given a middle-order role in Jamaica that became crucial after another flop from Jake Fraser-McGurk at the top.

Chasing the home team’s total of 8-189, a number reduced from a potential monster target by an all-too-common Calypso collapse as they lost 4-2 in the final 10 balls, Australia was 4-78 when Owen, who took his first international wicket with the ball, joined Cameron Green.

Mitchell Owen blasts one of his six sixes. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP

The 23-year-old Tasmanian powerhouse swatted his fourth ball down the ground for a maximum to get off the mark and with Green, who smashed three sixes in a single over as he made 51 off 26 balls, put on an 80-run stand that helped steer the Australians to a three-wicket victory.

Owen made his mark with a huge haul of three sixes off the final over from West Indian spinner Akiel Hosein, including one he blasted out of the ground that sent the umpires scurrying for a replacement ball.

He reached his 50 with a six, his sixth, cheered loudly by his parents in the stand, but was out next ball for 50 off 27 balls, leaving his teammates to score the final 15 runs to win.

Cameron Green celebrates his half century. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP

The bold batting effort came after fearless batting from the home team against Australia’s next-up attack looked like doing a number on the tourists, playing their first T20 international of the year and injury keeping two mainstays on the sidelines.

With the quartet of quicks who guided the Test team to a 3-0 sweep all given the quickfire five-match series off, the local batters revelled taking down the likes of Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott and Cooper Connolly, romping to 2-159 in the 15th over before it fell apart.

Dwarshuis (4-36) took three wickets in four balls in the 19th over to keep the target achievable.

Ben Dwarshuis took four wickets. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP

Given an international reprieve despite horror form leading in, Fraser-McGurk then lasted just seven balls after being chosen to open again ahead of Owen.

Captain Mitch Marsh followed soon after for a quickfire 24, and Australian wickets continued to tumble as the slogging effort to reel in the home team’s total continued.

White-ball stalwart Glenn Maxwell, who has been equally uninspiring in national colours, passing 50 in just one of his past 24 games for Australia across T20s and ODIs, managed just 11.

But then Owen and Green, who hit three of the first five balls he faced for six, got motoring and the stepping stone to the 2026 T20 World Cup uncovered a diamond.

FRASER-MCGURK FIZZLES

Fraser-McGurk didn’t deserve a national call-up given his horror recent form and there was no turnaround at Sabina Park, casting a cloud over the future of the one-time batting dynamo.

The 23-year-old had scored just 45 runs in his past five T20 innings, playing for the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket tournament, after a shocking stint in the IPL on a seven-figure contract.

Jake Fraser-McGurk’s run of outs continued. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP

By virtue of his location, being next door to the West Indies, Fraser-McGurk was called in as an injury replacement and inserted as opener after first-choice Matt Short suffered a side strain.

But he never looked like making an impact. It took six balls for him to get off the mark, with a wafty swipe to the leg side, and after three plays and misses, before miscuing a drive to be caught at mid-off for two.

While Short has been ruled out of the series, it would be unpalatable for every other Australian white-ball hopeful if Fraser-McGurk was given another chance.

In his 15 games for Australia across T20s and ODIs, he’s made just 213 runs with one half-century.

NO SHORT

Opening batter Short was sent home from the West Indies after he pulled up sore following training in Jamaica before the series opener.

Short had linked up with the squad after playing Major League Cricket tournament in the US, but the injury was severe enough to end his chances of playing in the series, which is five matches across just nine days.

Slugger Tim David was also rested from the opening game as he recovers from a hamstring injury suffered playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in this year’s Indian Premier League.

Originally published as Mitch Owen, Cameron Green blast West Indies bowlers in big T20 Australian win in Jamaica