Cricket news: Aaron Finch fires at No.4 as Aussies notch unconvincing win over West Indies

Aaron Finch fired down the order, but Australia’s batting issues were laid bare by a side who is yet to qualify for the World Cup.

Aaron Finch and Matthew Wade have spared Australia’s blushes, combining for a 69-run sixth-wicket partnership to outlast the West Indies with one ball to spare in their T20 World Cup warm-up on the Gold Coast.

Finch began the fightback with a measured 58 off 53 deliveries and Wade saw the hosts home, hitting an unbeaten 39 from 29, to paper over the cracks of a worrying batting performance that raised more questions than answers just 17 days out from the World Cup opener.

Cameron Green failed to fire in a surprise start at the top of the order while Steve Smith was overlooked entirely as Australia survived a top-order collapse against a fired-up West Indies side that dropped two catches in the final over with the game up for grabs.

Green’s place in Australia’s World Cup plans has come under the microscope following his starring role in the series in India, but in his first chance to impress on home soil he managed just 14 from 10 opening alongside the returning David Warner.

Aaron Finch and Matthew Wade papered over Australia’s batting cracks. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Only a day after Finch poured cold water over Green’s World Cup hopes, the Aussie skipper was demoted to No.4 in favour of Green in a head scratching move from the selectors just two weeks out from the first game against New Zealand.

In Finch’s 244 innings for Australia across all formats, 233 of those have come as an opener and he had batted never at No.4. But the skipper revealed during the change of innings it was his decision to have Green open on Wednesday night, having previously declared there was no room for the giant all-rounder in Australia’s World Cup squad.

With Marcus Stoinis remaining in Perth recovering from a side strain and Mitch Marsh on batting-only duties on the road back from an ankle injury, Green was handed a gilt-edged opportunity to impress against the West Indies as the second all-rounder alongside Glenn Maxwell.

On Tuesday, Finch seemed certain Stoinis and Marsh would both be ready to fire for the World Cup opener but Wednesday night’s shake-up could hint to at least some concern over one or both’s ability to be fully fit in time.

Finch had spoken about the importance of the all-rounders to Australia’s World Cup plans but neither Green nor Maxwell played a significant role at Carrara in what will be a wake-up call for the reigning champions.

Cameron Green had a limited influence. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Warner started with a flourish blasting three boundaries before being caught behind on 14 and Marsh managed just three runs before also finding himself back in the sheds.

Maxwell and Tim David – a surprise selection ahead of Smith – each went for a duck, bookmarking Green’s brief cameo.

It continued a worrying run of hitting form for Maxwell, who has now scored just 67 runs in his past eight innings dating back to the third ODI against Zimbabwe on September 3.

It wasn’t all bad news for the Aussies, with Finch finding some much-needed touch at the unfamiliar No.4 accompanied by a steadying hand from Wade, who was gifted the chance to see the hosts home after he was dropped in the final over by Raymon Reifer in the deep.

Smith was a shock omission in the middle order in favour of David but the breakout bat hardly covered himself in glory, facing just four deliveries before being caught on the boundary at a time where Australia needed continuity in the middle.

Finch had previously alluded to a looming head-to-head battle between Smith and David for that middle-order role and the ball might now be in the veteran’s corner as soon as the second T20 at the Gabba on Friday, given Australia’s capitulation on the Gold Coast.

Such is the current climate of T20 cricket that one of Australia’s greatest-ever batsmen could lose his place to a man who has never played a game of First Class cricket. But Smith will be given an opportunity at some point during the pre-tournament matches against the West Indies and England to prove his worth to selectors.

Tim David walks off after being dismissed for a duck. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

There was much less concern from the bowling contingent with Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc combining for seven wickets and Green chiming in for one.

Adam Zampa was economical from his four overs finishing 0-21 and Maxwell likewise at 0-8 from two.

But there will be plenty of questions asked of Australia’s first performance back on home soil given their opponents have yet to even qualify for the World Cup and must first win through the play-in stages to compete in the tournament proper.

“We probably weren’t as clinical as we would have liked with the bat (but) I think it’s great someone like Matty Wade at number seven has got us home – as he has quite a few times (in the past) but ideally those kind of chases you do a bit easier,” Cummins said after the match.

“I think we’re used to him opening the batting but there’s hardly a consistent middle to late-order batter in the world, whereas he’s really taken that mantle as a finisher. He’s a huge asset, they’re really hard to come by and he’s really nailed that spot.”

Cummins said the team was happy to tinker with the makeup of the team despite being so close to the start of the World Cup, adding it was unlikely he and Hazlewood feature in all of the upcoming pre-tournament matches.

“I think we’re really clear that we’ve got a World Cup to win and that’s what we peak for. There’s no point burning out (in) these five games,” he said.

“We’ve just been over in India as well, so you might see some people having a rest, some people in different roles, to make sure we give ourselves the best chance not only for the start of the tournament but the back end if we’re there.”

Quizzed on Green’s inclusion despite Finch declaring there was no spot for him in the World Cup squad, Cummins said the 198cm all-rounder would be a “really beneficial” option on Australian wickets.

“Especially if you look around the Australian venues – having a tall fourth quick bowler I think is really beneficial,” he said.

“He hasn’t bowled a lot really in T20s (but) I think he’ll keep getting better and better.

“He can bowl in the first six (overs) and be a real wicket-taking option through the middle if we need someone to be aggressive he can do that.”

Captain’s huge warning over Aussie cricket’s greatest asset

Peter Lalor

Pat Cummins says protecting Cameron Green from injury is one of his highest priorities, but says he would not blame the brilliant young all-rounder if he went to the IPL.

The Australian Test captain said loyalty could not be taken for granted and believes Cricket Australia needs to be “proactive” in its contracting to ensure that the best interests of players health are weighed against the money they can make in domestic leagues.

Green, who is not even in the Australian T20 World Cup squad, turned heads when he scored two scintillating half centuries while substituting for David Warner at the top of the order during recent matches in India.

There is talk IPL franchises will go all out to attract him to next year’s tournament. Green earns $1m a year on his Cricket Australia contract but could potentially triple that at the IPL.

“I think you have got to be proactive the world is changing almost every month now there’s new leagues and opportunities pop up, we are lucky here in Australia that for all of us players and fans Test cricket is number one, so wherever there is a Test tour on that is where us players want to be, you feel like all the cricket fans are watching,” he said.

“I don’t think we can take for granted that is always going to be the case, I think we do need to be proactive and look after some of the ways we structure contracts or manage different players because fortunately.”

Cameron Green was the star of the T20 series against India.

Green has not been named in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad.

Cummins and a number of other Australian players were recently approached by city based India T20 leagues offering massive contracts to compete.

Green’s bowling workload is managed in Australia which creates issues around him using his leave period to play more cricket.

Speaking at an event for Cricket Australia’s new naming rights sponsor NRMA Insurance, Cummins said he is always conscious of protecting the 23-year-old in Test matches.

“Even in the last couple of summers one of my first thoughts whenever I bowl him is we don’t want to burn him out, he’s young,” Cummins admitted.

“I think it’s been a huge win from the medical side of things to have him play as much cricket as he has over the last couple of years.

“Fortunately he can fall back on his batting, even if he is not bowling heaps.

“Now that he is in and around three formats it becomes even more important (managing him). He’s someone who loves playing, so even when he goes back to WA we’ve got to manage that because we’ve got 15 Test matches in the next six months plus World Cups.”

Cricket Australia is understood to have offered players, including Cummins, extended contracts to keep them out of the IPL, but with the exception of Mitch Starc, most are keen to use their downtime to play the tournament.

Green faces an interesting dilemma with the amount of cricket ahead.

“I don’t know, it’s (joining the IPL) one of those ones, you can’t really blame anyone for going in,” Cummins said.

“He’s going to be in huge demand wherever he plays. It’s a decision for him to make. There’s lots of cricket to play.”

Cummins said he would not be surprised if Green found his way into the World Cup squad.

“There’s always opportunities that pop up, there’s always niggles, injuries that occur at different time. We’ve got a really strong 15-man squad, there’s people like Greeny, Nathan Ellis that didn’t make it this year, Mitchell Swepson was in the squad last year,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be surprise if at some point there’s opportunities that pop up through injury.”

Josh Hazlewood, who was also at the event, said that it was hair-raising bowling to Green in the nets.

“It was a bit scary the first net session we did, it feels like you need a helmet bowling to Cam Green, he is so imposing, he’s such a big guy and he brings the full face of the bat hitting back at you, it feels like bowling to Mitch Marsh,” he said.

Originally published as Cricket news: Aaron Finch fires at No.4 as Aussies notch unconvincing win over West Indies