Australia stay undefeated at World Cup after see-sawing victory over West Indies
Nathan Coulter-Nile arrived as a World Cup player, with coach Justin Langer - ominously for rivals - declaring he is “getting better every game”, as Australia dodged a bullet from a fiery West Indies at Trent Bridge.
- 'Atrocious': West Indies great unloads on 'weak' umpires
- Starc, NCN save Aussies in World Cup thriller
Nathan Coulter-Nile and Steve Smith saved Australia with the bat, but it looked like their efforts would've been dashed as the West Indies came home with a wet sail - but they were sunk by a fantastic five-wicket Mitchell Starc haul.
At 5/79, a 2-0 start seemed a long way off for the Aussies. The Windies’ hostile fast bowling was stoking memories of the 1970s and 80s, when they were more flamethrowers than fast bowlers.
But Coulter-Nile spent 18 overs stamping himself in this Australian team with a blazing 92 (60) as a scratchy knock quickly morphed into a stunning one.
RE-LIVE ALL THE ACTION IN OUR BLOG AT THE FOOT OF THIS ARTICLE
The best World Cup knock by a player entering at No.8 or lower guided Australia to a competitive but still sub-par 288 runs. It also smashed Coulter-Nile’s previous best ODI score of just 34.
Still, it seemed Australia was short. With captain Jason Holder and six-machine Carlos Brathwaite set, the Windies needed just 38 runs from the final five overs with four wickets remaining.
Captain Aaron Finch brought back Starc and he brought down the West Indies, winning by 15 runs.
A double-strike in the 46th over removed both Brathwaite and Holder and the left-arm quick capped his death bowling heroics with a fifth wicket in the 48th over (5/46).
The player of the 2015 tournament picked up the first five-wicket haul of the 2019 tournament. In an 11-ball burst across two spells, Starc had 4/2. Yes. 4/2.
But it wasn’t without controversy. Chris Gayle was given out to Starc three times, and reviewed all three decisions.
The first two were overturned but the third – a tight lbw shout – stood, because it was umpire’s call. However Gayle was unlucky – a front-foot no-ball on the preceding ball was missed, meaning Gayle was denied a free hit on the wicket ball.
The bowling heroics masked Australia’s batting collapse. Their top order couldn’t handle the heat from the West Indies quicks with several bounced out.
Captain Aaron Finch (six runs) copped a cracking delivery from Oshane Thomas and then watched on as Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis threw away their wickets.
Thomas also left Steve Smith in sharp pain when a fast one reared off a good length into his right index finger.
Thomas, 22, is one of the remarkable Windies stories, having witnessed his 16-year-old brother get shot dead in Jamaica when he was just 11.
Coach Justin Langer was concerned pre-game that his batsmen might struggle to adapt to hostile quicks after six months of focussing on facing spin.
While South Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan have all opened with spin, West Indies’ first 47.4 overs (288 balls) of the World Cup were all pace.
This was the first time in 20 years Australia lost both openers for less than 10 runs in a World Cup match.
Maxwell was bounced out, skiing his second ball with a pull shot. Maxwell should’ve ducked, but instead made his ninth duck from 92 ODI innings.
It became dumb and dumber as fellow allrounder Stoinis picked out midwicket after playing at a Holder short ball that sat up and was there to be spanked.
A laconic Gayle watched on from first slip with his hands in his pockets as Australia crumbled on the same pitch it conceded a world-record 481 against England last year. Australia was also bowled out for 60 in the 2015 Ashes at Trent Bridge.
But a calm Smith, a crisp Alex Carey, a powerful Coulter-Nile and 24 wides, which outscored five of Australia’s top six, speared Australia to a decent score.
Fans barely got the chance to boo Warner, but Smith’s third-slowest half-century, and dismissal after a ridiculous boundary catch by Sheldon Cottrell, were met with a reception as unkind as the battery of fast bowlers.
Starc’s heroics at the death overshadowed Pat Cummins, who was harder to hit than a piñata at the start.
While Gayle got hold of Cummins’ second over, he sent down three maidens and took one wicket from his first 24 balls.
UNIVERSE BOSS LIVES DANGEROUSLY
Chris Gayle – the world’s most watchable cricketer – played an innings that required multiple viewings. Firstly, Gayle gave half-chances on the second and fourth balls of Mitchell Starc’s second over.
The first fell just short of Marcus Stoinis at cover and the second just flew over keeper Alex Carey’s head for four, taking Gayle to 999 World Cup runs. The next two balls Gayle was given out, only to win two reprieves courtesy of successful reviews.
The first was caught behind, but replays showed the noise the umpire heard was actually the ball nicking off stump yet somehow not disturbing the bails, while the second was an lbw that ball tracker determined was going down legside.
The drama didn’t end there. Gayle then went whack, whack, whack to take 14 runs off four Pat Cummins deliveries before facing Starc again the following over.
Finally, Starc got his man, as Gayle’s third review showed umpire’s call and the lbw call remained. But a blunder from the previous ball cost Gayle as a huge front-foot no-ball was missed, meaning Gayle should’ve received a free hit on the delivery he was finally dismissed on.
The scorecard says Gayle 21 (17) but there was far more to it than that – and it was a case of three DRS strikes and you’re out.
Unbelievably, Gayle has scored 258 out of his past 310 runs (83.2 per cent) via boundaries.
The 39-year-old no longer bothers to run because he doesn’t have to. Sadly, that’s Gayle’s last innings against Australia, unless these teams meet in the finals.
TARGET ON UZZIE’S HEAD
Usman Khawaja is in for a fiery World Cup after his vulnerability against fast and furious bowling was exposed by the West Indies.
While Khawaja is likely to retain his place at No.3 against India in London on Sunday, he can expect to be targeted Jasprit Bumrah, and for the rest of the tournament.
Khawaja smashed 295 runs in his final three innings against India in March, strengthening his selection case ahead of Shaun Marsh.
But the left-hander was softened by a series of steeplers before slashing at a wide Andre Russell delivery, which was caught superbly by wicket-keeper Shai Hope.
He made 13 runs off 19 balls. The brutal treatment was an encore to the battle between Russell and Khawaja in last month’s practice match in Southampton.
A nasty Russell bouncer in that match forced Khawaja to retire hurt as he was taken to hospital for scans on his jaw. Cricket Australia doctor Richard Saw attended to Khawaja in the middle of Trent Bridge after just three balls last night, when an Oshane Thomas bouncer cannoned into his grille.
West Indies captain Jason Holder put in a legslip and took out mid-on when Khawaja came to the crease in a clear sign they were targeting him with aggressive bowling. If Khawaja can’t cope with the heat and crack runs against India, there will be a strong case for Marsh to replace him at No.3 against Pakistan on Thursday.
PUT A HYPHEN BETWEEN SEVEN AND NINE
Nathan Coulter-Nile isn’t quite Steven Bradbury, but the powerful package is in Australia’s World Cup XI as the third seamer because Josh Hazlewood (back) and Jhye Richardson (shoulder) aren’t. There was also thought given to dropping Coulter-Nile for Nathan Lyon, given West Indies are stacked with left-handers. But coach Justin Langer backed in Coulter-Nile amid declaration that the 31-year-old is “getting better every game”. Well, that’s a scary thought. Coulter-Nile did everything but get out for his first 20 very scratchy balls, and then it suddenly clicked. Coulter-Nile walked out to bat with a highest score of 34 and with Australia in strife at 6/147 and when he walked off he had a highest score of 92 and Australia was 9/284. So much talk was around Trent Bridge’s short boundaries, but Coulter-Nile was the only Australian to clear them … and he did so four times. Now he owns the greatest score in World Cup history by a player batting at No.8 or lower. Sorry Kane Richardson and Jason Behrendorff, but it looks like ‘The Hyphen’ has sewn up that third seamer spot.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT…
Alex Carey. The keeper came in at 5/79 and looked crisp. Carey took his time to get in and then played some beautiful boundaries – mostly cover drives and cut shots – and, while he’ll be disappointed to miss out on a second half-century for Australia, some of his clean striking will add to the confidence gained from five dismissals in the first match against Afghanistan. The former GWS captain and close mate of Dylan Shiel is neat behind the stumps and a growing into an international player.
… WHAT THE?
Both teams were 0/5 after zero balls. Yes, Oshane Thomas and Mitchell Starc both started five wides after a loose ball rolled to the rope. In total the West Indies gave up 24 wides and the Aussies 11. Messy.
SAM LANDSBERGER’S AUSSIE VOTES
3. Mitchell Starc
2. Nathan Coulter-Nile
1. Steve Smith
TOTAL
3 Finch, Starc
2 Zampa, Coulter-Nile
1 Warner, Smith
Originally published as Australia stay undefeated at World Cup after see-sawing victory over West Indies
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