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The series in the West Indies is lost but Mitch Marsh put on a power-hitting display for Australia who won game four

A shocking second last over from Riley Meredith didn’t undo the great work done by Mitch Marsh in the West Indies but Australia’s T20 woes are far from over.

Russell GouldRussell Gould
@gouldynews
2 min read
July 15, 2021 - 3:33PM
NCA NewsWire
Captain Aaron Finch chimed in with a solid 53. Picture: AFP
Captain Aaron Finch chimed in with a solid 53. Picture: AFP

Australia finally got the message and went on a boundary-rampage in the West Indies and Mitch Marsh emerged as Australia’s T20 World Cup weapon in a nail-biting and drought-breaking win in Saint Lucia.

Rookie Australian fast bowler Riley Meredith nearly became the poster boy for Australia’s T20 woes after a shambolic late over nearly gifted the home team a stunning come-from-behind victory.

Needing 36 runs off the final two overs Meredith conceded 25 runs, including four sixes, three smashed by Fabian Allen, in the penultimate over.

It left the Windies needing just 11 runs off the last six balls to win.

But Mitch Starc then stepped up and delivered four dot balls in a row as Andre Russell tried to get his team home with two big-hits, which didn’t come, as the Aussies scraped home by four runs.

It was welcome relief to Marsh, already Australia’s best performed player through three winless matches in the series, who earlier recorded both his highest score (75 off 44 balls) and his best bowling (3-23) in a T20 international.

“I thought our bowlers showed a lot of character, especially towards the back end,” Australian captain Aaron Finch said.

“It’s never easy against guys who have got a great reputation and huge power.

“We knew that if Mitchell Starc executes, he’s as good as anyone in the world. He’s done it for the best part of 10 years now. We had a lot of faith in him.

“It was great to get over the line. “

A half-century to Finch (53 off 37), and two wickets for spinner Adam Zampa were the other key components in a shaky but much-needed victory after three limp efforts so far in the series.

After setting the home team 190 to win, having reached 6-189, most of the Aussie fasts bowler struggled badly again as the big-hitting West Indians continued remained in the hunt right till the end.

Captain Aaron Finch chimed in with a solid 53. Picture: AFP
Captain Aaron Finch chimed in with a solid 53. Picture: AFP

But Marsh was on a hatrick when he dismissed Lendl Simmons, who had pulverised the Aussies bowlers with 10 fours and two sixes in his innings of 72.

That became the crucial wicket in the narrow win. Marsh has

Marsh had put on his own power-hitting display to pick up his third half-century in four innings and secured his World Cup spot.

But while the Aussies smashed 10 sixes and 14 fours to record 6-189 batting first.

West Indian powerhouse Chris Gayle hit more sixes (7) in game three than Australia had for the entire series to that point, so the focus on clearing the boundary was clear from the tourists.

Marsh, batting with captain Aaron Finch, helped Australia reached 50 in just the fifth over, and then 100 in the 10th over as they combined for 114 runs, as Finch also got in on the six-hitting act with three.

Marsh brought up his 50 off just 24 balls, with his fifth sixth, and finished with six sixes before he was finally dismissed for a series-high 75 off 44 balls.

The skipper made his first 50 of the series, out for 53 off 37 balls before rain interruptions, and another two quick wickets, halted the Aussie charge.

Alex Carey went for a first ball duck too and Marsh was not out on 63, with 46 runs coming in boundaries, when rain started falling for a second time in the 15th over.

Play resumed and wickets continued to fall before a late flurry from Dan Christian (22 off 14 balls) helped the Aussies reach the competitive total.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/the-series-in-the-west-indies-is-lost-but-mitch-marsh-put-on-a-powerhitting-display-for-australia-in-game-four/news-story/30500aa33aea50c8f533acd335c156e8