Brilliant fielding, ferocious batting: Maxwell’s night out makes it 4-0 in St Kitts

Glenn Maxwell doesn’t do things by halves.

Having played a strictly supporting role so far in the West Indies, as Cameron Green, Mitchell Owen, Josh Inglis and Tim David made their marks, Maxwell had a night out of his own in St Kitts. And what a night it was.

Glenn Maxwell hits a six during the fourth T20 international cricket match between West Indies and Australia in St Kitts.Credit: AFP

With two excellent catches and then an otherworldly assist on the boundary for Cameron Green, Maxwell helped keep the West Indian tally to 205 – manageable dimensions on a tiny ground.

Then in his recast role as an opener, Maxwell crushed 47 from 18 balls to bring the target well within range. Inglis, batting No.3, helped him get the innings off to a sprightly start by skating to 51 (30 balls) after Mitch Marsh fell lbw second ball to the left-armer Jediah Blades (3-29).

Green (55 not out, 35 balls), who has shown growing authority in each innings on tour, then guided the tourists home by three wickets with four balls to spare.

At one point in the innings, Maxwell monstered four sixes in five balls, demonstrating his adaptability to different assignments up and down the order. One of them was dropped by former West Indian spinner Samuel Badree in the broadcast area.

The regeneration of the Australian T20 side, in part preparing for the day when Maxwell is no longer playing, has been underlined by the emergence of Owen on this tour, the promotion of David to a position from which he could make a century, and the consistent returns of Green and Inglis.

Amid this galaxy of strong hitting, Maxwell has been an energetic senior role player, opening in place of the resting Travis Head. Maxwell can look with some pride at how the freewheeling of so many of his teammates has been inspired by the way he has played for Australia over much of the past 13 years.

“I got a really good look at that one, read it pretty well, and Greeny was the perfect distance away,” Maxwell said of his assist in the field.

“He didn’t come too close to me, I was able to flick it in front of him almost for him to run onto, and he made it easy to flick to.

Glenn Maxwell’s amazing assist.Credit: ESPN

“Would’ve been interesting what I would’ve done if he wasn’t there, if I’d tried to throw it a bit higher, but having him there, he made great ground to be above me.

“I practice it a hell of a lot, I pride myself on creating opportunities on the boundary, feel like I’m spreading the boundary a little bit longer and making the batters hit a little bit further.”

The pressure exerted by Australia’s batters was shown by how the West Indian bowlers, pace and spin alike, were often unwilling to put the ball in a spot where it could be reached. As a consequence, they delivered an eye-watering 16 wides.

He signalled his intention to make an impact in the field, as the Australians again sought to restrict West Indies on the almost comically small Warner Park. With boundaries of similar dimensions to Eden Park in Auckland, sixes tend to be the rule rather than the exception.

But Maxwell’s interventions helped ensure that those big hits were somewhat curtailed. His first catch, diving forward to get game-three centurion Shai Hope, was excellent in itself. The second, leaping up to pluck Roston Chase as though picking an apple from a high tree branch, was gloriously nonchalant.

These two were merely scene-setters, however, for the exit of Romario Shepherd. Leaning back to pummel Adam Zampa down the ground, Shepherd looked satisfied that he’d hit a six.

The ball had maybe a couple more inches to travel over the rope when it was intercepted by a flying Maxwell, who kept his foot inside the boundary and flicked the ball to Green before sprawling over the line. The umpire’s check confirmed a sublime bit of athleticism and timing.

Rain stopped the West Indies innings with four balls left at 9-203, but play resumed after 55 minutes without any overs deducted. Nathan Ellis, best of the Australian bowlers with figures of 0-21 from his four overs, conceded just two runs from those four balls.

After Inglis and Maxwell had their say with the bat, the Australians subsided briefly with the loss of 3-5 in 10 balls. David had been rested in recognition that he is still recovering from a serious hamstring injury, and this gave Hardie and Bartlett the opportunity to accompany Green to the finish line.

Bartlett was unluckily out when a straight drive hit the stumps via Shepherd’s hand while he was backing up, before Green and Sean Abbott ended the game with four balls to spare – just as the rain returned.

This was another major reverse for the West Indies, who struggled against Australia in the Test series but have shown even more weakness in T20, which had once been the region’s strength. No batter got past 31 in this game, while the fielding was often desultory at best. With 11 runs still required, Sherfaine Rutherford dropped Green on the boundary.

Australia will duly have the opportunity to complete an unbeaten tour of the Caribbean in the final game on Tuesday morning, before another white-ball series against South Africa on home soil in August.

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