Cricket World Cup: Nathan Coulter-Nile heroics help Australia defeat West Indies

Bizarre, but entertaining, the best way to describe Australia’s World Cup win over West Indies.

Man of the match Nathan Coulter-Nile (centre) is congratulated by Alex Carey (left) and Steve Smith after Australia’s victory over the West Indies at Trent Bridge. Picture: Getty Images

Australia beat the West Indies in a bizarre but entertaining game of cricket at Trent Bridge overnight.

Mitchell Starc took five wickets — three of them in his last two overs — to kill off any hopes the Windies had.

Nathan Coulter-Nile played the innings of his life to give the Australians hope when all seemed lost.

And the officials had a shocker.

It was one the umpires will want to forget. Chris Gayle was given out three times and shouldn’t have been out even when he did walk off.

The first two decisions by umpire Chris Gaffaney — out caught behind and LBW to Starc in the third over — were overturned on review, but to be fair to the official the first nicked the stumps on the way through, causing confusion.

Gayle called for another review when he was given out a third time — LBW — in what was just the fifth over of the game.

Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Chris Gayle. Picture: Getty Images

Replays revealed the delivery from Starc was clipping the stumps and the “umpire’s call” stood. Gaffaney had finally got his man. He was out for 21 from 17 deliveries.

The problem was that umpire had missed a no ball the previous delivery which meant the one that dismissed the batsman should have been a “free hit”.

Replays showed Starc’s foot a long way over the line.

West Indies fans were furious. And even more so when two decisions against Jason Holder were overturned later after the batsman was given out LBW to Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa by Ruchira Palliyaguruge.

Michael Holding, who was commentating, was not impressed.

LISTEN TO THIS!

Michael Holding absolutely slams the umpires after another decision gets reversed!

Watch: @9Gem

Live stream: https://t.co/mpXelfqUU3 #9WWOS #AUSvWI #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/PWlSg1UGyZ

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) June 6, 2019

“The umpiring in this game has been atrocious,” Holding said.

“For one, even when I was playing and you were not as strict as they are now, you were allowed one appeal. You don’t appeal two, three, four times to the umpire.

“They are being intimidated which means they are weak. This has been an atrocious bit of umpiring by both (Gaffaney and Palliyaguruge).”

The win leaves Australia and New Zealand on top of the tournament table with two wins from two matches. India is the only other undefeated side but have played just once.

The game had looked like it was going to be a fizzer from its early moments when the Australian top order collapsed to be 4-38 in the fifth over and then 5-79 in the 17th.

The Aussies rallied from the near-death situation thanks mostly to the brutality of Nathan Coulter-Nile, the good sense of Steve Smith and 27 extras given away by the West Indies quicks.

Australia’s Nathan Coulter-Nile celebrates his half century. Picture: AFP

Coulter-Nile put in the best performance of the career. Coming into this game he had an average of just under 13 and a highest score of 34. He hit 92 from just 60 balls when he holed out in the penultimate over.

The Australians were all out for 288 with an over to spare and the West Indies again appeared to have the game in hand when they were 6-252 with Carlos Braithwaite and Jason Holder at the crease.

Mitchell Starc, however, had other ideas. The quick dismissed both batsman in the first over of his final spell and Sheldon Cottrell in his next to finish with the figures of 5-46.

At one point he had 4-2 from 11 balls.

It was Coulter-Nile who gave the bowlers something to defend. He lived dangerously from the start of the innings, was lucky to survive the first few deliveries, but did not lose confidence, going on to hit eight 4s and four 6s in what was the best innings of his career.

Smith was more controlled, putting on 68 with Alex Carey (45) for the sixth wicket and 102 with Coulter-Nile for the seventh.

The former captain was out to a brilliant one-handed catch on the boundary by Sheldon Cottrell in the 45th over.

The West Indies pace bowlers promised a bouncer barrage and delivered. Usman Khawaja, who was knocked out of the practice game by an Andre Russell delivery that struck him on the jaw, was hit this time by Oshane Thomas as the battery of tall pacemen aimed ball after ball at the left hander.

Aaron Finch (6) was out caught behind, beaten by a good delivery from the same bowler in the fourth over. David Warner (3) steered one from Sheldon Cottrell straight down the throat of backward point.

Usman Khawaja is downcast as he leaves the field after being dismissed by Sheldon Cottrell. Picture: AFP

Khawaja backed away to leg side to cut a Russell delivery when he was on 13 but managed only to snick it through to the keeper Shai Hope. It was a poor look for the batsman.

Glenn Maxwell looked just as bad, top edging the third ball he faced from Cottrell to be out for a duck when the team needed him to dig in and bat through.

When Marcus Stoinis (19) pulled a delivery from Jason Holder straight to mid-wicket the team was 5-79 and in real trouble.

Carey, the vice-captain, played well for his 45 from 55 balls before hanging the bat out to a ball that he needed not bother with.

AUSTRALIA 288 (N Coulter-Nile 92, S Smith 73; C Brathwaite 3-67) defeated WEST INDIES 9-273 (S Hope 68, J Holder 51; M Starc 5-46).