Australia vs West Indies T20 live updates: Anger as Jake Fraser-McGurk flops again

Australia have piled more misery on the West Indies in the first T20I, but serious questions are being asked about one batsman facing the axe.

Australia has piled more misery on the West Indies with a classy three-wicket win in the first T20I in Jamaica on Monday morning.

Debutant Mitch Owen’s international T20 career started in fairytale fashion as he smacked a half century and took a wicket in a man-of-the-match performance.

Owen and Cameron Green tore the hosts apart in a devastating 80-run partnership that helped Australia reach the required total of 190 runs with seven deliveries remaining at Sabina Park in Kingston.

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Looking to regain some respect after an embarrassing 3-0 Test series sweep, the hosts were on fire early as they reached 1/123 after 12 overs.

However, Australia’s bowlers, led by Ben Dwarshuis, then fought back spectacularly.

The home side suffered a late collapse as they reached 8/189.

Australia’s bowlers had been blasted all over the park for most of the innings, but the hosts were decimated in the final five overs where they lost 6/35.

Australia were 4/97 after 10 overs and the game appeared to be going down to the wire, but Green and Owen then took the game away.

1.30pm - Green, Owen reach 50 as pair go berserk

Australia’s middle order showed its class to cruise to the required total of 190 runs with seven deliveries remaining.

Mitch Owen’s fairytale debut ended with the finish line in sight as he combined with Cameron Green to put the West Indies to the sword.

Owen, blasted 50 runs from 27 balls.

Two overs earlier, Green also fell for 51 runs from 26 balls.

Green departed after slogging down the ground, but he walked off the field having put Australia in a winning position at 5/185 with five overs remaining.

Green and Owen teed off against the West Indies bowlers with their partnership worth 80 runs from 40 deliveries.

Cooper Connolly hit it on the roof. Photo: ESPN.

In an extraordinary display of power hitting, the pair spanked 69 runs from five overs, leaving just 42 runs needed from the final six overs.

It was Green’s fourth career T20I half-century.

Owen’s innings was the third time an Aussie debutant has reached fifty in a T20I.

Cooper Connolly took off where Green and Owen started, smacking one six that landed on the roof of Sabina Park.

Ben Dwarshuis and Sean Abbott got Australia over the line.

12.45pm - Brutal Fraser-McGurk truth

Aussie selectors have been criticised for dropping debutant Mitch Owen down the batting order after another Jake Fraser-McGurk failure at the top of the order.

Owen got a solid start to his international T20 cricket when he reached 15 from seven balls.

Normally batting at the top of the order, Owen had to wait until Australia’s fourth wicket before he made his way to the middle.

Jake Fraser-McGurk of Australia walks off. Photo by Randy Brooks / AFP.

Former Aussie bowler Chadd Sayers posted on X: “Mitch Owen gets picked for Australia from opening the batting…. Why is he batting 6? JFM the most out of form batter in the world”.

Code sports’ leading Aussie cricket journalist Daniel Cherny wrote: “Dear oh dear. Jake Fraser-McGurk done over by Jason Holder. Two from seven”.

As first reported by Fox Sport journalist Nic Savage, Fraser-McGurk hasn’t survived more than 15 deliveries in any of nine most recent knocks for Australia.

12.30pm - Aussie run chase drama as Maxwell goes

Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis and Jake Fraser-McGurk are all back in the dressing room as Australia reached 4/78 in the ninth over.

There was some controversy as Marsh (24 from 17 balls) was caught behind after an outside edge from the bowling of Alzarri Joseph.

The on-field umpires first ignored the appeals of West Indies players, but the decision was overturned following a DRS challenge when ultra edge showed a clean spike as the ball passed the captain’s bat

Talented opener McGurk fell for just two runs from seven balls as Australia reached 1/12 from two overs.

Fraser-McGurk attempted to smash Jason Holder back over his head, but his clunky shot hit nowhere near the middle of his bat, with the ball sailing safely to Alzarri Joseph.

Josh Inglis, meanwhile, was on fire early as he reached 18 from seven balls.

Inglis executed one particular reverse sweep off the bowling of Andre Russell that had the ESPN commentary staggered.

Shakera Selman said: “That is absolutely savage”.

11.45am - West Indies tail decimated

The West Indies have lost 6/35 in 27 balls after appearing in control of the first T20.

The hosts looked set for a monstrous total at 2/159 in the 16th over, but some Ben Dwarshuis magic turned the game on its head.

Dwarshuis finished with 4/36 from his four overs. He picked up three wickets in his final over — the penultimate over of the innings.

Cameron Green took a screamer. Photo: Fox Cricket.

“How quickly emotions can change,” West Indies legend Jimmy Adams said on ESPN.

Earlier, captain Shai Hope (55 from 39 balls) and Roston Chase (60 from 32) were on fire.

Shimron Hetmyer was also cooking when he reached 38 from 19 before he was the victim of a spectacular catch by Cameron Green.

Moving quickly to his right at long off, Green launched into the air to catch a ball that would have sailed over the rope if not for the immense height of the Aussie all-rounder.

11.30m - Mitch Owen makes history on debut

Aussie debutant Mitch Owen picked up a wicket with his third ball in international T20 cricket when opener Shai Hoped miss-hit a lofty cover drive that was snapped up by Nathan Ellis at deep cover.

“It would have been an exciting day today to be presented his cap by Nathan Ellis,” Aussie great Brad Haddin said on ESPN.

Mitch Owen's special moment. Photo: Fox Cricket.

Roston Chase (R) of West Indies hits 6 and Josh Inglis (L) of Australia watch during the 1st T20i between West Indies and Australia at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, on July 20, 2025. (Photo by Randy Brooks / AFP)

“He will remember this day here for the rest of his life.”

Aussie players raced in to congratulate Owen, but their smiles didn’t last long as Shimron Hetmyer continued to blast the ball over the rope.

11am - Marsh sends West Indies in to bat

Australian captain Mitchell Marsh has won the toss and chosen to bowl first.

Marsh will open the batting alongside Victoria’s Jake Fraser-McGurk, while Hobart Hurricanes hero Mitch Owen will make his international debut in the middle order, becoming Australia’s 112th men’s T20I cricketer.

“Like most guys coming in and out of the squad over the next (19) games, we’ll see guys bat in different positions and get opportunities in certain positions,” Marsh continued.

“First and foremost, it’s always we’re representing Australia, we’re here to win the series and culturally, that’s how we want to go about it.

“There will be guys that get opportunities.

“We’ve obviously got a few guys missing for this series for a well-earned rest, but we want guys to be flexible, fluid, come together as a team and be really connected.”

Originally published as Australia vs West Indies T20 live updates: Anger as Jake Fraser-McGurk flops again