West Indies v Australia
Wisden's review of the eighth match, West Indies v Australia
15-Apr-2017
At Bridgetown, Barbados, June 21, 2016 (day/night). Australia won by six wickets. Australia 4pts. Toss: Australia. One-day international debut: S. T. Gabriel.
Samuels made an outstanding hundred in vain, as Maxwell stole the show to book Australia a place in the final. Left out for a couple of games, he began cautiously, but a switch-hit six over point off Narine was the start of a 13-ball assault that brought 32 runs, as Australia raced home with eight deliveries to spare. Earlier, Starc - who before now had been rested for alternate games - looked fresh in making light work of the openers. West Indies were listing at 31 for three before a sublime partnership of 192 between Samuels and Ramdin restored their equilibrium. Samuels was dropped by Wade on 65 - part of an uncharacteristically poor fielding display by the Australians - but was otherwise faultless on his way to a tenth ODI hundred, passing 5,000 runs in the format. Australia then slipped to 99 for three, before Smith and Marsh put on 122. But, when Smith was run out for 78, the asking-rate had crept past eight. Enter Maxwell, who took 14 off three balls from Brathwaite, and left his partner, Marsh, "literally speechless".
Man of the Match: M. N. Samuels.
Samuels made an outstanding hundred in vain, as Maxwell stole the show to book Australia a place in the final. Left out for a couple of games, he began cautiously, but a switch-hit six over point off Narine was the start of a 13-ball assault that brought 32 runs, as Australia raced home with eight deliveries to spare. Earlier, Starc - who before now had been rested for alternate games - looked fresh in making light work of the openers. West Indies were listing at 31 for three before a sublime partnership of 192 between Samuels and Ramdin restored their equilibrium. Samuels was dropped by Wade on 65 - part of an uncharacteristically poor fielding display by the Australians - but was otherwise faultless on his way to a tenth ODI hundred, passing 5,000 runs in the format. Australia then slipped to 99 for three, before Smith and Marsh put on 122. But, when Smith was run out for 78, the asking-rate had crept past eight. Enter Maxwell, who took 14 off three balls from Brathwaite, and left his partner, Marsh, "literally speechless".
Man of the Match: M. N. Samuels.