Australia win, have one foot in semi-final
Australia have finished this off in 16.2 overs, which means a decent net-run-rate bump for them, which leaves South Africa an unenviable task of not only beating England but beating them convincingly. I sign off with a teaser from the final report.
As the sun set on the T20 empire of West Indies, a team full of T20 greats, one all-time great in the opposition, David Warner played a memorable knock to make a potentially tricky target look easy. The only thing between Australia and a semi-final spot now was a big win for South Africa over England later in the night. West Indies, already eliminated from the tournament, could now be asked to play the first round of the next World Cup to reach the Super 12s stage; only the top-eight teams on November 15 will get automatic entry into the Super 12s.
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Gayle's final over (this World Cup)
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What an amusing celebration of an over from Gayle. If this is it, it will be a great memory: a wicket last ball, then jumping on the batter for a bit of a bear hug from behind. Cricket played the way it oughta be
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Bravo's final over in international cricket
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Warner's best
73 With a switch-hit boundary off Bravo, David Warner brings up his highest score in T20 World Cups. He is carrying Australia home
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Fifty for Marsh too
28 Number of balls taken by Mitch Marsh to get to his fifty
That is especially impressive since these slow pitches are not built for Marsh's game. Australia are 133 for 1 in 14 overs, and can now even look at improving their net-run-rate to provide assurance for results later in the day.
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Fifty for Warner
29 Number of balls David Warner has taken to get to 51
There have been sixes down the ground, but also sweeps and reverse-sweeps. And some intentful running
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Hosein 4-0-29-1
Just that turn in Hosein's figures after his first two overs is enough to tell you how well Australia;s chase is going. David Warner is 43 off 27, playing one of the masterful knocks, and he has support from Mitch Marsh, who has reverse-swept a four and lofted a six over long-off. Australia 71 for 1 in eight over, and 82% favourites to win.
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Hosein gets Finch
Akeal Hosein's figures. Other two overs: 2-0-28-0
Akeal Hosein has dealt almost exclusively in arm balls and has displayed deadly accuracy to tie down the Australia batters. In the process, he has made Finch play on thanks to that cramping angle. However, Australia have taken Jason Holder and Roston Chase for runs in the other two overs.
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West Indies don't like Starc
17 Number of sixes West Indies have hit Mitchell Starc for in eight games at 11.3 balls per six. In the rest of his international career, Starc has conceded 19 sixes in 38 games at 44.5 balls per six. Stats courtesy Sampath Bandarupalli.
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Australia need 158
With zero sixes this World Cup and two balls to go in his last match of the World Cup, Andre Russell sevres a reminder for why the world fears him. A short offcutter despited streets behind deep midwicket, and then a low full toss just over long-on. The two sixes take West Indies to 157 after Pollard managed his highest score in all World Cups, 44 off 31.
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Hazlewood 1-0-19-0 to 4-0-39-3
The comeback from Josh Hazlewood has been superb after Lewis and Gayle punished him in his first over. He has taken the wickets of Pooran, Hetmyer and Bravo
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Bravo the batter is done
Oh these are wistful feels. Dwayne Bravo walks off, caught trying to hit a six. Keiron Pollard hugs him on the way out, Andre Russell hugs him on the way in. He turns around to accept the standing ovation, and Chris Gayle awaits with a hug just by the dugout. In his 10 off 12, Bravo has time to fit in a vintage Bravo inside-out six over extra cover. West Indies 126 for 6 in 17.3 overs
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Test-match dismissal
You rarely see these from West Indies batters in t20 because they don't waste their time defending or getting out of the way, this Josh Hazlewood ball is a peach. Dug in short, aimed at Shimron Hetmyer's armpit, who tries to get out of the way, but it keeps following him and takes the glove on the way. This is not out of place in a Test match. Hazlewood 2.5-0-25-3 with two Test dismissals. West Indies 91 for 5 in 12.5 overs.
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Zampa spills a chance
Adam Zampa doesn't enjoy a good match-up against Kieron Pollard with 96 runs and two wickets off 54 balls and in all T20. A show of faith then that he is asked to continue, and with the second ball, a wrong'un that doesn't even pitch, he has a return catch from Pollard, which he drops. Then Pollard ends the over with a four. West Indies 87 for 4 in 12 overs.
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Middle-overs muddle
Australia have dragged West Indies back beautifully with Mitch Marsh bowling into the pitch and Adam Zampa staying wicket to wicket with his leggies. Twenty-three for one in the four overs immediately after Powerplay, and West Indies are now 73 for 4 in 10 overs.
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Powerplay shared?
West Indies lose three wickets, but kept going through that Powerplay. They are 50 for 3 with Evin lewis on 21 off 14. Two left-hand bats in the middle means Glenn Maxwell might get more than just that one over in the Powerplay.
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Australia strike back
Just like that the tall Australian bowlers get their lengths right, and West Indies are three down in n o time. Gayle plays on, Pooran slices to point, and Chase has top of off pegged back by a jaffa. West Indies 37 for 3 in four overs.
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End of an era?
Batting in reflective sunglasses, a ball after dismissing a perfectly good slower short ball from Pat Cummins over long-on (yes there was a man behind) for a six, Gayle plays on. He is bowled, and he walks back to a standing ovation from his team-mates and the crowd. He is grinning ear to ear and going off with a huge grin on his face. Hiding moist eyes behind the shades and the laugh? He hasn't yet announced he is retiring - he joked he is semi-retired - but who knows if this is his last? He is soaking in the moment just in case it is.
I observed a similar end to an innings from Gayle two years ago in the 2019 World Cup, but pretty soon he was back in maroon.
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West Indies in Gulbadin mode
If you know, you know
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Gayle walks out. One last time?
Chris Gayle walks out to a standing ovation. Wearing reflective sunglasses like a boss. Is this the last time he bats for West Indies, though?
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Australia bowl, Walsh in for West Indies
Aaron Finch has won an important toss and decided to field with an unchanged side. West Indies have brought in Hayden Walsh for Ravi Rampaul. Walsh did really well against Australia in the Carribean. It is an important match for West Indies too because if they lose today, they will drop out of the top eight on the ICC rankings. The top-eight teams on November 15 automatically qualify for the Super 12s for next year's World Cup.
West Indies 1 CH Gayle, 2 E Lewis, 3 N Pooran†, 4 RL Chase, 5 SO Hetmyer, 6 KA Pollard*, 7 AD Russell, 8 DJ Bravo, 9 JO Holder, 10 HR Walsh, 11 AJ Hosein
Australia 1 DA Warner, 2 AJ Finch*, 3 MR Marsh, 4 GJ Maxwell, 5 SPD Smith, 6 MP Stoinis, 7 MS Wade†, 8 PJ Cummins, 9 MA Starc, 10 A Zampa, 11 JR Hazlewood
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Farewell, DJ
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Final day of Group 1
The penultimate match of Group 1, and there’s all to play for. Australia need to win first of all, but if they can help it, they need to make it a big win to provide for a South African upset against England later in the evening. It is such a shame that we can’t have these matches simultaneously.
Here we quote from S Rajesh’s scenarios preview for this day: “If both Australia and South Africa lose and remain on six points, then the defeat margins will determine which team ends up with a higher NRR: if Australia, chasing 161, lose by 20 runs, then South Africa can lose by no more than three runs (chasing 161) to be ahead of Australia on run rate. If Australia score 160 and win by 10 runs, South Africa will have to win by at least 32 runs (with the same score) to finish with a better NRR than Australia. Since South Africa play the second game on Saturday, they will know what they need to do to qualify.”
South Africa, of course, will have the advantage of knowing just what they need to do. Welcome to our Live Report.
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