(Cricket news) Debutant Xavier Bartlett shines with ball (4/17) as Australia registered a dominating 8-wicket victory over West Indies in the first match of the ODI series at the MCG.
Opting to bowl, Australia were all over the men in maroon reducing them to 59/4 in 15.2 overs. Xavier Bartlett ran through the West Indies top order picking up three wickets inside the powerplay. Roston Chase then joined hands with Keacy Carty and piled up 110-run partnership to bring West Indies back in the game.
Adam Zampa broke the partnership dismissing Roston Chase. Keacy Carty soon followed missing a well-deserved century by just 12 runs. Australia hit back with quick wickets in the closing stage of the innings to restrict West Indies to a below par total of 231.
Australia had an early setback in the chase as Matthew Forde got Travis Head to edge one to the keeper in the very first over. However Josh Inglis along with Green stitched a good 79-run partnership to stabilize the innings for the Aussies. Josh Inglis was then dismissed by Motie when he tried a reverse-sweep that lobbed to first slip.
Skipper Steve Smith then joined hands with Cameron Green and ensured that there were no further setbacks in the chase. Smith scored a run-a-ball 79, whereas Green scored 77 off 104 balls. They scored 149 runs together to take Australia home comfortably in the 1st ODI.
Brief scores: West Indies – 231 in 48.4 overs (Keacy Carty 88, Roston Chase 59; Xavier Bartlett 4-17) Australia – 232/2 in 38.3 overs (Steven Smith 79*, Cameron Green 77*, Josh Inglis 65; Gudakesh Motie 1-58)
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