(Cricket News) Australia took a 2-0 lead in the ODI series after Sean Abbott, playing on his home ground, produced a remarkable all-around performance. Abbott’s career-best 69 spearheaded a lower-order fightback for the home side, and after West Indies’ spinners caused most of the trouble, Australia’s quicks finished off the chase.
Many of Australia’s top order came into the game but failed to score; four of the top seven fell between 26 and 41, and Abbott’s 54-ball half-century and two successive sixes in the penultimate over proved his mettle before the game dragged on. Motie and off-spinner Roston Chase shared 20 overs in which there were only two boundaries as the spinners were difficult to get away.
Alick Athanaze skied to mid-off, where Abbott added to his impact on the game, but Australia lost one of their spin resources for the second innings when Matt Short, who made 41, was unable to field due to hamstring tightness.
He was to be assessed in the coming days but must be doubtful for Canberra on Tuesday given the short turnaround. This meant that Adam Zampa would have to deal with all of Australia’s spin, so the early inroads made by the quicks were crucial. Aaron Hardie was given the new ball and began with an excellent spell that included two maidens as he found late movement.
The West Indies were 34 for 3 after Hazlewood had taken Justin Greaves by Sutherland at mid-off. Abbott then joined the wicket-taking, finding Kjorn Ottley’s edge, and the innings continued for 13 overs before Hope was dismissed for 88 by a ball from Hazlewood that kept low and smashed off stump. Shortly after, Abbott struck again, ending Carty’s promising stay with a thick edge to the keeper and things eventually faded away.
All-rounder Sutherland, whose father James was the former CEO of Cricket Australia, and sister Annabel had flown in ahead of the rest of the Australia women’s squad to watch the game, were among the Australians who handed out debuts to world record holder Jake Fraser-McGurk and Sutherland.
After making their debuts at the MCG, Xavier Bartlett and Lance Morris were rested by the selectors due to their concerns about playing three games in five days. Fraser-McGurk’s first international innings was short but intense: he swiped and missed at his first ball, got bounced out of his second, clubbed his third straight ball of mid-on, and launched his fourth ball into the second tier of the Bill O’Reilly Stand.
With his fifth ball, he edged Alzarri Joseph to the keeper, and Joseph had another when Josh Inglis drove to backward point. Australia was 50 for 3 in the eighth over after Steven Smith chopped on against Matthew Forde.
After Green’s flying start was pulled back, he miscued to mid-on. In the next over, Marnus Labuschagne drove Motie to cover, leaving Australia 91 for 5, with over 33 overs remaining to bat.
Short and Hardie, two of the less experienced players trying to make their way in the one-day side, batted steadily in a sixth-wicket stand of 51. On 18, Hardie was given a life after he reverse-swept to cover, but Carty spilled the chance above his head, so it was not costly as Hardie gave away his innings when he pulled Motie to long-on.
After Greaves brilliantly caught Sutherland at cover, Abbott cleared the fence three times in four overs, with the first blow leaving a spectator needing treatment in the pavilion. Short fell to Motie as well, leaving the lower order to nurse the innings through.
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