West Indies beat 9-man Australia in run-filled T20 World Cup warm-up

Tournament co-host West Indies defeated a depleted Australian cricket team by 35 runs in their final Twenty20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match at Queen’s Park Oval on Friday.

The Australian squad was missing several key players, including Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green, who were unavailable following their Indian Premier League stint earlier this month. As a result, Australia could only field nine first-team players, with coaches and support staff filling in the gaps.

Despite overcoming the disadvantage to comfortably beat Namibia in their first warm-up match on Wednesday, a full-strength West Indies side playing at home proved too much to handle.

Blistering half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and captain Rovman Powell helped West Indies to 257 for four off their allotted 20 overs and Australia were restricted to 222 for seven.

Pooran’s 25-ball 75 headlined the West Indies’ 257 for four, with Powell also making a rapid half century.

Josh Inglis’ 55 gave nine-man Australia hope but their reply faded.

West Indies wicketkeeper Pooran was in ruthless form from the outset in Trinidad, smashing eight sixes in his blistering knock after the early dismissal of Shai Hope for 14. Pooran reached his half-century from just 16 deliveries and received equally hard-hitting support from Powell and Sherfane Rutherford.

The pair hit four fours and four sixes apiece, the skipper making 52 from 25 balls and Rutherford 47 from 18 as Australia, for whom Adam Zampa took two wickets, were set 258 to win.

Ashton Agar showed his intent at the top of the order with 28 off 13 and Inglis picked up the charge, passing 50 in 26 balls.

But Inglis and Matthew Wade (25) fell in consecutive balls either side of the end of the 12th over to put a dampener on Australia’s hopes of completing the mammoth chase.

Nathan Ellis made 39 from 22 down the order but West Indies saw out the victory, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie taking two for 31 from his four overs.

The Twenty20 World Cup is set to begin Saturday with tournament co-host the United States taking on Canada in Dallas.

West Indies, the 2012 and 2016 champions, will open their campaign against Papua New Guinea in Guyana on Sunday. Their Group C also includes New Zealand, Afghanistan and Uganda.

Australia, the 2021 T20 World Cup winners, will start their campaign in the tournament proper against Oman in Barbados on June 5.

Australia have been drawn in Group B for this year’s World T20 along with two-time champions England, Namibia, Scotland and Oman.