BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – In one of the most devastating forms of hitting from an opposition batter, Tim David blitzed his way to a magnificent unbeaten maiden century to lead Australia to a commanding six-wicket series-sealing victory over the West Indies in the third T20 International here at Warner Park on Friday night.
In a high-octane T20 clash that had fans on the edge of their seats, the West Indies set a daunting target of 214, only for Australia to chase it down in just 16.1 overs, thanks to a breathtaking century from David, who was left unbeaten on 102.
Opting to bat first, the West Indies got off to a flying start, with Brandon King 62 off 36 and Shai Hope with a magnificent 102 not out off 57, putting on a 125-run opening stand.
King’s explosive innings included six sixes, while Hope anchored the innings with a masterful unbeaten century, laced with eight fours and six maximums.
Hope became the first West Indian to score a T20I century against Australia.
Despite a brief stumble in the middle overs, Sherfane Rutherford 12 and Rovman Powell with 9, kept the momentum going with a flurry to push the hosts’ formidable total to 214-4.
Australia’s bowlers struggled, with only Adam Zampa 1-51 and Mitchell Owen 1-23 managing breakthroughs.
Australia’s chase began shakily, losing Glenn Maxwell for 20 off seven early to a run-out and Josh Inglis 15 off six cheaply.
At 87-4 in the 9th over, the game seemed tilted in the West Indies’ favour. But then came David, who showed his actual class and familiarity with the Caribbean conditions.
The power-hitter unleashed a brutal assault, smashing 102 off just 37 balls, including 11 sixes, one of the fastest T20 centuries ever.
He found an able partner in Mitchell Owen, who contributed 36 off 16, as the duo obliterated the bowling attack, sealing victory with 23 balls to spare.
The victory sealed an unassailable 3-0 lead for the visitors in the five-match series, with man of the match David expressing his delight at his match-winning innings.
“I was just having a great time in the middle playing for Australia. It was nice to have a period at home and get my body right. I didn’t think I would get the opportunity to get a hundred for Australia, so I’m stoked.
Losing captain Shai Hope lamented his team’s lack of runs on a favourable batting surface.
“I don’t think we had enough runs on the board. On a pitch like that with the dimensions of the ground, we know it’s going to be hard to defend. I think we fell a few runs short, and with the ball, we needed to pick up more wickets.”
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