Australia showed they can produce the all-round game when they hammered West Indies by six wickets in their opening match of the Tri-Nation series.
It was spin, as it was in the series opener, when South Africa fell to Sunil Narine, that dictated the pace of the game in Guyana. Mitchell Starc cracked open the West Indies line-up, removing the two openers before the off-break spin of Nathan Lyon (3-39) and the leg-break googlies of Adam Zampa (3-16) rolled out West Indies for just 116.
It was a fate similar to that suffered by South Africa in the opening game, for Darren Bravo (19) and Johnson Charles had looked to have control at 50-1 in the 11th over. The dimissal of Bravo saw nine wickets go down for 66 runs
David Warner then stepped to anchor the Australian replay with an unbeaten 55 off 55 balls to set up a comprehensive victory. with a bonus point.
He underpinned an opening stand of 44 with Aaron Finch (19), and the addition of 41 with Usman Khawaja (27). So at 85-1, it was almost irrelevant that three wickets fell for the addition of just seven runs as Steve Smith (6) and Glenn Maxwell (0) fell to Narine in three balls.
Remembering how easily South Africa succumbed to Narine, who took 6-27 on Friday, the Australians will be looking forward to their encounter on Tuesday.
Photo: AFP
