Tim David produced a brutal display of hitting with Australia’s fastest T20I century from 37 balls as the visitors surged to a series-winning victory by chasing 215 with a massive 23 deliveries to spare on a boundary-filled night in St Kitts.
Shai Hope’s maiden T20I century, in which he formed an opening stand of 125 with Brandon King, helped West Indies post 214 for 4 and when Australia wobbled on 87 for 4 in the ninth over, the target was a considerable distance off.
However, David produced a breathtaking performance which rewrote the record books with firstly Australia’s fastest fifty from 16 deliveries, and then the century mark with the boundary that also brought victory. In all he plundered 11 sixes in his maiden T20 century.
In his first international series, Mitchell Owen played his part with 36 off 16 balls in a fifth-wicket stand of 128 from just 46 balls.
David’s masterclass
This was only the eighth time in his 42 T20I innings for Australia that David had batted higher than No. 6 when he walked out following a scratchy innings from captain Mitchell Marsh.
He was 15 off seven balls when he faced Gudakesh Motie in the 10th over and collected four consecutive sixes.
In the next over from Akeal Hosein he added two more, with a boundary between them taking him to fifty off 16 balls.
Such was his focus and confidence in match-ups that he turned down a single in Roston Chase’s only over so he could retain the strike against the offspinner and proceeded to take three further sixes as the chase quickly came down towards a run-a-ball.
Numerous times, the umpires needed to call for the replacement box of balls, with a few souvenirs now lying outside Warner Park for anyone who wanted to have a look.
The game was probably gone from the West Indies, but they gave David a life on 90 when King dropped a sitter at deep midwicket.
After that, the only slight danger to the century record was whether Owen would finish the game first.
But despite Owen being handed a six when Rovman Powell stepped on the rope taking a catch at long-on, David wasn’t denied and comfortably eclipsed the previous record of 43 balls set by Josh Inglis against Scotland last year.
Shai gives hope
West Indies’ captain put together a top-class innings to dominate the home side’s display, becoming just the second West Indian after Chris Gayle to have centuries across all formats.
Initially, he was a little sluggish and five off seven balls before finding his first boundary, but was in control throughout.
He hit his stride by taking advantage of Glenn Maxwell’s powerplay with a four and consecutive sixes, then put Owen out of the ground – the first but not last instance of that for the night.
Hope’s fifty came from 26 balls, with King’s following off 30 deliveries, and he then motored towards three figures, including consecutive sixes off Adam Zampa.
However, it took him eight balls to go from 92 to his century, reaching from 55 deliveries, as Australia again bowled well in the closing overs. (ESPNcricinfo)
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