Warner smashes 70 to celebrate 100th T20 appearance for Australia as West Indies chase falls short
HOBART, Australia (AP) — Opener David Warner celebrated his 100th T20I appearance by smashing 70 off 36 balls and spinner Adam Zampa picked up 3-26 as Australia beat West Indies by 11 runs on Friday.
Warner and Tim David (37 not out off 17 balls) provided a strong finish for Australia to reach 213-7 in the first Twenty20 international after being asked to bat first.
West Indies, which needed to chase down its second highest-ever T20 total, couldn’t capitalize on a brisk start from Brandon King (53) and Johnson Charles (42) as Zampa struck crucial blows and restricted the opposition’s chase to 202-8 in its 20 overs.
“Just pleasing to get the win,” said Warner, who quit test cricket after Australia swept Pakistan 3-0 at home, but said he wanted to play the upcoming T20 World Cup before leaving the shortest format.
“I feel refreshed, a lot of energy, the guys have told me to calm down a bit,” Warner said. “I’ve said I want to play the World Cup and finish there.”
Australia, which will be playing six T20s over the next three weeks, routed West Indies 3-0 in the ODI series.
The second game of the three-match series will be played on Sunday at Adelaide.
Warner and fellow opener Josh Inglis, who made 39, smacked the spin of Akeal Hosein and pace of Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph (2-46) as the pair racked up 93 runs in eight overs.
Warner smashed a dozen boundaries and a six before both batters got deceived by slower deliveries from Holder and Joseph. Inglis was furious with himself as he holed out to mid-off off Holder, and Warner gloved a leg side catch behind off Joseph’s short-pitch ball.
Australia’s middle-order wobbled when it lost captain Mitchell Marsh (16), Glenn Maxwell (10) and Marcus Stoinis (9) but David lifted the total by hitting two sixes and four boundaries.
Andre Russell took 3-42.
Holder reduced the margin of defeat with a 15-ball 34 not out.
“In the middle we struggled to get partnerships, but it was still a good game of cricket,” West Indies captain Rovman Powell said. “We’ve just got to back ourselves a little bit more, whenever we raise our bat tonight we find a fielder.”
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