Australia have clinched a 2-1 one-day international series victory over the West indies with a thumping six-wicket win in the final match in Barbados, with a strong collective bowling effort setting up the result.
The hosts were dismissed for 152 off 45.1 overs after captain Kieron Pollard won the toss.
Matthew Wade (51 off 52 balls) and Ashton Agar (19 off 33) combined for an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 54 to secure the game three win with 19.3 overs left.
The win ended the West Indies hopes of ending a 26-year drought, last recording an ODI series win over Australia in 1995.
“The commitment that this group has shown, its fantastic to see the result go our way tonight,” acting captain Alex Carey, who was the leading run-scorer in the series, said.
Australia were 2-27 in the eighth over after openers Josh Phillipe and Moses Henriques were each dismissed cheaply, to end low scoring tours for both men.
But Carey, who promoted himself to first drop, steadied the ship with 35.
He scored well of the sweep before being trapped lbw going for that shot again.
Mitchell Marsh plundered three leg-side sixes in his rapid-fire 29 before being caught behind down the leg side trying to attack another short ball.
Earlier, Australia’s quicks and spinners kept the pressure on the West Indies batsmen.
Player of the series Mitchell Starc (3-43 off 9.1 overs) finished with 11 wickets at an average of 10.63.
New-ball partner Josh Hazlewood, back after missing game two with a calf issue, returned figures of 2-18 off eight miserly over – to take 5-29 over two matches at an average of 5.80 and economy rate of 2.08.
Spinners Adam Zampa (2-29), Agar (2-31) and Ashton Turner (1-23 off 8 overs) all profited on a pitch offering turn.
West Indies slumped to 6-75 in the 24th over, with their batsmen guilty of playing some poor strokes against a probing attack.
A seventh-wicket stand of 44 between opener Evin Lewis (55 not out off 66 balls) and paceman Alzarri Joseph was the only significant partnership for the hosts.
Opener Lewis had to retire in the fourth over due to concussion protocols after he top-edged a short Hazlewood delivery onto his helmet.
Lewis, who was on five at the time, resumed his innings in the 23rd over after the fall of the fifth wicket and showed much greater application than his fellow batsmen.
Australia made three changes to the side that lost the second ODI.
Hazlewood, Agar, and 38-year-old allrounder Daniel Christian were recalled, with the latter making his first ODI appearance since January 2014.
Out of the side went the injured Ben McDermott and pacemen Riley Meredith and Wes Agar, three of the least experienced members of the squad with just five ODI appearances between them.
Keith Griffen
Guest
Congratulations to Australia. Don't be misled by the result. West indies have won 2 matches in the last 8 years against Australia, also noting that this is a 2nd aus xi. Starc and Hazelwood would be tested against higher ranked opposition.
Patrick
Roar Pro
I think form and injuries really halted his international career. The injuries meant he ultimately gave up First Class cricket- which is a pity as he would have been a good Test cricketer- and later even 50 over cricket. My memory is that opponents started to work him out, and play for his slower ball, where he had previously been highly successful in the death overs. Form has certainly played a part in his absence. The only other factor I can think of is that Australian selectors have an aversion to T20 globetrotters- maybe CA doesn't want to incentivise that path. It took ages for Dan Christian to earn a recall, Jono Wells has never been selected, and Chris Lynn was given less opportunity than other batsmen. As a T20 only cricketer, who plays BBL and PSL, Faulkner now fits into this category. Your right though, he's not as old as people think. His recent BBL and PSL seasons were good, so hopefully he can work his way back to international cricket. I really hope he returns to 50 over cricket, and ideally FC cricket, although the latter seems unlikely.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
If i may, i wanted to ask about James Faulkner. Will he not play international cricket? I thought he retired but then i saw him playing in the PSL.His age surprised me when i found out he is younger than Virat. So age is not an issue here. Is there any reason why he is not on contention for selection?
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
What a difference a week makes. :stoked:
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
Congratulation on winning the series. It was interesting to see Kieron Pollard criticizing the pitches. Watching the score cards, one thing came to my mind. How many all rounders Australia is planning to play. There are already seven eight all rounders in their set up. They keep picking different all rounders for different series. Are they trying to imitate West Indies here?
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Nothing better to watch than Starc when he's in form and those booming in swingers to the right handers are splattering the stumps
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Lol *face palm* He’s right though
Paul
Roar Guru
Maybe it had something to do with the Roar only posting a story to comment on, minutes before you did. If you were watching an Australian tam playing a T20 game, I reckon you had your tellie on the wrong channel. The channel I was watching was showing a very professional, determined and understrength Australian team, play some excellent one day cricket to beat the West Indians.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Interesting that Mitchell Starc won the Player of the Series award. Good response from him in reply to all those naysayers calling for his axing.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
You look pretty foolish making that comment on an ODI game thread don't you think?
Patrick
Roar Pro
Great to see Ashton Agar perform well. With the next World Cup in India, I see him playing an important role in the ODI setup as that Jadeja-style bowler to race through the middle overs. A bowling average of almost 50 doesn't do justice to the fact that Agar has conceded more than a run a ball in only 3 of his 15 ODIs. He's also taken two wickets in each of his last 2 matches, so that average will continue to drop. Australia has struggled to find runs from its tail since James Faulkner stopped playing ODIs, so having a number 8 who averages 23 with the bat, and can be promoted up the order is a nice luxury too. On another note, that match felt like a giant trivia question. Evin Lewis carried his bat, Dan Christian played his first List A match in four years having effectively retired from the format, Moises Henriques bizarrely opened the batting, and Nicholas Pooran bowled for just the second time in his professional career.
Marty
Roar Rookie
Great result, bowling unit looking good and batsmen getting the job done after a shaky start. Positive signs moving forward.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure it was a 50 over game - Australia won with 117 balls remaining. I for one am pretty pleased to see the Aussies come back after the humiliation of the T20 series where we lost 4-1. The bowlers are in good form plus Carey, M March, Wade and Agar showed some form with the bat. Some not so encouraging signs from some of the newbies from the BBL .
Peter
Roar Rookie
The fact that I am the only person to have commented thus far tells you a lot about just how irrelevant Twenty Twenty Cricket if not cricket in general has become in the eye's of most Australian's. The endless number of International games of Twenty Twenty are TV fodder to satiate Indian Television demand. There is little to no demand for it anywhere else.