19 hours ago
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Josh Inglis and Cameron Green have smashed half-centuries to power Australia to an eight-wicket win over West Indies in their second T20 clash in Jamaica.
The hosts posted 172-8 before Inglis (78 not out from 33 balls) and Cameron Green (56no from 32) led Australia to 173-2, and victory with 28 balls to spare.
The pair put on a unbroken 131-run partnership off just 64 balls as Australia took a two-nil lead in the five-match series.
Inglis was brutal with the bat, blasting a half century from just 22 deliveries – hitting five sixes and seven fours.
An equally aggressive Green cracked four sixes and three fours after starring in a three-wicket win in game one with 51 from 26 balls.
Australia sent Glenn Maxwell out to open in the innings after dropping Jake Fraser-McGurk but he made just 12 from 10 balls.
Captain Mitch Marsh’s 21 from 17 included two sixes but when he fell, the match was in the balance at 42-2 in the sixth over.
Inglis and Green then launched an audacious attack on the West Indian bowlers, making light work of the run chase. With Inglis in full flight, Green posted his half-century from 28 deliveries.
Australia’s spinners were vital in restricting the West Indies batsmen.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa claimed 3-29 from four overs and offspinner Glenn Maxwell 2-15 from two as they put the brakes on the hosts after a brisk start.
Opener Brandon King (51 from 36 balls) embarked on an early blitz, reaching a half century from 33 balls.
West Indies were 59-0 after seven overs but Zampa struck with the last ball of his first over, the eighth of the innings, when King skied to cover.
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On the next ball – the first of Maxwell’s spell – Shai Hope (9 from 13) departed when Marsh took a fine catch running with the flight of the ball at mid-off.
West Indies were 73-2 at the midpoint but lost Shimron Hetmyer (14 from 10) in the next over when caught on the square leg boundary to give Maxwell another wicket.
Zampa struck twice in the 14th over, dismissing Roston Chase (16 from 16) and Sherfane Rutherford (0 from 2), leaving the hosts wobbling at 5-98.
Home-town hero Andre Russell, in his last international match, then produced some farewell fireworks by cracking 36 from 15 balls featuring four sixes and two fours.
Australia made two changes from the team that won the series-opener by three wickets. Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann was summoned for his T20I debut, replacing paceman Sean Abbott, while Fraser-McGurk was dropped with middle-order blaster Tim David returning from a hamstring injury.
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