Aussie sweeps series against West India with historic ODI win

Thursday, 8 February 2024 02:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Australia completed a 3-0 one-day international series win over West Indies with a historic eight-wicket victory in Canberra.

The hosts won with 43.1 overs to spare, making it the shortest completed ODI played in Australia.

Xavier Bartlett took four wickets for Australia as West Indies collapsed from 38-1 to 86 all out.

Jake Fraser-McGurk (41) and Josh Inglis (35 not out) raced to the target inside seven overs.

Australia, who led the series 2-0 going into the third and the final ODI, struggled to take early wickets, but had kept West Indies’ run-scoring quiet, with the tourists 38-2 midway through the 11th over after Keacy Carty was dismissed.

Alick Athanaze (32) was the only West Indies player to score more than a dozen runs, with extras (13) outscoring all of the Windies’ other batters as they were dismissed in 24.1 overs.

Fast bowler Bartlett, 25, was making just his second ODI appearance after taking four wickets on his debut in the first ODI of the series. He claimed another four, including the wicket of visiting captain Shai Hope. Spinner Adam Zampa and quick Lance Morris also took two wickets each.

Australia’s chase of 87 was fast. Openers Inglis and Fraser-McGurk scored Australia’s fastest team 50 in ODI cricket since 2002 as they put on 67 in the first five overs at the Manuka Oval.

The 32-over match took just over three hours to complete.

The two sides will now face each other in a three-match Twenty20 series, starting on Friday in Hobart.