In the opening match of the West Indies’ limited-overs tour of Australia, the Australian cricket team secured a convincing 8-wicket victory in the One-day International (ODI) held in Melbourne.
The West Indies, led by Shai Hope, faced a challenging defeat after losing the toss and setting a target of 231 runs for the Australians.
The visiting team’s openers, Alick Athanaze and Justin Greaves, were dismissed cheaply, but Keacy Carty’s resilient innings of 88 provided some stability.
However, key players like Captain Hope and Kavem Hodge fell for 12 and 11 runs, respectively.
Roston Chase contributed significantly with a crucial 59, supported by brief innings from Hayden Walsh Jr (20) and Matthew Forde (19).
Debutant Xavier Bartlett emerged as a star performer, claiming 4 wickets for 17 runs in his 9 overs.
Sean Abbott and Cameron Green also secured two wickets each.
The West Indies concluded their innings at 231 all out in 48.4 overs.
In response, the Australian team lost Travis Head early but recovered with solid partnerships from Josh Inglis (65) and Cameron Green (77).
Steven Smith remained unbeaten with a score of 79 as Australia reached the target of 232 for 2 in 38.2 overs.
Gudakesh Motie and Matthew Forde took the wickets for the West Indies.
Shai Hope expressed disappointment with the team’s performance, acknowledging that it was not an ideal start to the series.
He emphasized the need to regroup and perform better in the next game, stressing the importance of understanding the playing conditions in Australia.
The next ODI is scheduled for Sunday in Sydney, with the broadcast starting at 11:30 pm on Saturday in Guyana.
The West Indies will look to bounce back in the upcoming matches of the series.