Gros-Islet – A half-century from opener Lendl Simmons failed to ignite the West Indies batting and they stumbled to a four-run defeat against Australia in the fourth Twenty20 International on Wednesday in St Lucia.
Simmons smashed 10 fours and two sixes in 72 from 48 balls, but the Windies failed to successfully chase 190 for victory in the match played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Fellow opener Evin Lewis hit 31, Fabian Allen cracked 29 and Andre Russell was not out on 24, but the chase of the Caribbean side was undermined by Mitchell Marsh with a career-best 3-24 from his allotted four overs and leg-spinner Adam Zampa with 3-20 from his four overs.
The West Indies took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series on Monday, with the final match to be played on Friday at the same venue. The teams then play three One-day Internationals on July 20, 22 and 24 at Kensington Oval.
Earlier, the Windies came under pressure, when Marsh slammed four fours and sixes in a career-best top score of 75 and his captain Aaron Finch struck five fours and three sixes in 53 off 37 balls, and Australia reached 189 for six from their allocation of 20 overs, after they chose to bat.
Pacer Oshane Thomas, playing in his first match for the hosts in more than six months, struck early, when he had left-handed opener Matthew Wade caught behind for five in the second over.
But West Indies were put on the back-foot when Marsh came to the crease and put on 114 with Finch for the second wicket.
Once leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr bowled Finch in the 12th over, Australia lost five wickets for 40 in the space of 35 balls before Dan Christian scored 22 not out from 14 balls to push them to their biggest total of the series.
West Indies made a good start in their reply through Lendl Simmons, reaching 62 in fifth over before Zampa took out Lewis for 31 and Andre Fletcher for six.
In between, Chris Gayle could not repeat the feat of his blitzkrieg from the previous match and fell to Marsh for one in the eighth over.
At the halfway stage, the Windies still needed 94, but Marsh struck twice in the 16th over, when he removed the home team’s stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran caught at long-off for 16 and Simmons caught at deep mid-wicket.
Allen hit pacer Riley Meredith for three sixes in the 19th over to give the hosts some hope, but lanky left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc bowled an unbelievable final over to restrict Russell to only a last-ball six with 11 needed to win.
Summarised scores:
AUSTRALIA 189 for six off 20 overs (Mitchell Marsh 75, Aaron Finch 53, Dan Christian 22 not out; Hayden Walsh 3-27).
WEST INDIES 185 for six off 20 overs (Lendl Simmons 72, Evin Lewis 31, Fabian Allen 29, Andre Russell 24 not out; Mitchell Marsh 3-24, Adam Zampa 2-20).
(Agencies)
