BARBADOS, June 27: Mitchell Marsh emerged as the unlikely bowling hero for Australia as the World Cup-holders defeated the West Indies by 58 runs in the final of the Tri-Nation One-Day International Series.
Set a challenging target of 271 after wicketkeeper Matthew Wade�s unbeaten 57 led an Australian lower-order revival from 173 for six to a final total of 270 for nine off 50 overs, Marsh claimed the prized wickets of Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels, adding the scalp of opening batsman Johnson Charles for good measure to effectively short-circuit the home side�s pursuit.
His disciplined medium-pacers realised miserly figures of three for 32 with the West Indies unable to recapture the impressive batting form of earlier matches in being dismissed for 212 off 45.4 overs at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday.
Josh Hazlewood polished off the tail to finish with the best figures of five for 50, but it was Marsh�s spell that made the difference when it mattered most.
�We really fought well tonight and I always felt we could defend that total,� said victorious captain Steve Smith. �It�s just the way we play. We believe in ourselves and go hard at the opposition every time.�
Scorecard
Australia: U Khawaja c wkpr Ramdin b Holder 14, A Finch c Samuels b Pollard 47, S Smith c Samuels b Gabriel 46, G Bailey b Brathwaite 22, M Marsh b Benn 32, G Maxwell lbw Gabriel 4, M Wade not out 57, M Starc stpd wkpr Ramdin b Narine 17, N Coulter-Nile c Bravo b Holder 15, A Zampa run out 5, J Hazlewood not out 0. Extras: (b-1, lb-2, w-8) 11. Total: (50 overs, 9 wickets) 270. Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-69, 3-120, 4-152, 5-156, 6-173, 7-211, 8-238, 9-264. Bowling: J Holder 10-1-51-2, S Gabriel 7-0-58-2, C Brathwaite 8-2-32-1, K Pollard 5-0-33-1, S Narine 10-1-55-1, S Benn 10-0-38-1.
West Indies: A Fletcher c Smith b Hazlewood 9, J Charles lbw Marsh 45, D Bravo c wkpr Wade b Marsh 6, M Samuels c Bailey b Marsh 6, D Ramdin b Hazlewood 40, K Pollard c Hazlewood b Zampa 20, J Holder c Finch b Coulter-Nile 34, C Brathwaite b Hazlewood 14, S Narine c Smith b Hazlewood 23. S Benn c Maxwell b Hazlewood 2, S Gabriel not out 1. Extras: (lb-2, nb-1, w-9) 12. Total: (45.4 overs, all out) 212. Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-62, 3-68, 4-72, 5-105, 6-148, 7-185, 8-194, 9-211, 10-212. Bowling: M Starc 8-0-32-0, J. Hazlewood 9.4-1-50-5, N Coulter-Nile 8-0-46-1, M Marsh 10-1-32-3, A Zampa 10-0-50-1. � AFP
