Cricket: Australia beat WIndies by three wickets in fourth T20I match
BASSETERRE (AFP)Cameron Green hit an unbeaten 55 and Josh Inglis added 51 to lift Australia to a three wicket win over the West Indies on Saturday in the fourth match of their Twenty20 International series.West Indies were 205 for nine after being sent to bat first after the visitors won the toss, but took five wickets after the midpoint to keep the pressure on Australia chasing 206 to win.The Aussies seized a 4-0 lead in the five-match series and can complete a sweep by winning Monday's finale at Warner Park.Green struck his half-century off 35 balls with three sixes and three fours while Inglis had one six and 10 fours in 30 balls and Glenn Maxwell had 47 runs off 18 balls, hitting six sixes and a four.But a night after Tim David bashed Australia's fastest T20I century off only 37 balls, he was rested from the Aussie lineup and the chase had some tense moments.Australia's Mitchell Marsh was out lbw for a second-ball duck from West Indies left-arm fast-medium pace bowler Jediah Blades.Inglis entered to partner with Maxwell but flew out to deep backward square, caught by Sherfane Rutherford off a ball from Romario Shepherd to start the seventh over, leaving the Aussies on 66 for two.The visitors reached 129 for two at the drinks break but on the next ball to start the 11th over, Maxwell was caught by Jason Holder at long on from a Akeal Hosein delivery.Blades bowled Mitchell Owen for two thanks to Rutherford's deep cover grab and two balls later Blades got his third wicket, sending off Cooper Connolly for a duck on Holder's mid-off catch, the Aussies stuck on 134 for five.Holder took Aaron Hardie for 23 on a long off catch by Shimron Hetmyer to open the 17th over with the Aussies still 21 runs from victory.A drive by Green deflected off Shepherd's fingers and into the stumps of Xavier Bartlett out of his ground, his seventh wicket gone for nine and the Aussies two runs from victory.Green, however, scored runs off the next two deliveries and Sean Abbott pushed Australia across the line, scoring the final run with four balls to spare.West Indies managed only a top score of 31 as Aussie fielders shone.Bartlett bowled out Brandon King for 18 when he chipped out midwicket to Hardie and removed Shai Hope for 10 after Maxwell made a diving catch mid-on.Maxwell made a one-handed grab to retire Roston Chase for nil off a Hardie delivery, leaving West Indies on 42 for three only one ball into the fifth over.Rutherford went out for 31 when caught by Marsh at backward point off a nice delivery from Adam Zampa to make it 67 for four.Owen made a diving catch at deep backward point to retire Hetmyer on 16.Maxwell struck again for the seventh wicket, flicking the ball before going over the boundary so Green could make the catch and send off Shepherd on 28.Green then caught Matthew Forde for 15 to put the West Indies on 184 for eight.
Rain hit with four balls remaining but after a 55-minute delay, the hosts scored two final runs.
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