Owen and Green 50’s seal convincing win for Australia as they were able to chase West Indies’ 189 with 7 balls to spare.
Owen and Green put up a match-winning stand to put Australia 1-0 up in the series.
After a brilliant death bowling showing by Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis set up the match at Sabina Park, Australia defeated the West Indies by three wickets thanks to a dream bat and ball debut for Mitchell Owen and a spectacular half-century from Cameron Green.
Owen became the third Australian, after Ricky Ponting and David Warner, to reach a half-century on his T20I debut and win Player-of-the-Match after taking a crucial wicket and hitting 50 off 27. While Green hammered five and two boundaries in a 26-ball 51, he hit six sixes. In order to save Australia from 78 for 4, the two contributed 80 from 40 and shot down the target of 190. With 17 sixes to just nine total, Australia outscored the West Indies.
After half-centuries from Shai Hope and Roston Chase threatened to put up a massive score, Dwarshuis and Ellis claimed four wickets for just seven runs in the final 16 balls of the West Indies innings, limiting them to 189 for 8. Earlier, Dwarshuis got 4 for 36, including three in an over. Hope made 55 from 39 at No. 3, while Chase made 60 from 32. Shimron Hetmyer also scored 38 runs off of 19, but the West Indies lost 6 for 30 in the last five overs as their lower order combined for just 11.
The West Indies’ new-look top three provided an excellent foundation without the injured Evin Lewis. With four boundaries in the first three overs and Australia’s quicks missing wide, Brandon King made the transition from Test cricket to T20 mode appear effortless. With King running past one and Cooper Connolly taking his first T20I wicket, the early application of spin stopped the momentum. Taking up the baton, Hope launched Connolly over cover on the back foot, inside out.
Dwarshuis caused a collapse for the West Indies as Chase holed out to long-on while attempting to clear the rope once more, just as the team appeared poised for a massive score at 123 for 1 in the 13th over. Hope slowed down considerably before Owen had his first ball-related effect in T20I cricket, pushing Hope to make a mistake with a slower, wide ball. However, he gave up two sixes to Hetmyer on either side of that.
After that, Ellis and Dwarshuis set up a clinic. Hetmyer was smoking Ellis’ first two balls of the 18th over to the rope, threatening to put West Indies far over 200. However, West Indies then lost 4 for 7 in the innings’ final 16 balls.
When Josh Inglis top-edged Akeal Hosein to short fine and Glenn Maxwell skied Motie straight up to end an uneventful innings of 11 off 10, Australia appeared to be in serious trouble.
Before the match, neither man had much experience as middle-order finishers, but they both displayed incredible poise and strength to force the West Indies to lose. Owen showed courage by hitting a six off Andre Russell to start the over and another later for good measure.
Then, to allay any worries about his ability to withstand spin in the middle overs, he deposited Hosein three times in the twelfth over.
With Australia still needing 15 off 21, Owen persisted, hitting Joseph into the seats to score 50 off 26. However, he too fell the following ball while attempting to continue. The fielders from the West Indies helped Connolly, Dwarshuis, and Abbott do just enough to guide the visitors home, though. With seven to win, substitute fielder Jewel Andrew dropped Abbott off Holder at the fine leg. Even though he was nearly run out, they managed to get home with seven balls remaining.