Fraser, McGurk, and Bartlett shine as Australia wins with a record 259 balls left

In a miserable batting performance in Canberra, the visitors lost 9 for 48, as Australia’s youthful attack made another impression.

West Indies 86 (Bartlett 4-21) lost to Australia 87 for 2 (Fraser-McGurk 41, Inglis 35*) by eight wickets.

Australia hammered the foolish West Indies at Manuka Oval to sweep the ODI series, although Lance Morris’ dramatic return was cut short by a side strain injury. Xavier Bartlett, on the other hand, continued a promising start to his international career with four wickets.

With a combined score of 67 runs in five overs, openers Josh Inglis and Jake Fraser-McGurk sprinted towards the low mark. In men’s ODIs, they had achieved Australia’s fastest team fifty since 2002.

They won by eight wickets with 43.1 overs remaining, making it the quickest men’s ODI in Australian history. After the innings break, the match was finished in three hours, although only lasting 31 overs.

With Bartlett taking four wickets for twenty-one, the West Indies were humiliatingly bowled out for eighty-six in twenty-one overs, their seventh lowest ODI total. Playing their 1000th ODI, Australia became the second country after India to achieve this feat. They were nearly faultless after winning both Melbourne and Sydney with large margins.

After playing beautiful orthodox shots and racing to 22 off seven deliveries, Inglis was shortly overhauled by Fraser-McGurk, who hit three sixes in four balls off seamer Matthew Forde.

Fraser-McGurk ended his 18-ball 41 and destroyed Australia’s hopes of winning by 10 wickets. He was on course for a quick half-century. After 6.5 overs, Aaron Hardie made just two before Australia overreached the target.

In the 50-over format, Australia won for the 12th time in a row, but they were helped by a poor performance from the West Indies, who dismissed several batsmen in a meek manner.

Morris, who was re-added to the team along with Bartlett in lieu of the injured Matthew Short and a rested Josh Hazlewood, pulled off the pitch midway through his fifth over due to a left side strain. This did not bode well for Australia. A stressful wait lies ahead of Australia’s visit of New Zealand, for which he will have a scan.

Given that Bartlett posed a serious threat in seaming conditions, Steven Smith made the decision to bowl under overcast skies. Bartlett was right on the money with the new ball after taking a breather after his incredible four-wicket debut at the MCG. In his second over, he got opener Kjorn Ottley leg before wicket.

After a brief exchange with Alick Athanaze, Ottley hobbled off, but replays revealed he had inside-edged the ball. Bartlett’s swing bowling ability was on full display as he finished his maiden five-over spell with 1 for 11 thanks to his relentless line and length.

However, as the sun began to rise and the West Indies looked to score a respectable total on the usually batting-friendly Manuka Oval surface, Athanaze and Keacy Carty stood fast.

The West Indies were spared the early collapses that dogged their first two matches, but Morris’s entrance in the eleventh over quickly brought them to a familiar fate.

When Carty was beautifully taken at backward point by a flying Marnus Labuschagne, Morris took his maiden wicket in an international match. In the next over, Captain Shai Hope attempted in vain to review a leg before wicket call from Sean Abbott, but Morris dismissed Teddy Bishop clean with a full delivery that crackled the stumps.

Morris relished being held back, a role he normally enjoys with Western Australia at the domestic level, unlike when he took the new ball at the MCG. He regularly bowled at a pace of 140 kph and a menacing short length before losing control of the ball.

Before he lost his wicket to legspinner Adam Zampa with a reckless sweep drive that was caught deep backward square, Athanaze had held the innings together.

Smith launched an offensive, bringing back Bartlett, who stole Romario Shepherd on his first delivery. In his first two ODIs, Bartlett quickly made history by becoming just the sixth men’s bowler to claim four or more wickets.

As the West Indies’ 27-year ODI drought against Australia in Australia continues, a funny run from Forde, who quarrelled with batting partner Roston Chase on his way off, summed up their poor performance.

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