One match away from a clean sweep as Australia secured an exciting three-wicket win in the fourth T20I against the West Indies at Warner Park in St. Kitts.
After a top-order collapse, West Indies scored 205 for 9 from their 20 overs. However, brilliant power hitting from Glenn Maxwell and half-centuries by Josh Inglis and Cameron Green helped Australia reach 206 for 7 off 19.2 overs.
The result gave the visitors a commanding 4-0 lead in the five-match series, and the home side has yet to win a match after being swept 3-0 in the preceding Test series.
As in the previous three matches in the series, Australia won the toss and opted to field first.
West Indies found themselves in trouble early as they stumbled on 67 for 4, mainly by the efforts of pacer Xavier Bartlett.
Bartlett dismissed openers Brandon King for 18 and Shai Hope for only 10 respectively. Roston Chase was then spectacularly caught one-handed by a leaping Glen Max for a duck, before Sherfane Rutherford, who did well with 31 off just 15 balls, was caught by captain Mitchell Marsh off leg spinner Adam Zampa.
Despite the early wickets, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell kept the runs flowing with the run rate above 10 runs an over.
But then, Hetmyer fell when he skied Sean Abott to Mitchell Owen, who took a stunning diving catch, as West Indies slid to III for 5 at half.
With just 8 runs added, Powell was out for 28 from 22 balls, leaving the home side in danger.
However, Romario Shepherd belted 28 from 18 balls, Jason Holder made 26 off 16 balls, and useful contributions from Akeal Hosein, unbeaten on 16, and Matthew Forde, who made 15 off just 7 deliveries, carried them up to a respectable total.
Zampa led the way for Australia, picking up 3-54, while Hardie (2-24), Bartlett (2-39), and Abbott (2-61) provided good support.
In reply, the home side got off to a dream start when pacer Jediah Blades trapped Marsh lbw with the second ball of the innings without a run on the board.
Player-of-the-Match Maxwell and Inglis then added 66 runs in 6 overs. Inglis brought up his 50 off 28 balls but was out soon after for 51 off 30 balls with 10 fours and 1 six.
Maxwell, who had only contributed 8 runs off 5 balls, began his attack as he hit Shepherd for a 6 and 4 to end the seventh over, and then belted Forde for 2 sixes in the ninth over.
Shepherd was hit for 2 more sixes to move Maxwell close to his half century, but was dismissed for 47 from 18 balls, as Australia fell to 129 for 3 in the tenth over.
Blades then accounted for the wickets of Owen for 2and Cooper Connolly for a duck, seeing Australia slump to 134 for 5.
Cameron Green hit an unbeaten 55 from 35 balls, including three sixes and three fours, then added 51 runs with Aaron Hardie, 23, and then shared a valuable 18-run partnership with Bartlett to take Australia over the finish line.
Blades was the West Indies’ best bowler with 3-29 from his 4 overs.
