World T20 Semis Decided

Chris Gayle MOM with 75no

After Pakistan had failed to live up to expectations against hosts Sri Lanka on Thursday and the Australian Women had crushed the West Indies in the first of the double header semi-finals involving the nations, much was expected of Australia.

Much has always been expected of Australia in this form of the game yet they have always failed to reach those expectations. There were thoughts that this tournament might prove a watershed for the Thunder From Down Under and they could shake off an inability to come to terms with this form of the game which has seen them struggle to stay ahead of minnows Bangladesh and Ireland on the ICC table. The playing form of the Australians had been good, always chasing effectively in this tournament but results had always belied the truth that too much was expected of Shane Watson and Dave Warner with the bat and that none of the Australian bowlers inspired confidence against batsmen who attacked them. Let's face it, batsmen who attack are the nub of the game.

George Bailey the only
batsman to fire

The Australians chased again last night but couldn't cut the mustard. Six down in the eighth over, the top order had collapsed to the leg breaks of Samuel Badree and the line and length of Ravi Rampaul, possibly the most consistent bowler in all conditions and all forms of the game. It was panic more than anything and Australia's Three W's, Warner, Watson and White- a pale version of a famous West Indies trio - all flopped with dreadful shots even by T20 standards. It was left to skipper George Bailey to play a heroic innings which perhaps even bested Chris Gayle's 41 ball 75 not out as the best of the night. Faced with certain defeat and the rest of his batsmen back in the shed, Bailey blazed inventively and at least caused Darren Sammy to make fielding changes. Despite Bailey, the Aussies died with a whimper in the seventeenth over.

Earlier, Gayle played a measured innings - a description which may seem ludicrous given his final runs to balls ratio. Denied an even share of the strike in the first ten overs, he swatted when he could and was the unyielding powerful force which drove the West Indies beyond ten an over. He was helped by a series of special cameos from Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo and especially Keiron Pollard, who blazed 32 from the seven balls prior to mishitting Xavier Doherty to long off. The three previous balls from the left hand spinner had gone for long journeys over the leg side boundaries.

Samuels bowled by Cummins

As has always been the case in T20 cricket, Australia didn't have a clue as the West Indies blazed past 200, the first side to do so in this tournament. In several weeks of ICC cricket dominated in both the men's and women's tournament by spin or at least slower bowling on wickets which have called for adaptation, Australia opened with three quicks before turning to the easily intimidated Doherty, the 41 year old and always over-rated Brad Hogg and the winner of the David Boon award for best nudies, David Hussey. None of the later three have learned anything from other spinners - male of female - in Sri Lanka this time round. Had they been watching Lisa Sthalekar in the preceding game, they would have learned something about bowling the slow stuff. She never spun a ball but held it at such a length that the West Indies couldn't get after her.

I will draw one exception from Australia's poor bowling, one ball only and that was the slower ball which Patrick Cummins used to knock back Samuels' stumps. It was a beauty but the rest was tripe.

Thank God Test cricket is only a month away!