Watson, Hussey star in Australia win

Cricket365
March 27, 2012

Half-tons from the bats of Michael Hussey and Shane Watson helped Australia cruise to a comfortable eight-wicket victory in the first Twenty20 International against the West Indies on Tuesday.

The duo shared in a 108-run partnership for the second wicket after Australia lost David Warner for a duck in their pursuit of West Indies' 150 for seven.

Watson was in commanding form and hardly seemed troubled in the middle as he smashed six huge sixes to go with five boundaries on his way to 69 off 43 balls. He was perfectly complemented by Hussey (59 not out) who came in at number three and pushed the ball around the ground with ease, while also making sure to keep the boundaries ticking over.

With West Indies' medium pacers showing little threat with the ball, the only success after Warner's dismissal was that of Watson who miscued a pull shot off spinner Garey Mathurin which went straight into the air and down into the hands of Kieron Pollard.

George Bailey then aided Hussey to knock off the target and it was the Australian captain who hit the winning runs in the 19th over to take his side 1-0 up in the series.

Earlier it was Pollard who smashed a superb unbeaten half-century to propel the West Indies to 150 for seven off their 20 overs in St Lucia.

With the West Indies struggling for boundaries after their first ten overs, Pollard came in at number five and proceeded to blast the Australian attack to all corners of the Beausejour Stadium and set the record for the fastest T20 half-ton by a West Indian. The big West Indian's fifty came off just 20 balls.

Prior to that it was the inexperienced pair of Johnson Charles (24) and Nkrumah Bonner (24) who added some stability to the West Indian innings after the early departure of Dwayne Smith for ten.

But when those two were dismissed, the tempo of the game increased with Pollard and Dwayne Bravo providing the impetus. Pollard hit five sixes in his knock and was particularly severe on Xavier Doherty who was smashed for 22 in one over.

With Watson providing some tight bowling at the death and conceding just 16 off his four overs, West Indies could manage just 150 in their 20 overs which in the end proved far too easy a challenge.