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Dream start for captain Carey in ODI rout

3 minute read

Australia have thrashed the West Indies by 134 runs in the first ODI with stand-in captain Alex Carey topscoring and Mitchell Starc taking five wickets.

MITCHELL STARC of Australia.
MITCHELL STARC of Australia. Picture: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images

Stand-in captain Alex Carey enjoyed a dream start as Australia's opening bowlers proved a nightmare for the West Indies, with the visitors romping to a 134-run win in the first ODI in Barbados.

After losing the five-match T20 series 4-1, Australia bounced back in emphatic fashion in the first of three ODIs.

With Carey captaining the side for the first time in place of the injured Aaron Finch and three ODI debutants - opening batsmen Josh Philippe and Ben McDermott and paceman Wes Agar - it was a new-look Australian team.

Australia scored 9-252 but the West Indies target was revised to 257 off 49 overs after three rain delays under the DLS method.

Carey (67 off 87 balls) and Ashton Turner (49 off 45) combined for a fifth-wicket stand of 104 in just under 19 overs.

The West Indies chase was effectively over after just 7.4 overs as they crashed to 6-27.

Mitchell Starc (5-48 off 8) and Josh Hazlewood (3-11 off 6) each claimed three wickets in that period, with the latter conceding just five runs in his first five overs.

"I know what their best looks like and they definitely brought that tonight, so I'm thankful for them rocking up and putting on an absolute clinic in the first 10 overs," Carey said.

West Indies were dismissed for 123 in just 26.2 overs.

"We had three debutants and a bloke captaining his first time for Australia, so a pretty special day for our group," Starc said.

"I thought we did a fantastic job with the bat to get to 250 with a couple of really good partnerships there, so it was important for two older blokes with the ball to start us off really well."

Starc struck with the first ball of the innings and again with the opening delivery of his second over.

The hosts never recovered, with only captain Kieron Pollard (56 off 57), who missed the T20 series with a hamstring injury, salvaging some pride for his side.

Pollard clouted three sixes off legspinner Adam Zampa (1-39 off 3.2) before he edged the third ball of Starc's second spell to slip.

"The most disappointing factor for me is that we didn't show that fight," Pollard said.

The Australian debutants all played their part.

Philippe (39 off 42) and McDermott (28 off 48) put their low scores in the T20 series behind them, contributing an opening stand of 51 from the first 11 overs.

Agar (0-15 off 6 ), who was presented with his cap by older brother and fellow squad member Ashton, was tidy in his first senior international hitout in any format.

"The three of them performed really well so very excited for them, excited for the group to bounce back after the T20 series," Carey said

"I thought Wes Agar came in and was on the money straight away, he looked like he's played at this level for a long time."

Australian wickets fell at regular intervals before Carey and Turner gave the innings substance and momentum.

"Ashton played a a really crucial role, I was probably cruising along a little bit and he was getting on with it so he took the pressure off," Carey said.

Both men fell In the 45th over to leg spinner Hayden Walsh Jr, the Australians' nemesis in the recently completed T20 series.

Australia lost 4-11 with Walsh (5-39 off 10 overs) ripping apart the bottom half of the order.

The next match will be played in Barbados on Friday (AEST).

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