Elegant right-hander Keacy Carty struck a high quality half-century while Roston Chase added another, but West Indies produced a lethargic display to slump to an eight-wicket loss in the opening One-Day International against Australia on Friday.
Sent in on a Melbourne Cricket Ground strip offering assistance to the seamers, the Caribbean side found their top order brutally exposed by Man-of-the-Match Xavier Bartlett, and crumbled to 231 all out in the penultimate over.
The 25-year-old debutant, who finished with remarkable figures of four for 17 from nine overs, snatched the first three wickets to fall as West Indies collapsed to 59 for four in the 16th over.
Carty came to his side’s rescue with a polished 88 off 108 balls, the right-hander striking half-dozen fours and two sixes.
He combined in a critical 110-run, fifth wicket stand with Chase whose 59 came from 67 deliveries and included seven fours, before adding further 24 for the sixth wicket with Hayden Walsh Jr (20).
As expected, the small total never challenged the Aussies, as captain Steve Smith (79 not out), Cameron Green (77 not out) and Josh Inglis (65) all lashed half-centuries to mastermind a routine run chase with just over 11 overs remaining.
“We lost too many wickets in the power-play,” lamented West Indies captain Shai Hope.
“I don’t think we showed as much intent as we needed to at the beginning of the innings. I think that would’ve at least changed their mindset in terms of where they needed to bowl at us.”
West Indies were set back as early as the second over when Justin Greaves (1) was spectacularly bowled off-stump by a Bartlett leg-cutter, with six runs on the board.
Left-hander Alick Athanaze (5) nicked a drive at a wide delivery and was caught at the wicket in the fourth over and Hope’s (12) expansive drive at an away-swinger resulted in a high catch at first slip by Matthew Short.
When Kavem Hodge holed out to mid on off pacer Green for 11 in the 16th, West Indies were coming apart at the seams but Carty and Chase stepped up to rescue the innings.
Playing with authority against the inexperienced Aussie attack, Carty gathered his third ODI fifty off 82 balls in the 31st over while the 31-year-old Chase notched his fourth ODI fifty off 61 deliveries by pulling leg-spinner Adam Zampa to the leg-side boundary.
Chase lasted only another six deliveries before perishing in the 37th, bowled around his legs by Zampa and Carty carried the fight until he was tragically run out at the end of the 41st over, failing to beat Sean Abbott’s direct hit from short cover as he scampered an ill-advised single with Walsh.
The innings tailed away thereafter, with West Indies losing their last five wickets for just 38 runs.
Needing a special bowling effort in order to drag themselves back into the contest, there was a glimmer of hope when rookie seamer Matthew Forde got Travis Head (4) to waft at the fifth ball of the chase and edge behind, with four runs on the board.
However, any hopes West Indies harboured of a comeback were dashed as Green featured in two dominant stands to erase any doubt over the outcome.
The six-foot, six-inch right-hander struck four fours and two sixes in a knock lasting 104 balls, posting 79 for the second wicket with Inglis who belted 10 fours and a six in a 43-ball cameo.
Inglis departed in the 12th over, gloving a reverse sweep to first slip off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie – West Indies earning the decision only after reverting to DRS.
Smith arrived to put the finishing touches on the victory, punching eight fours in a run-a-ball knock, as he put on 149 with Green in an unbroken third wicket partnership which deflated the tourists.
West Indies face Australia in the second ODI on Sunday in Sydney. (CMC)
