Australia has nearly booked itself a spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup following a dominant eight-wicket win over the West Indies
Needing 158 runs to win, superstar batsman David Warner was back to his best with a game-high score of 89 not out from 56 deliveries
Warner blasted nine fours and four sixes to produce his giant total.
“When he’s in this form, there are not too many zones he can’t score in,” said former Australian cricketer Shane Watson.
Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh did plenty of damage during Australia’s run chase.
Marsh also notched a half-century and finished with an impressive 53 from 32 deliveries.
“The key was to come out and play my natural game and target the bowlers upfront,” Warner said after the match.
“For me, it’s about targeting the first two balls and I managed to do that… Mitch Marsh coming and playing that knock was outstanding as well.”
While it’s likely Australia will play in the semi-finals, they will need to wait a couple of hours until that situation can be made a reality.
With Australia holding the better net run rate, South Africa will have to thrash undefeated England to have any chance of overtaking the Australians for the semi-final spot.
South Africa will need to win by 58 runs or chase down a target in 12-14 overs.
The two nations will clash in the early hours of Sunday morning AEDT.
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After Australia restricted Bangladesh to just 73 runs in the first innings during their recent T20 World Cup match, a similar scenario appeared likely during the early stages of today’s match.
The Australians took three wickets during the power play before the West Indies mounted a stunning fightback.
West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard notched 44 from 31 deliveries while Andre Russell (18 not out from seven deliveries) hit back-to-back sixes on the final two balls of Mitchell Starc’s over to end the first innings with a respectable total of 157 runs.
Earlier in the match, Chris Gayle sparked speculation that he may have played his final game for the West Indies after the superstar batsman took a moment to celebrate his innings.
As the 42-year-old walked from the pitch, he raised his bat and was greeted with a standing ovation before taking a moment to embrace with his teammates.
While no retirement has been announced or confirmed, the reaction from fans and commentators suggested he was finished up.
Meanwhile, teammate and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo played his match for the West Indies after he confirmed earlier that his nation’s clash with Australia would be his last.