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Australia 7 for 266 (Bailey 125*, Sammy 3-48) beat West Indies 212 (Powell 83, Starc 5-32, Maxwell 4-63) by 54 runs
George Bailey finished unbeaten on 125 © Getty Images
George Bailey's maiden international century set up a 54-run victory for Australia in the second ODI against West Indies in Perth, where they took a 2-0 series lead. Bailey led Australia's recovery from a precarious 6 for 98 to post a competitive total of 7 for 266 and in reply the West Indians struggled against the swing of Mitchell Starc, who collected his second consecutive five-wicket haul, and the spin of Glenn Maxwell, who picked up four wickets.
Despite the best efforts of Kieran Powell, who made a fighting 83, West Indies could not get close to the target and were bowled out for 212 in the 39th over.
Full report to follow
25 overs West Indies 3 for 129 (Powell 51*, Dwayne Bravo 42*) need another 138 runs to beat Australia 7 for 266 (Bailey 125*, Sammy 3-48)
Mitchell Starc swung out three of West Indies' best batsmen cheaply before Kieran Powell and Dwayne Bravo staged a recovery in their chase of 267 at the WACA. At the 25-over point West Indies were 3 for 129, needing another 138 runs to win, with Powell on 51 and Bravo on 42. The required run-rate of 5.52 was very manageable if West Indies could keep wickets in hand, and the key for Australia was to break the Powell-Bravo partnership, which had reached 96 runs.
Mitchell Johnson was testing Powell with plenty of short balls and although there had been a couple of shaky moments the West Indian pair had stood firm following the early wickets. Powell crunched Johnson over long-on for a six, having earlier flicked James Faulkner over the leg side for another six, and Bravo also cleared the boundary twice over the off side. Powell brought up his fifty with a push to mid-off from his 71st delivery, just before the 25-over mark.
Powell and Bravo had come together with the score at 3 for 33 after Starc trapped Darren Bravo lbw for 14, a review not saving the batsman. It was the third lbw for Starc, who found plenty of swing in his first spell and pitched the ball full and straight. Chris Gayle (4) was the first to fall, missing a ball that slanted in towards the off stump, and continuing his poor run of form.
In the same over, Starc's first of the innings, Ramnaresh Sarwan was also trapped lbw to a delivery that pitched in line and swung back in to the right-hander. Sarwan did not manage to get his bat anywhere near the ball and his second-ball duck meant he would leave Perth yet to get off the mark in the series, having also scored a duck in the first ODI on Friday.
50 overs Australia 7 for 266 (Bailey 125*, Sammy 3-48) v West Indies
George Bailey's maiden international century rescued Australia from a perilous 6 for 98 and pushed them to a scarcely believable 7 for 266 in the second ODI against West Indies in Perth. Before the halfway point of the innings, Bailey was already the last recognised batsman and Australia needed something special from him to deliver them a competitive total, but even so his unbeaten 125 from 110 balls was greater than anything they could have hoped for at that stage.
The top-order collapse came largely through poor shot selection and brilliant West Indian fielding as the competition for catch of the day intensified seemingly with each wicket. The Australian recovery then arrived via a 100-run seventh-wicket partnership between Bailey and his fellow Launcestonian James Faulkner, who made 39, and then an unbeaten 68-run eighth-wicket stand between Bailey and Mitchell Johnson, who finished on 16.
Much of the damage came in the final five overs as the Australians added 64 runs, including 25 during a disastrous 50th over for West Indies bowled by Dwayne Bravo. In the 49th over, Bailey brought up his hundred by slogging a Kemar Roach full toss for six over midwicket and he followed with three more sixes from Bravo, over long-on and cover, as the bowler was unable to find the yorker length required.
It was a perfect example of how to build an innings in difficult circumstances as Bailey began slowly and worked his way into a rhythm, constructing the partnerships Australia needed to get themselves back in the game. His half-century had come from 69 balls and by the end of his innings, he had accumulated so many runs that, since his debut in March last year, only Ian Bell had scored more ODI runs than Bailey's 720.
Initially, he had outstanding support from Faulkner, who was playing his first innings at international level. He scored a valuable 39 from 67 balls, occupying time and ticking the scoreboard over after the top order was unable to do the job. Faulkner had come to the crease at 6 for 98 in the 24th over when Glenn Maxwell was bowled for a golden duck by Sammy and after West Indies were bowled out for 70 at the same venue on Friday, it seemed another tiny total would be on offer.
Australia's problems began when the opener Usman Khawaja, on 3, flicked Kemar Roach off his pads and was brilliantly caught by Kieran Powell, who hurled himself to his right from forward square leg and managed to make the ball stick. Khawaja's opening partner Aaron Finch (11) fell to an even better take when his searing cut off Jason Holder was snapped up at cover point by Darren Bravo, who plucked the ball one-handed above his head.
That left the Australians at 2 for 25 and although Phillip Hughes and Michael Clarke tried to rebuild with a 31-run partnership, another catch on the circle ended the stand. On 21, Hughes pulled a short ball from Sammy and managed to pick out Darren Bravo at midwicket, taking the score to 3 for 56. In the next over, Clarke (16) was yorked by Dwayne Bravo without any further addition to the score and he was the first batsman who could claim to have been dismissed by a particularly good delivery.
Bailey and Matthew Wade tried to steady the innings and put on a 37-run stand before Wade fell to the best catch of the lot, a lightning-quick take by Sammy at slip off the spin of Sunil Narine. On 16, Wade went for a cut and his edge fizzed high and fast and Sammy displayed quite remarkable reflexes to thrust his hand above his head and grab the ball, which looked destined for the boundary. Sammy followed up by bowling Maxwell in the next over, but after that it was all Australia.
George Bailey finished unbeaten on 125 © Getty Images
George Bailey's maiden international century set up a 54-run victory for Australia in the second ODI against West Indies in Perth, where they took a 2-0 series lead. Bailey led Australia's recovery from a precarious 6 for 98 to post a competitive total of 7 for 266 and in reply the West Indians struggled against the swing of Mitchell Starc, who collected his second consecutive five-wicket haul, and the spin of Glenn Maxwell, who picked up four wickets.
Despite the best efforts of Kieran Powell, who made a fighting 83, West Indies could not get close to the target and were bowled out for 212 in the 39th over.
Full report to follow
25 overs West Indies 3 for 129 (Powell 51*, Dwayne Bravo 42*) need another 138 runs to beat Australia 7 for 266 (Bailey 125*, Sammy 3-48)
Mitchell Starc swung out three of West Indies' best batsmen cheaply before Kieran Powell and Dwayne Bravo staged a recovery in their chase of 267 at the WACA. At the 25-over point West Indies were 3 for 129, needing another 138 runs to win, with Powell on 51 and Bravo on 42. The required run-rate of 5.52 was very manageable if West Indies could keep wickets in hand, and the key for Australia was to break the Powell-Bravo partnership, which had reached 96 runs.
Mitchell Johnson was testing Powell with plenty of short balls and although there had been a couple of shaky moments the West Indian pair had stood firm following the early wickets. Powell crunched Johnson over long-on for a six, having earlier flicked James Faulkner over the leg side for another six, and Bravo also cleared the boundary twice over the off side. Powell brought up his fifty with a push to mid-off from his 71st delivery, just before the 25-over mark.
Powell and Bravo had come together with the score at 3 for 33 after Starc trapped Darren Bravo lbw for 14, a review not saving the batsman. It was the third lbw for Starc, who found plenty of swing in his first spell and pitched the ball full and straight. Chris Gayle (4) was the first to fall, missing a ball that slanted in towards the off stump, and continuing his poor run of form.
In the same over, Starc's first of the innings, Ramnaresh Sarwan was also trapped lbw to a delivery that pitched in line and swung back in to the right-hander. Sarwan did not manage to get his bat anywhere near the ball and his second-ball duck meant he would leave Perth yet to get off the mark in the series, having also scored a duck in the first ODI on Friday.
50 overs Australia 7 for 266 (Bailey 125*, Sammy 3-48) v West Indies
George Bailey's maiden international century rescued Australia from a perilous 6 for 98 and pushed them to a scarcely believable 7 for 266 in the second ODI against West Indies in Perth. Before the halfway point of the innings, Bailey was already the last recognised batsman and Australia needed something special from him to deliver them a competitive total, but even so his unbeaten 125 from 110 balls was greater than anything they could have hoped for at that stage.
The top-order collapse came largely through poor shot selection and brilliant West Indian fielding as the competition for catch of the day intensified seemingly with each wicket. The Australian recovery then arrived via a 100-run seventh-wicket partnership between Bailey and his fellow Launcestonian James Faulkner, who made 39, and then an unbeaten 68-run eighth-wicket stand between Bailey and Mitchell Johnson, who finished on 16.
Much of the damage came in the final five overs as the Australians added 64 runs, including 25 during a disastrous 50th over for West Indies bowled by Dwayne Bravo. In the 49th over, Bailey brought up his hundred by slogging a Kemar Roach full toss for six over midwicket and he followed with three more sixes from Bravo, over long-on and cover, as the bowler was unable to find the yorker length required.
It was a perfect example of how to build an innings in difficult circumstances as Bailey began slowly and worked his way into a rhythm, constructing the partnerships Australia needed to get themselves back in the game. His half-century had come from 69 balls and by the end of his innings, he had accumulated so many runs that, since his debut in March last year, only Ian Bell had scored more ODI runs than Bailey's 720.
Initially, he had outstanding support from Faulkner, who was playing his first innings at international level. He scored a valuable 39 from 67 balls, occupying time and ticking the scoreboard over after the top order was unable to do the job. Faulkner had come to the crease at 6 for 98 in the 24th over when Glenn Maxwell was bowled for a golden duck by Sammy and after West Indies were bowled out for 70 at the same venue on Friday, it seemed another tiny total would be on offer.
Australia's problems began when the opener Usman Khawaja, on 3, flicked Kemar Roach off his pads and was brilliantly caught by Kieran Powell, who hurled himself to his right from forward square leg and managed to make the ball stick. Khawaja's opening partner Aaron Finch (11) fell to an even better take when his searing cut off Jason Holder was snapped up at cover point by Darren Bravo, who plucked the ball one-handed above his head.
That left the Australians at 2 for 25 and although Phillip Hughes and Michael Clarke tried to rebuild with a 31-run partnership, another catch on the circle ended the stand. On 21, Hughes pulled a short ball from Sammy and managed to pick out Darren Bravo at midwicket, taking the score to 3 for 56. In the next over, Clarke (16) was yorked by Dwayne Bravo without any further addition to the score and he was the first batsman who could claim to have been dismissed by a particularly good delivery.
Bailey and Matthew Wade tried to steady the innings and put on a 37-run stand before Wade fell to the best catch of the lot, a lightning-quick take by Sammy at slip off the spin of Sunil Narine. On 16, Wade went for a cut and his edge fizzed high and fast and Sammy displayed quite remarkable reflexes to thrust his hand above his head and grab the ball, which looked destined for the boundary. Sammy followed up by bowling Maxwell in the next over, but after that it was all Australia.