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Ben Dwarshuis removed both openers and took the crucial wicket of top-scorer Shimron Hetmyer as Australia beat the West Indies on Monday in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis, to sweep the T20 series 5-0.
Chasing a modest 171 to win the fifth T20 international, Australia recovered from 25-3 and 60-4 to score 173-7 with three overs to spare.
Cameron Green anchored the middle-order recovery with 32, big-hitting Tim David raced to 30 off 12 balls with four sixes and a four, and Mitchell Owen scored 37.
When Green departed, Australia was 141-6, still needing 30, and the West Indies sniffed a consolation win.
But Aaron Hardie kept his composure to see Australia home by three wickets with an unbeaten 28.
“I didn’t expect 5-0 at the start of the series. But we played some great cricket,” said Australia captain Mitchell Marsh.
West Indies captain Shai Hope pinpointed the reason for his team’s failure to win a match.
“We never put together a proper batting display. We either started well or finished poorly, or the other way round,” said Hope.
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“Against a quality team, you can’t get away with that.”
The West Indies was in trouble early, having been asked to bat when Marsh won the toss.
Dwarshuis removed Brandon King for 11 and Hope for nine to reduce the hosts to 22-2 in the fourth over.
That became 64-4 until Hetmyer led a fightback, hitting three fours and three sixes on his way to a half-century.
It looked like the left-hander might take the West Indies to a challenging total, but Dwarshuis returned to induce a miscue to Sean Abbott at long-off from a slower bouncer.
Hetmyer departed for 52 from 31 balls to leave West Indies 155-7 in the 17th over.
“It was a little bit of a slower wicket, so we tried to hit the wicket hard and use the slower balls as well,” said Dwarshuis, who was named player of the match.
Australia also won the three Tests which preceded the T20 series to sweep all eight matches on the tour.
