Ben Dwarshuis starred with the ball as Australia completed a resounding 5-0 whitewash of the West Indies in the T20I series, sealing the final match with a composed three-wicket win in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.
The left-arm pacer made an immediate impact, removing both openers — Brandon King and captain Shai Hope — early in the innings, and returned later to dismiss the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer, who top-scored with a blistering 52 off 31 balls. His efforts limited the hosts to a par score of 170-7.
Australia’s chase began shakily, slipping to 25-3 and later 60-4, but the middle order held firm. Cameron Green anchored the recovery with a measured 32, while Tim David ignited the innings with a quickfire 30 from just 12 deliveries, hammering four sixes and a four.
Mitchell Owen added a crucial 37, and though the visitors wobbled again at 141-6, Aaron Hardie saw them home with a calm, unbeaten 28, guiding the team to 173-7 with three overs remaining.
“We didn’t expect to take the series 5-0,” said Aussie skipper Mitchell Marsh, praising his side’s consistency across the tour. “We played some outstanding cricket throughout.”
West Indies captain Shai Hope lamented his team’s inability to string together a full batting performance. “We started well in some games and finished poorly in others — or the opposite. Against a top side like Australia, that’s just not good enough,” he admitted.
Asked to bat first after losing the toss, the West Indies crumbled early against sharp Australian bowling. After Dwarshuis’ opening burst reduced them to 22-2, Hetmyer attempted to salvage the innings with a flurry of boundaries, including three sixes. Just as he looked set to push the total beyond 180, Dwarshuis deceived him with a slower bouncer, ending his stay via a catch at long-off.
“It was a slowish pitch, so we tried to hit the deck and mix it up with slower balls,” said Dwarshuis, who was named Player of the Match.
Australia’s dominance wasn’t limited to the T20 format — they had already claimed a 3-0 victory in the Test series earlier in the tour, making it a complete 8-0 sweep across both formats.
The comprehensive tour performance highlights Australia’s depth and form ahead of upcoming international fixtures, while West Indies are left to reassess their game plans as they continue to rebuild.