Mitchell Owen enjoyed a dream debut as Australia claimed a three-wicket win over the West Indies in the opening Twenty20 International of their five-match series at Sabina Park, Jamaica, on Sunday.
The 22-year-old all-rounder made an instant impact, picking up a wicket with his medium pace before hammering a match-defining 50 off just 27 balls to help chase down a challenging target of 190 with seven balls to spare.
Inserted to bat first, the West Indies got off to a strong start, with skipper Shai Hope (55), Roston Chase (60), and Shimron Hetmyer (38) laying a solid foundation. At 150-2 in the 15th over, the hosts looked set for a score well beyond 200. However, the late acceleration never came.
Veteran all-rounder Andre Russell, who has announced his retirement from international cricket following Tuesday’s second T20, managed only eight runs. Australia’s Ben Dwarshuis turned the tide, tearing through the middle and lower order with figures of 4-36 as the Windies were restricted to 189-8.
Australia’s reply began shakily, losing both openers — skipper Mitchell Marsh and Jake Fraser-McGurk — inside the powerplay. But a counter-attacking 80-run partnership between Cameron Green and Owen steadied the innings and turned the match firmly in Australia’s favour.
Green blazed 51 off just 26 balls, including five sixes, while Owen struck six maximums of his own before falling in the 17th over with Australia nearly across the line.
The visitors reached their target with three wickets in hand, securing a 1-0 lead in the series and continuing their dominance after sweeping the preceding Test series 3-0.
The teams will meet again at the same venue on Tuesday, where Russell will make his final international appearance.