Australia crushed West Indies by six wickets with 23 balls to spare in a high-scoring third T20I of the five-match series in St Kitts. Powered by a superb century from Shai Hope, West Indies posted 214/4 in 20 overs. In response, Australia chased down the challenging target of 215 with ease, thanks to a stunning batting performance by Tim David. He smashed Australia’s fastest T20I century off just 37 balls. Tim David's explosive innings and his unbeaten 128-run partnership with Mitchell Owen helped the team win the match with 23 balls to spare and seal the series.

Shai Hope shines for West Indies with maiden century

West Indies captain Shai Hope scored his first-ever T20I century. He built a strong opening partnership of 125 runs with Brandon King. Their efforts powered West Indies to a solid 214 for 4. Hope reached his century in 55 balls, after slowing down slightly near the end.

At one point, Australia looked in trouble at 87 for 4 in the ninth over. But Tim David’s powerful hitting turned the game completely.

Tim David turns the match with explosive batting

David first reached his half-century in just 16 balls. He then reached the hundred mark with a boundary that also sealed the win. His final score included 11 sixes. This was his first T20I hundred.

Mitchell Owen also played an important role. In just his debut series, he scored 36 off 16 balls. Together, he and David added 128 runs for the fifth wicket in only 46 balls.

Moved up the order, David makes it count

Usually a lower-order batter, David walked in at a rare No. 5 spot after a slow innings by captain Mitchell Marsh. He was 15 off 7 balls when he faced spinner Gudakesh Motie in the 10th over. David smashed four sixes in a row. In the next over, he hit Akeal Hosein for two more sixes and a four to reach his fifty.

He was so confident that he refused a single to keep strike against Roston Chase. That decision paid off as he hit three more sixes in the over. Umpires had to call for new balls several times, with some sailing out of the stadium.

David got lucky on 90 when King dropped an easy catch at deep midwicket. Owen nearly finished the game first, but David managed to stay at the crease long enough to break the previous Australian record of a T20I century in 43 balls, set by Josh Inglis.

Shai Hope’s captain’s knock

Hope led from the front. He started slowly, scoring only 5 runs off his first 7 balls. But he soon found rhythm. He punished Glenn Maxwell with a four and two sixes, then hit Mitchell Owen for a massive six out of the ground.

He reached fifty off 26 balls. King followed with his own fifty off 30 deliveries. Hope later launched two sixes off Adam Zampa as he raced toward his century. However, it took him eight balls to move from 92 to 100. Australia bowled well in the final overs to slow things down.

Sean Abbott delivers under pressure

Though West Indies started strongly, questions remained about whether their score would be enough on a small ground. After the opening stand, they lost momentum. Overs 15 to 18 brought only 36 runs. Sherfane Rutherford especially struggled, managing just 12 off 13 balls.

Sean Abbott stood out with the ball. He replaced Matt Kuhnemann in the side and returned figures of 4-0-21-0, including 14 dot balls. He bowled two overs in the powerplay and returned again during the key Hope-King stand to concede just three runs in the ninth over.

Nathan Ellis also contributed with a tight 18th over, giving away just six runs. West Indies’ scoring slowed down at the end, and their bowlers had no answer to Tim David’s blitz. Even though Australia made a few fielding errors, David’s innings made sure they didn’t matter.