David’s 11 six century crushes West Indies

A 16-ball fifty. A 37-ball century. And a hurricane named Tim David. With a sensational display of power-hitting, David led Australia to a remarkable win over West Indies, completely overshadowing the unbeaten century by Windies captain Shai Hope.

Hope had every reason to believe his unbeaten 102 and a team total of 214 would be enough to seal the match. But little did he know — the real storm was yet to arrive. Though the Caribbean Sea remained calm, Warner Park turned into a tidal wave of destruction, courtesy of David’s bat.

So many balls were lost to the crowd that the fourth umpire had to repeatedly bring in a fresh box. David not only dismantled the West Indies bowling attack but also rewrote the record books in the process.

Interestingly, the bat David used was a gift from Andre Russell, who retired just a year ago. And it was with that very bat that he crushed West Indies’ hopes, guiding Australia to a six-wicket win and sealing the five-match series with a 3–0 lead.

The match, held Saturday morning Bangladesh time in St. Kitts, saw West Indies post a commanding 214 in 20 overs. Skipper Shai Hope anchored the innings, carrying his bat for 102 off 57 deliveries.

Australia’s chase, however, didn’t start smoothly. Three wickets fell during the powerplay. When David arrived at the crease, Australia was in trouble. But the Windies had no answer to his counterattack. Debutant Mitchell Owen gave him excellent support, and the duo finished the chase with 23 balls to spare.

David broke the record for Australia’s fastest T20I fifty — reaching the milestone in just 16 balls — and later converted it into the country’s fastest century. When the 29-year-old roared in celebration after sealing the win with a boundary, he had smashed 6 fours and 11 sixes in his unbeaten 102 off just 37 balls.

Owen, who made a blazing debut in the first match with a fifty, remained not out on 36 off 16 this time.

Their partnership produced 128 runs off just 46 deliveries — a new record for Australia in the fifth wicket stand, surpassing the previous best of 97 (also involving David with Mitchell Marsh).

This century was David’s first in T20 Internationals — his previous highest was 93, back when he represented Singapore. For Australia, his 41-match record before this included only two fifties (54 and 64). This performance repaid the faith the team has shown in him.

Earlier in the game, West Indies had taken command. After being sent to bat, the openers added 125 runs. Brandon King got things going with a six in the first over, followed by Hope joining the party. They scored 66 in the powerplay and reached 100 before the 10-over mark.

Hope reached his fifty off 26 balls, King off 30. King eventually fell after scoring 62 from 36 balls with six sixes.

Despite the strong platform, West Indies’ middle order failed to capitalize. Hope held the innings together, bringing up his maiden T20I century in 55 balls — making him just the second West Indian after Chris Gayle to score centuries in all three international formats.

The innings closed with Romario Shepherd hitting two boundaries in the last two balls.

Warner Park’s short boundaries and good pitch meant 214 was chaseable, but totals above 200 are always a challenge. And Australia looked shaky early on.

Glenn Maxwell played a fiery cameo of 20 off 7 but fell in the third over. Josh Inglis couldn’t capitalize (15 off 6), while captain Mitchell Marsh struggled to a 22 off 19. Cameron Green, who hit fifties in the previous two matches, managed just 11 off 14.

At 87 for 4, Australia was in trouble. With only the inexperienced Owen and allrounder Cooper Connolly to follow, it looked bleak. But David took charge.

He started with a boundary and soon lifted Gudakesh Motie for his first six. When Green got out in the 9th over, David had 15 off 7. From the next over, his assault began. He took 28 runs off a Motie over, hitting one four and four consecutive sixes.

In the following over, he hit left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein for a six, a four, and another six — reaching his fifty in 16 balls, breaking the previous 17-ball Australian record held by Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis.

Unlike past innings where he couldn’t carry the momentum, this time David stayed the course. He hit three sixes and a four in one over from Roston Chase to move quickly towards a century.

He got a life on 90 when Brandon King dropped a simple catch at mid-off. Meanwhile, Owen’s own fireworks nearly threatened David’s chance at a century. With 23 runs needed and David on 93, Owen smashed two sixes in one over.

But in the end, David got his moment. On 98, he glanced a Romario Shepherd delivery for four — sealing both his hundred and the victory in one stroke.

After the match, David shared insights into his preparation — and the backstory of the bat:

“I never thought I’d get a chance to score a century for Australia. So, I’m really excited. The pitch was great, and the boundaries were short. Batting at Warner Park is always fun, and my CPL experience really helped. I’ve worked a lot on my power-hitting — now I’m focused on improving shot selection.”

“I’ve been carrying this bat from Dre Russ (Andre Russell) for nearly a year. Today, it felt like the perfect time to use it.”

The next match of the series is also in St. Kitts, on Sunday at 5:00 AM Bangladesh time.