A Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 37: Coulter-Nile Rises From No. 8 as Australia Escape 38/4 and Starc Breaks West Indies Late

OTTINGHAM, England, June 6, 2019: Australia were 38/4.

Aaron Finch was gone.

David Warner was gone.

Usman Khawaja was gone.

TSE VISUAL BRIEFING

Story at a glance

01

Why Match 37 Belongs in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs

The original A Celebration of 5000 ODIs roadmap identifies the central reason immediately.

02

West Indies’ Short-Ball Plan Tears Through Australia

The plan was obvious from the start.

03

Steve Smith Stops the Collapse Before Trying to Repair It

Steve Smith’s 73 from 103 balls will never be remembered as the most spectacular innings of the match.

04

Alex Carey Begins the First Recovery

Alex Carey initially played cautiously.

05

Nathan Coulter-Nile Turns No. 8 Into Australia’s Match-Winning Position

Coulter-Nile had never scored an international fifty.

Glenn Maxwell had lasted two balls.

West Indies had unleashed the short ball at Trent Bridge and, for the first eight overs, the defending world champions looked less like the team trying to retain a trophy and more like a side trying to survive the next delivery.

Then Australia slipped to 79/5.

That should have been the point where West Indies finished them.

Instead, Steve Smith absorbed the attack, Alex Carey bought Australia time, and Nathan Coulter-Nile walked in at No. 8 and produced an innings almost nobody could have reasonably predicted.

He made 92 from 60 balls.

Australia reached 288.

West Indies still had every chance to chase it.

Shai Hope rebuilt after two early wickets. Nicholas Pooran counterattacked. Jason Holder reached fifty. Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite kept the equation within range.

At 216/6, West Indies still had 73 runs to find with more than 11 overs remaining.

Then Mitchell Starc turned a live chase into a closing ceremony.

Russell went.

Brathwaite went.

Holder went.

Sheldon Cottrell went.

West Indies finished on 273/9, 15 runs short.

Australia had recovered from 38/4 and 79/5 to win a World Cup match in which West Indies had twice looked capable of taking complete control.

That is exactly why Australia vs West Indies at Trent Bridge is Match 37 in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs.

The final margin tells us Australia won.

It does not explain how many times they nearly lost.

TL;DR

• West Indies won the toss and chose to field.
• Australia collapsed to 38/4 inside eight overs.
• They later fell to 79/5.
• Steve Smith rebuilt the innings with 73 from 103 balls.
• Alex Carey contributed 45 from 55.
• Nathan Coulter-Nile smashed 92 from 60 balls at No. 8.
• Smith and Coulter-Nile added 102 for the seventh wicket.
• Australia recovered to 288 all out in 49 overs.
• Carlos Brathwaite took 3/67.
• Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Russell and Oshane Thomas took two wickets each.
• West Indies recovered from 31/2 through Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran.
• Hope top-scored with 68 from 105 balls.
• Jason Holder made 51 from 57.
• West Indies reached 216/6 with the chase still alive.
• Mitchell Starc finished with 5/46.
• Australia won by 15 runs.
• Coulter-Nile was named Player of the Match.
• His 92 was the highest World Cup score by a No. 8 batter at the time.

Australia vs West Indies 2019 World Cup: Match at a Glance

Why Match 37 Belongs in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs

The original A Celebration of 5000 ODIs roadmap identifies the central reason immediately.

Australia were 38/4.

Nathan Coulter-Nile, batting at No. 8, made 92.

West Indies still threatened the target.

Australia survived.

But there is a deeper reason this match belongs among the 100.

It contained two potential victories for West Indies.

The first disappeared when they failed to finish Australia after reducing them to 79/5.

The second disappeared when they reached the final 12 overs with Holder, Russell and Brathwaite still available but could not withstand Starc.

That symmetry makes the match fascinating.

West Indies did the hard work twice.

Australia survived twice.

Great ODI teams do not always win by dominating.

Sometimes they win because an opponent needs one more decisive passage and never finds it.

West Indies’ Short-Ball Plan Tears Through Australia

The plan was obvious from the start.

West Indies had dismissed Pakistan for 105 in their opening World Cup match using aggressive pace and short-pitched bowling.

They attacked Australia the same way.

The result was immediate.

Aaron Finch edged Oshane Thomas behind for six.

David Warner fell for three to Sheldon Cottrell.

Andre Russell dismissed Usman Khawaja for 13.

Then Cottrell removed Glenn Maxwell for a duck.

Australia were 38/4 after 7.4 overs.

The defending champions had barely begun batting.

West Indies had already dismantled their top order.

The situation recalled another famous Australia-West Indies World Cup meeting, when Australia themselves had collapsed to 15/4 before eventually winning the 1996 semifinal by five runs.

At Trent Bridge, the roles initially appeared reversed.

Steve Smith Stops the Collapse Before Trying to Repair It

Steve Smith’s 73 from 103 balls will never be remembered as the most spectacular innings of the match.

It may have been the most necessary.

Australia did not need another batter attacking the short ball.

They needed someone to remain.

Smith let deliveries pass.

He defended with soft hands.

He absorbed the hostile spell rather than trying to win it.

Marcus Stoinis briefly supported him before Jason Holder removed him for 19.

Australia were 79/5.

Five wickets gone.

Twenty-four overs still remained.

This was the moment when West Indies should have reduced the match to damage limitation.

Smith prevented that.

Alex Carey Begins the First Recovery

Alex Carey initially played cautiously.

That was sensible.

Australia could not afford another wicket.

Once Carey settled, however, his approach changed quickly.

He attacked the width offered by West Indies and began finding boundaries.

Carey made 45 from 55 balls with seven fours.

His partnership with Smith added 68.

Australia moved from 79/5 to 147/5.

Andre Russell then removed Carey.

West Indies had another opening.

Nathan Coulter-Nile walked in.

Few people watching could have expected what came next.

Nathan Coulter-Nile Turns No. 8 Into Australia’s Match-Winning Position

Coulter-Nile had never scored an international fifty.

Australia were still only 147/6.

He faced a fast bowling attack that had spent the first half of the innings intimidating the top order.

His response was to attack it.

Coulter-Nile made:

92 runs

60 balls

8 fours

4 sixes

Strike rate: 153.33

It became the highest score by a No. 8 batter in men’s World Cup history at the time.

This was not merely tail-end hitting after the match had already been stabilized.

Australia still needed rescuing.

Coulter-Nile supplied the runs that changed the target from modest to intimidating.

Player of the Match Nathan Coulter-Nile Changes the Entire Equation

Coulter-Nile was the official Player of the Match.

The award could easily have gone to Starc.

Five wickets in a 15-run World Cup victory normally settles that argument.

But without Coulter-Nile, Starc may never have had 289 to defend.

Australia had been 79/5.

Even reaching 220 looked uncertain.

Coulter-Nile’s innings pushed them to 288.

His partnership with Smith added 102 for the seventh wicket and reversed the direction of the match.

West Indies had spent the opening phase making Australia uncomfortable with the short ball.

Coulter-Nile eventually began attacking the same tactic.

That tactical reversal is one of the reasons the innings remains so memorable.

Steve Smith and Coulter-Nile Add 102 and Force West Indies to Start Again

Smith and Coulter-Nile could hardly have played more differently.

Smith accumulated.

Coulter-Nile attacked.

Smith took the responsibility of staying.

Coulter-Nile took the responsibility of scoring.

Their seventh-wicket partnership produced 102 runs.

Australia moved from 147/6 to 249/6.

By the time Sheldon Cottrell produced a superb boundary catch to dismiss Smith for 73, West Indies’ early domination had almost completely disappeared.

The fielding side had Australia at 38/4.

Now they were trying to stop them reaching 300.

Sheldon Cottrell Produces One of the Match’s Best Moments

Cottrell’s bowling created early damage.

His fielding produced one of the game’s defining images.

Smith pulled Oshane Thomas toward deep square leg.

The ball appeared destined for six.

Cottrell ran along the boundary, completed the catch, realized his momentum was carrying him over the rope, released the ball, stepped outside and returned to complete the dismissal legally.

Smith was gone for 73.

It was a brilliant piece of awareness and athleticism.

Unfortunately for West Indies, Australia were already 249/7.

The catch removed Smith.

It did not undo the recovery.

West Indies’ Bowling Goes From Ruthless to Expensive

West Indies deserve enormous credit for their opening assault.

The problem was what happened later.

Australia received 24 wides.

That mattered.

Their bowlers also lost some of the control that had made the opening spell so dangerous.

Holder remained economical, conceding only 28 from seven overs.

Russell took 2/41.

But Thomas conceded 63.

Cottrell went for 56.

Brathwaite conceded 67 despite taking three wickets.

The early plan had worked.

The execution did not remain consistent enough to complete it.

Carlos Brathwaite Takes Three, but Australia Have Already Escaped

Brathwaite finished with 3/67.

He removed Pat Cummins, Coulter-Nile and Starc.

Those wickets stopped Australia from reaching 300.

Yet the most important damage had already been done.

Coulter-Nile fell for 92 at 284/9.

Australia were dismissed four runs later.

A side that had been 38/4 had reached 288.

West Indies now needed 289.

The match had completely changed.

Mitchell Starc Strikes Before West Indies Can Settle

West Indies had proved against Pakistan that their bowling could destroy an opponent quickly.

Australia now needed their own fast bowlers to respond.

Pat Cummins removed Evin Lewis for one.

Starc then trapped Chris Gayle lbw for 21.

West Indies were 31/2.

The chase had already become a rebuilding exercise.

Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran answered.

Shai Hope Becomes West Indies’ Anchor

Hope made 68 from 105 balls.

Seven fours.

Strike rate 64.76.

The scoring rate was modest.

The responsibility was enormous.

West Indies had already lost both openers.

Hope needed to occupy the innings.

He first rebuilt with Pooran.

Then with Shimron Hetmyer.

Later with Holder.

The problem was similar to Williamson’s role against South Africa in Match 35.

An anchor can stabilize a chase.

Someone else must eventually provide enough acceleration.

West Indies repeatedly found that support.

They could not keep it long enough.

Nicholas Pooran Takes the Attack Back to Australia

Pooran scored 40 from 36 balls.

Five fours.

One six.

His 68-run partnership with Hope repaired the damage from 31/2.

West Indies reached 99/2.

For the first time in the chase, Australia were under sustained pressure.

Adam Zampa broke the partnership.

Pooran was caught by Finch.

West Indies lost their attacking batter.

Hope had to rebuild again.

Hetmyer’s Run-Out Costs West Indies Momentum

Shimron Hetmyer made 21 from 28 balls.

He and Hope added another 50.

West Indies reached 149/3.

Then came a damaging mistake.

Hetmyer was run out.

West Indies were 149/4.

The dismissal mattered because they were approaching the phase where Hope needed a partner capable of accelerating.

Instead, the chase had to reset again.

Pat Cummins Removes Hope at the Worst Possible Time for West Indies

Hope eventually fell for 68.

Pat Cummins dismissed him at 190/5 after 35 overs.

The equation remained manageable.

West Indies required 99 from 90 deliveries.

Holder was settled.

Russell was arriving.

Brathwaite remained.

The batting depth still gave West Indies a route.

But their anchor was gone.

Australia could now attack the hitters rather than worry about Hope batting through the innings.

Jason Holder Keeps West Indies in the Hunt

Holder made 51 from 57 balls.

Seven fours.

One six.

He batted with calmness while the required rate climbed around him.

Russell supplied a short burst.

Brathwaite did the same.

West Indies reached 216/6 after Russell fell.

They still needed 73.

Holder remained.

Brathwaite remained.

The match was not over.

Then Finch returned to Starc.

That decision ended it.

Mitchell Starc Turns the Final 12 Overs Into Australia’s Territory

Starc finished with:

10 overs

1 maiden

46 runs

5 wickets

Economy: 4.60

The five wickets tell only part of the story.

The timing explains the rest.

Starc had already removed Gayle.

He then dismissed Russell for 15.

In the 46th over, he struck twice.

Brathwaite was caught by Finch for 16.

Holder followed three balls later for 51.

West Indies went from 252/6 to 252/8.

The chase effectively ended inside that over.

Starc later bowled Cottrell for one.

Five wickets complete.

Australia safe.

Starc’s Spell Shows Why Australia Survived Their Own Batting Collapse

A side can recover from 38/4 only if both halves of the team contribute.

Coulter-Nile and Smith fixed the batting.

Starc fixed the defense.

That balance separated Australia from West Indies.

West Indies’ fast bowlers produced the more frightening opening spell.

Australia produced the more decisive closing spell.

Starc’s ability to return late and remove established or dangerous batters made the difference.

The innings also carried a milestone: Starc became the fastest bowler at the time to reach 150 ODI wickets.

Jason Holder Gives West Indies Two Strong Performances in One Match

Holder’s match deserves more credit than the final result gives it.

With the ball:

7 overs, 2 maidens, 28 runs, 1 wicket.

With the bat:

51 from 57 balls.

He was West Indies’ most controlled bowler and one of their most important batters.

His dismissal was therefore decisive.

Had Holder survived Starc’s 46th over, West Indies would have entered the final four overs with their captain set and approximately 37 runs required.

That is difficult.

It is not impossible.

Starc removed that possibility.

West Indies’ Chase Was Lost Through Repeated Restarts

The West Indies batting card contains several useful contributions.

Hope 68.

Holder 51.

Pooran 40.

Gayle 21.

Hetmyer 21.

Nurse 19 not out.

The problem was continuity.

Every time a partnership began creating momentum, Australia broke it.

Hope and Pooran: 68.

Hope and Hetmyer: 50.

Hope and Holder: 41.

Holder and Russell: 26.

Holder and Brathwaite: 36.

West Indies never produced the single 80- or 100-run partnership that could have reduced the chase to a routine finish.

Australia forced them to restart too many times.

Complete Match Scorecard

Australia Batting: 288 All Out in 49 Overs

Extras: 27 (1 bye, 1 leg bye, 24 wides, 1 no-ball)
Total: 288 all out in 49 overs
Run rate: 5.88

Fall of wickets: 15/1 Finch (2.2), 26/2 Warner (3.6), 36/3 Khawaja (6.6), 38/4 Maxwell (7.4), 79/5 Stoinis (16.1), 147/6 Carey (30.4), 249/7 Smith (44.2), 268/8 Cummins (46.1), 284/9 Coulter-Nile (48.2), 288/10 Starc (48.6).

West Indies Bowling

West Indies Batting: 273/9 in 50 Overs

Extras: 20 (9 leg byes, 11 wides)
Total: 273/9 in 50 overs
Run rate: 5.46

Fall of wickets: 7/1 Lewis (1.4), 31/2 Gayle (4.5), 99/3 Pooran (19.1), 149/4 Hetmyer (27.2), 190/5 Hope (34.6), 216/6 Russell (38.5), 252/7 Brathwaite (45.3), 252/8 Holder (45.6), 256/9 Cottrell (47.3).

Australia Bowling

Eight Turning Points That Decided Australia vs West Indies

1. West Indies Reduce Australia to 38/4

Finch, Warner, Khawaja and Maxwell disappeared inside eight overs.

The defending champions were in genuine danger of being bowled out cheaply.

2. Holder Removes Stoinis at 79/5

Australia’s first attempt at recovery ended.

Five wickets were gone.

West Indies had the match exactly where they wanted it.

3. Smith and Carey Add 68

Australia stopped collapsing.

Carey gave Smith enough support to move the innings beyond immediate survival.

4. Coulter-Nile Attacks From No. 8

His 92 transformed the match.

Australia went from hoping for 220 to threatening 300.

5. Smith and Coulter-Nile Add 102

This was the match’s biggest structural reversal.

West Indies went from hunting the tail to trying to contain two set batters.

6. Hope Falls at 190/5

The chase remained manageable.

West Indies lost the player holding it together.

7. Starc Removes Russell

Russell had the power to change the required rate within two overs.

Starc prevented that.

8. Starc Takes Brathwaite and Holder in the Same Over

This decided the chase.

West Indies went from 252/6 to 252/8.

Australia finally had control.

Why West Indies Lost After Winning the First Eight Overs So Completely

The simplest answer is that they did not finish Australia.

A deeper answer is that their best tactical idea became less effective once Australia adapted.

The short ball had disrupted the top order.

Smith refused to engage with it unnecessarily.

Carey waited.

Coulter-Nile eventually attacked it.

West Indies then began conceding extras and boundaries.

Their control disappeared.

When they batted, the opposite happened.

West Indies repeatedly rebuilt but never produced a partnership large enough to force Australia out of the contest permanently.

Australia adapted better.

Why Australia’s Recovery Says More Than the Final Score

Australia won by 15 runs.

That margin makes the game sound close but conventional.

Nothing about the route was conventional.

They lost four wickets for 38.

Five for 79.

Their No. 8 became their top scorer.

Their best bowler later took five wickets.

The opposition captain made fifty.

The chase remained alive into the final five overs.

Australia won because different players solved different crises.

That is often the hallmark of a tournament team capable of going deep.

Australia and West Indies Add Another Chapter to a Long World Cup Rivalry

Australia and West Indies have repeatedly found each other at important moments in World Cup history.

In 1975, West Indies beat Australia in the inaugural final, a chaotic contest revisited in Match 3: Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards Drag West Indies Through a Chaotic World Cup Final.

Twenty-one years later, Australia produced one of the great World Cup escapes when West Indies collapsed from 165/2 chasing only 208. That semifinal is Match 12: Warne Turns 165/2 Into West Indies Heartbreak.

The 2019 meeting lacked knockout status.

It carried the same ability to change direction without warning.

Australia Had Already Built a History of Surviving World Cup Trouble

This was not the first time Australia had escaped from an apparently losing position.

They survived India by one run in Chennai in Match 6.

They survived West Indies from 15/4 in 1996.

They later became the team inflicting late pressure on opponents with extraordinary regularity.

That historical pattern does not make the 2019 recovery inevitable.

It makes it recognizable.

Australia rarely needed the match to remain comfortable.

They only needed it to remain alive.

West Indies Would Experience Another Brutal 2019 Finish

West Indies’ tournament would later produce an even more painful near-miss.

Against New Zealand, they collapsed to 164/7 before Carlos Brathwaite made 101 and brought the chase to within one six of victory.

Trent Boult caught the final shot near the boundary.

That extraordinary finish appears in Match 32: Brathwaite Falls One Swing Short as New Zealand Escape by Five Runs.

Together, the Australia and New Zealand games capture the frustration of West Indies’ 2019 campaign.

Their ceiling remained high.

Their ability to finish tight matches did not consistently match it.

Australia’s Lower Order Changes the Tournament Conversation

Coulter-Nile’s innings also carried a broader warning.

Australia were not entirely dependent on Finch, Warner, Smith and Maxwell.

A World Cup team with meaningful batting at No. 8 becomes much harder to dismiss.

Opponents cannot relax after exposing the tail.

West Indies did exactly what most teams dream of doing against Australia.

They removed four top-order batters before 40.

Then a bowler walked in at No. 8 and nearly made a century.

That is the kind of depth that changes tournament games.

KEEP READING

Continue A Celebration of 5000 ODIs

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A Celebration of 5000 ODIsA Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 40: Maharaj Saves South Africa After Pakistan Turn 271 Into a One-Wicket World Cup Trap

A Celebration of 5000 ODIsA Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 39: England Win the World Cup on Boundary Count After New Zealand Tie Them Twice

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Won Australia vs West Indies at the 2019 Cricket World Cup?

Australia won by 15 runs at Trent Bridge. Australia scored 288 before restricting West Indies to 273/9.

Who Was Player of the Match?

Nathan Coulter-Nile was named Player of the Match after scoring 92 from 60 balls at No. 8.

What Was Australia’s Lowest Point?

Australia fell to 38/4 after 7.4 overs and later 79/5.

How Many Runs Did Nathan Coulter-Nile Score?

Coulter-Nile made 92 from 60 balls, including eight fours and four sixes.

How Many Runs Did Steve Smith Score?

Smith made 73 from 103 balls and helped stabilize the innings after the early collapse.

What Were Mitchell Starc’s Bowling Figures?

Starc took 5/46 from 10 overs, including the crucial late wickets of Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder.

Who Was West Indies’ Top Scorer?

Shai Hope made 68 from 105 balls.

How Many Runs Did Jason Holder Score?

Holder made 51 from 57 deliveries.

Why Is This Match Included in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs?

Australia recovered from 38/4 and 79/5 through Smith, Carey and Coulter-Nile before Starc stopped a West Indies chase that remained dangerous late into the innings. The match produced two major recoveries, a World Cup record from a No. 8 and a five-wicket spell.