Nicholas Pooran stars as West Indies beat Australia in T20 World Cup warm-up game

The West Indies secured a win in their first warm-up match against Australia, triumphing by 35 runs at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain.

Nicholas Pooran stole the spotlight with an impressive 75 runs, contributing to the West Indies' formidable total of 257/4. This proved too much for Australia, as the West Indies confidently clinched victory ahead of their upcoming T20 World Cup match against Papua New Guinea.

Pooran's explosive batting saw him hit eight sixes in just 25 balls, while Rovman Powell (52), Sherfane Rutherford (47*), and Johnson Charles (40) also showcased their power-hitting prowess. Australia's bowlers, including Adam Zampa, struggled to contain the West Indies' top order, with Zampa conceding 62 runs and picking up two wickets.

Despite missing several key players, Australia put up a decent fight, with Josh Inglis (55), Nathan Ellis (39), and Ashton Agar (28) leading the charge. However, their efforts fell short as they finished with 222/7 in their chase.

In another warm-up match, Namibia narrowly defeated Papua New Guinea by three runs (DLS method) in a rain-affected contest in Tarouba.

Papua New Guinea could only manage 109/7, with Assad Vala's spell (2/17) keeping Namibia in contention. The match was called off with Namibia at 93/6 in the 17th over at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.