All-rounder Marcus Stoinis has produced one of the best performances of his international career to power Australia to a 39-run victory over Oman in their T20 World Cup opener.
Stoinis did it with bat and ball, helping Australia out of a tricky position following a sluggish start to their innings in Bridgetown.
The 34-year-old became just the third player in T20 World Cup history — after Dwayne Bravo (West Indies) and Shane Watson (Australia) — to score a 50 and take at least three wickets.
After being sent in to bat by Oman captain Aqib Ilyas, Australia struggled early before reaching 5-164 in an unconvincing 20 overs at the crease.
Stoinis fired with an unbeaten 67 from 36 balls, smashing half a dozen sixes, including four during a vital 15th over.
Veteran opener David Warner and Stoinis put on 102 for the fourth wicket after finally adjusting to the spin-friendly pitch, having at one point gone 30 deliveries between boundaries.
Warner — who took his overall T20 total for Australia to 3155 — anchored the innings during his 51-ball stay, in the process overtaking his former opening partner Aaron Finch (3120) as Australia's most prolific batter in the format.
Oman never looked like chasing down the total, slumping to 4-34 in the eighth over as Stoinis claimed 3-19 to go with his brutal performance with the bat.
Ayaan Khan (36) and Mehran Khan (27) showed some resistance for Oman, who lost to Namibia in their first match of the tournament, as they finished on 9-125.
In typical Mitchell Starc fashion, the left-arm quick took a wicket in his first over, trapping Pratik Athavale lbw for a duck.
But Starc (2-20) had to leave the field after his third over with soreness in his lower leg that Australia are hoping was only cramp.
Starc, who spent more than two days in transit en route to the Caribbean, tried to stretch on the field, but later came off for treatment and further assessment.
Earlier, star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who has made five T20I centuries, was out first ball after Ilyas pulled off a flying catch at cover.
Pat Cummins, who led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the Indian Premier League final last month, was rested, with Australia instead bringing in Tasmanian pacer Nathan Ellis.
Australia are trying to become the first team to hold all three major International Cricket Council trophies — one-day international and T20 world cups as well as the World Test Championship — at the same time.
Australia's next game is a blockbuster against defending champions England in Bridgetown on Saturday.
Re-live all the action in our live blog below.
We will wrap up the ABC Sport live blog there.
Australia are off to a winning start at the T20 World Cup.
Oman gave a terrific account of themselves. Every one of them can be proud of their efforts.
We will be live blogging Australia's next match against England.
ABC Sport will also be live blogging all of the rugby league and Aussie rules this weekend.
Goodbye for now.
In case Australia needed more assurance, Australia's captain says Mitchell Starc was suffering from cramp and nothing else.
Hi Michael. Great blogging. Thank you. You convey descriptions with a bit of the energy / flavour of the game. . - Re Maxi - He would have seen the batters before him struggle on this pitch (and also in the previous game). Given that, it was perhaps questionable that he launched into a big expansive shot (on the up) off his first ball, rather than getting a few "sighters" and the measure of the pitch. 1) A bit irrensponsible perhaps? 2) Given that - (and his poor IPL form) - do you think he will lose his all rounder spot to Cam Green for the next few matches?
- Mark from Perth
Hey Mark.
Thanks for joining me on the blog.
Firstly — you flatter me.
Secondly — it is well known that Glenn Maxwell's IPL was not his best. A golden duck to opening his world cup compounds his woes.
It was a worldie of a catch to dismiss him in fairness.
Glenn Maxwell is out of form. But he is a magnificent batter. If he is selected for Australia's next match against England, I would not be surprised if he hammed 50 runs in short-time.
It was an easy choice for the player of the match.
Stoinis top scored with 67 from 36, and took three wickets.
"It was a nice start. Maybe a few cobwebs for us, but [we're] better for the run," Stoinis says in his post-game interview.
Australia has begun their T20 World Cup with a victory over Oman.
The Asian qualifiers kept them honest throughout the contest.
Marcus Stoinis was Australia's star, scoring 67 with the bat and taking 3-19 from his three overs bowling.
Oman's final batter walks to the crease.
Bilal Khan charges Ellis and misses the ball.
He plays a nice drive for a single.
Kaleemullah will face the final ball of the match.
Ellis goes for the yorker which is squirted away for single.
Oman finish 9-125.
Australia wins by 39 runs.
Oman is going down swinging, but it won't be enough.
Nathan Ellis bangs in a cutter which is hit to David Warner at deep point.
Warner doesn't drop those.
Oman are 9-123.
Oman cannot win, but they would love to complete the 20 overs.
Shakeel hits a single.
DROPPED. Marcus Stoinis drops Kaleemullah at short third man. It was a tough chance and he was stretching well above his head.
Kaleemullah comes out with Oman 8-117.
Oman needs 48 runs from eight balls.
That is a six every ball.
Kaleemullah hits the ball in the air, and it lands safely for two runs.
Australia is now mathematically certain to win.
Kaleemullah again lofts the ball in the air and again it lands safely for two runs.
Mehran is out.
He plays a lofted drive over Stoinis's head.
Tim David runs, takes the catch but will go over the boundary.
David tosses the ball in the air, goes over the boundary, quickly returns to the field of play, and completes the catch.
Tim David made that look easy.
Marcus Stoinis comes in for the penultimate over.
Shakeel is facing and hit two runs from the opening ball.
FOUR. A great cut shot to the boundary. It was a short and wide ball from Stoinis which was punished.
WIDE.
Shakeel gets a single and Mehran is now on strike.
Oman needs 48 from nine balls. It is almost mathematically impossible.
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch, who is now calling for the TV broadcast, has confirmed Mitchell Starc suffered from cramp.
It appears there is no other injury for Starc, which is great news for Australia.
Nathan Ellis is back into the attack.
Mehran gets a single to start the over, hitting the ball to deep mid-off.
Shakeel does the exact same thing with the next delivery.
Mehran hits Ellis over his head but just for a single.
Another single to Shakeel brings up the 100 for Oman.
SIX. Mehran rocks back and pulls Nathan Ellis for six.
WIDE. Ellis bowls well outside off. Too far outside off. It is a wide.
Mehran hits the final ball to the offside for two runs.
Josh Hazlewood comes in for his final over.
FOUR. Hazlewood bowls a short ball and is pulled for four.
A leg bye gets Shakeel on strike.
A dot ball is followed by a single.
Hazlewood's fifth delivery is short and hits Mehran in the helmet. The Oman player says he is fine, but the trainer comes out for a mandatory check.
Good news. Mehran is fine and he hits a single to finish the over.
Ayaan went for the big shot again, but he gets a top edge.
It goes to Josh Hazlewood at short square leg, and Hazlewood takes the catch.
Zampa's final deliver just misses the edge of the bat and off stump.
Adam Zampa will bowl the 16th over.
SIX. Ayaan gets on the front foot and whacks the ball over the rope. Glenn Maxwell was out there, but he was several metres in from the boundary rope. If Maxwell was on the rope, he probably would catch that.
A single for Ayaan is followed by a single from Mehran.
SIX. Ayaan goes big again. Zampa bowled a quicker delivery and Ayaan drops to one knee and whacks it over mid-wicket.
Glenn Maxwell has been thrown the ball after Starc limped off the ground.
We are hoping Starc is suffering from cramps.
Maxwell will have six deliveries, as Starc only ball was a wide.
Maxwell starts with a dot ball, followed by a pair of singles.
Matthew Wade whipped the bails off and appeals for a stumping, but Ayaan was able to ground his foot. That ball was also a wide.
Three singles end the over for Oman.
Oman are 6-75.
So the issue that Mitchell Starc has is bad enough to seek treatment.
Hopefully, it is nothing serious.
Cameron Green is on as a substitute fielder.
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