Tournament co-hosts West Indies, spearheaded by blistering half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell, made a statement ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, hammering an undermanned Australia by 35 runs in their lone warm-up game at the Queens Park Oval in Trinidad.

Inserted to bat by the Aussies – who for the second game in a row fielded a team with just 9 players and coaches for substitute fielders – the Windies piled up a daunting 257 for 4 from their allotted 20 overs, despite losing opener Shai Hope for 14 in the third over and with 38 runs on the board.

Local favourite Pooran was the star of the show with a superb 75 off just 25 balls, a brutal knock that included 5 fours and 8 sixes.

After blasting his first three legal deliveries for six, Pooran brought up his half-century in just 16 balls while sharing in a second wicket stand of 90 with Johnson Charles who cracked 6 fours on his way to 40 off 31 balls.

Captain Rovman Powell hit four sixes as he belted 52 off 25, while Sherfane Rutherford matched Pooran’s clean hitting with a late cameo of 47no from 18. Shimron Hetmyer was left on 18.

All of Australia’s bowlers felt the wrath of the West Indies’ top-order, with first-choice spinner Adam Zampa conceding 62 runs from his four overs while picking up two wickets.

Australia put up a decent show in reply despite missing a host of key players, with Josh Inglis (55), Nathan Ellis (39) and Ashton Agar (28) looking the most dangerous in what was always going to be a difficult chase as the 2021 T20 World Cup winners finished with 222/7 in their final warm-up fixture.

Spinner Gudakesh Motie (2/31) and tall pacer Alzarri Joseph (2/44) picking up a pair of wickets each for the hosts.

Josh inglis top-scored with 55 while nathan ellis added some respectability to their total scoring 39 off 22 balls in a 51-run seventh-wicket stand with zampa who finished not out on 21.

Alzarri joseph 2 for 44 and gudakesh motie 2 for 31 were the pick of the windies bowlers.

West Indies now turn their attention to their World Cup opener against Group C rivals Papua New Guinea in Guyana on Sunday.

The Aussies face Oman in their Group B opener in Barbados on June 6.