SYDNEY, Australia (CMC) — West Indies’ miserable Australian summer ended in further gloom yesterday, when they plunged to an embarrassing eight-wicket loss in the second and final Twenty20 International at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Another haphazard batting display meant the beleaguered tourists could only muster 138-7 off their 20 overs and David Warner’s blitzkrieg that yielded 67 from 29 balls formed the impetus behind Australia’s rapid response, as they sped to 142-2 off 11.4 overs.

The left-handed stroke-maker lit up the innings with the second fastest half-century ever in T20Is as he posted 99 off 46 balls for the first wicket with the in-form Shane Watson, who required just 33 balls for his unbeaten 62.

It meant West Indies finished the tour winless following their 4-0 loss in the preceding five-match one-day series and their 38-run defeat in the opening T20I in Hobart on Sunday.

The outcome was never really in doubt after West Indies lost their talismanic captain Chris Gayle cheaply for 12 as they slipped to 51-4 in the ninth over, and once Warner pounced on fast bowler Kemar Roach to smash three sixes in the opening over, the death knell had sounded.

Languishing at 98-7 in the 17th over, West Indies needed a feisty, unbroken, eighth-wicket stand of 40 off 21 balls between Narsingh Deonarine and Darren Sammy, to reach their eventual total.

The left-handed Deonarine cracked 36 off 29 balls with four fours while Sammy blasted sixes off the last two balls of the innings to finish on 26 from 11 balls.

Their effort saved the side some embarrassment, after they won the toss and opted to bat first on a decent strip.

After a quiet start, the innings came to life when Gayle whipped the second ball of the third over from pacer Ryan Harris over mid-wicket for four and then deposited the next delivery 10 rows back over square leg for six.

These ominous signs quickly vanished as Gayle, attempting another big hit off the fourth delivery, top edged a simple catch to Steve Smith at third man at 26-1.

Two balls later, Runako Morton completed a miserable tour when he edged the first ball he faced to Cameron White at second slip, to give Harris his second wicket of the over.

Opener Travis Dowlin, whose 31 needed 32 balls, partnered with Kieron Pollard in adding a painful 23 from 24 balls for the third wicket as the Aussies tightened their grip.

The big-hitting Pollard never really found his groove and his nine-ball labour over five ended when he missed a slog at a straight ball from medium pacer Watson and was bowled at 50 for three at the end of the eighth over.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (Max: 20 overs)

*C Gayle c Smith b Harris 12

T Dowlin c Smith b Christian 31

R Morton c White b Harris 0

K Pollard b Watson 5

W Hinds run out 0

D Smith c Warner b Christian 8

N Deonarine not out 36

+D Ramdin c Warner b Tait 9

D Sammy not out 26

Extras (lb5, w6) 11

TOTAL (7 wkts, 20 overs) 138

Did not bat: N Miller, K Roach.

Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Gayle, 3.4 overs), 2-27 (Morton, 4), 3-50 (Pollard, 8), 4-51 (Hinds, 8.3), 5-63 (Dowlin, 10.5), 6-77 (Smith, 12.1), 7-98 (Ramdin, 16.3).

Bowling: Tait 4-0-27-1 (w3), Harris 4-0-27-2 (w1), Johnson 4-0-22-0 (w1), Watson 3-0-15-1, Christian 4-0-29-2, Smith 1-0-13-0.

AUSTRALIA (target: 139 off 20 overs)

S Watson not out 62

D Warner c Pollard b Miller 67

+B Haddin c Morton b Miller 6

D Christian not out 4

Extras (w3) 3

TOTAL (2 wkts, 11.4 overs) 142

Did not bat: *M Clarke, D Hussey, C White, M Johnson, S Smith, R Harris, S Tait.

Fall of wickets: 1-99 (Warner, 7.4 overs), 2-138 (Haddin, 11.2)

Bowling: Roach 2-0-33-0 (w1), Sammy 1-0-14-0 (w1), Smith 1-0-9-0 (w1), Deonarine 2-0-18-0, Miller 3.4-0-56-2, Pollard 2-0-12-0.

Result: Australia won by eight wickets.

Series: Australia win two-match series 2-0.

Man-of-the-Match: David Warner.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: B Oxenford, R Tucker

TV – P Reiffel.