BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel’s pacy spell against Australia on Tuesday night did not go unnoticed by West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons.

On his One Day International debut, the Trinidadian bowled with sustained space to trouble the Aussie batsmen as he finished with one for 43 from his nine overs, in the eighth game of the Tri-Nations Series.

“I think the confidence [of the team] is there. I think everybody seems to be doing what is necessary,” Simmons told reporters here.

“We didn’t start very well with the ball. I think Jason (Holder) had two overs for [22 runs] before he went off… but another good thing we can take from [this game] is how Shannon bowled on his debut.

“To have somebody in the 150s (kph) so regularly, it’s great to see.”

Gabriel grabbed the opportunity after selectors reduced the squad from 14 to 13 players and axed front-line seamer Jerome Taylor for the Barbados leg.

He was lively up front with the new ball, knocking over opener Usman Khawaja for 17 in the sixth over to leave Australia on 35 for two, as West Indies threatened after posting 282 for eight at Kensington Oval.

However, half-centuries from Mitchell Marsh, who scored an unbeaten 79, and from Captain Steve Smith, 78, propelled the world champions to a six-wicket win in the penultimate over.

Simmons said the effort from Gabriel was symptomatic of the attitude he was seeing from the squad.

“Everyone has put their hand up at some point in time,” Simmons said. “A few still have to come to the party, but most of the guys have put their hands up and said ‘look, we want to go up the table with you’, so it’s great to see.”

West Indies will face South Africa in the final preliminary-round match on Friday, with the winner clinching a place in Sunday’s final against Australia.