Samuels has nothing to prove: Simmons

West Indies coach Phil Simmons believes Marlon Samuels has nothing left to prove following his torrid tour of Australia last summer, saying the right-hander's match-winning performance in St Kitts on Tuesday morning (AEST) wasn't motivated by his critics.

Samuels guided the Windies to a comfortable victory over Australia at Warner Park with a polished innings of 92 in the successful pursuit of 266 for victory, his first ODI half-century against Australia in more than 15 years.

Despite all the success Samuels has achieved in his 16-year international career, including match-winning performances in the 2012 and 2016 World T20 final, he's often struggled against Australia and has just seven fifties in 51 innings against the Aussies across all forms of the game.

His performances against Australia reached its lowest point during the Tests in Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney last summer, where he managed just 35 runs for the series had copped heavy criticism from his old foe Shane Warne.

But having steered the Windies to their World T20 victory in April - which Samuels memorably dedicated to the former Aussie leg-spinner - Simmons says his star batsman is no longer motivated by memories of that tour.

"The fact that he's taken us to victory in the game would be enough for him," the coach said.

"I don't think he's still worrying about what some people in Australia said. I think he answered that in the T20 World Cup final. I think he's left that there.

"I think he's happy to just score the runs and for the team to win."

Typical of Samuels' roller-coaster international career, the final four deliveries of his innings were thrilling, a little heated and frustrating all in one.

The right-hander welcomed leg-spinner Adam Zampa back into the attack with three consecutive sixes over the short straight boundary – the first caught by Australia's debutant Travis Head at long off as his momentum took him over the rope – before Samuels tucked the next ball into the leg-side and set off for a risky single.

Some smart work from wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who moved swiftly to his left turn and throw down the stumps at the bowler's end, found Samuels short of his ground and he finished just eight runs shy of a maiden century against Australia.

The Jamaican also engaged in some verbals with Wade both immediately before and after his dismissal, but said he wasn't bothered about missing out on the milestone.

"If he bowled it in the slot again I would have taken the chance, but he pushed it down the leg side," Samuels says of the fourth ball of Zampa's over.

"But the most important thing is I made 92 and the team won. It's better than making a hundred and the team lose."

Samuels was unable to explain his poor record against Australia, against whom he's averaged 20.04 in ODI cricket compared to his career mark of 34.09.

His performance in St Kitts had the record-keepers turning all the way back to the turn of the century, when he lasted posted a half-century against Australia at the MCG in February 2001.

To underline how far the game has come since that performance, Australia's captain in that match was Steve Waugh, his brother Mark hammered an Australian record of 173 and Samuels came to the crease behind Brian Lara and ahead of captain Jimmy Adams.

"I guess I've been getting a lot of runs against the rest of the teams so sometimes you just have a team that you don't score much runs against,” Samuels said.

"I made my (Test) debut against them. Hopefully after today I can continue to make plenty of runs against Australia."