PERTH, Australia, CMC – In Chris Gayle’s absence, opener Shaun Marsh slammed the first century of the Twenty20 Big Bash to catapult struggling Western Australia to a comprehensive 127-run victory over New South Wales in a must-win encounter at the WACA yesterday.

Gayle was ruled out of the game with his troublesome side pull but it proved of little consequence as his usual opening partner Marsh belted an unbeaten 108 from 58 balls to lay the platform for Western Australia’s win that kept them in the competition.

The 26-year-old left-hander blasted six fours and six sixes and posted 168 off 108 for the first wicket with Gayle’s replacement Wes Robinson whose 54 came from 55 balls and included three fours.

All NSW’s bowlers struggled, including out-of-favour West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Smith whose three overs went for 39 runs.

In his turn at the crease, Smith was run out for three as the Blues crashed to 71 all out. Medium pacer Mitchell Marsh, Shaun’s 18-year-old brother, snatched four wickets for six runs from 14 balls to helped accelerate the demise of the innings.

Right-armer Brad Knowles (2-15) and left-arm spinner Aaron Heal (2-13) had earlier started the rout when they shared two wickets apiece.

Gayle was ruled out of the second successive game after failing to recover from a muscle pull he sustained in Western Australia’s 29-run defeat to South Australia in the opening match of the tournament last week.