Hinds blasts WI to 3rd straight

ST GEORGE’S: Wavell Hinds lashed his second consecutive match-winning century yesterday to help the West Indies defeat Australia for the third straight match in their seventh and final one-day cricket international. The 26-year-old Hinds’ unbeaten 103 off 130 balls outshone Darren Lehmann’s fine 107 that led Australia to 247 for eight off 50 overs. Hinds gained excellent support from fellow left-handers Chris Gayle (60) and captain Brian Lara (75 not out). The home team romped to 249 for one and victory by nine wickets with six and a half overs to spare. Australia took the seven-match Cable & Wireless series 4-3 after triumphs in the first four matches carried them to a record winning streak of 21. Hinds, whose previous innings of 79 and 125 not out anchored West Indies’ earlier victories in the series, cracked six fours and three sixes.

Fellow Jamaican Gayle, following a career-best five for 46 earlier in the day, added a record 116 for the first wicket with Hinds to set the winning foundation. It was the first century opening stand for the West Indies against these opponents in 105 one-dayers. Man of the Match Gayle smashed eight boundaries off 68 balls before he was bowled by a faster ball from Andrew Symonds. But Lara and Hinds simply continued the fluent stroke-play and sent the capacity crowd of 15,000 into a frenzy. Hinds benefited from two chances of varying difficulty to Jason Gillespie. The first, when 34, was a scorching straight hit that the bowler Gillespie did well to deflect away from his head on follow through. The next one, when 76, was a skied dolly as Hinds lofted Brad Hogg to long off. By then, the result was hardly in doubt. Lara raced to his highest score of the series, becoming the 10th player to pass 8,000 runs in one-day internationals when he reached 36. Desmond Haynes (8,648) is the only other West Indian on that elite list.

The 34-year-old skipper ended the match in emphatic fashion with three consecutive sixes off Lehmann’s left-arm spin. The first one sailed over extra cover, the second over long-on and the third over long-off as the fans around the ground celebrated with typical flag-waving and dancing in the stands. Lara smacked four sixes and three fours off just 65 deliveries. Hinds, in his 75th match, passed 2,000 runs on his way to his third one-day century. He was named Man of the Series for his 352 runs (average 117.33) in five matches. Earlier, the 33-year-old Lehmann’s fourth century (10 fours, one six) in his 98th one-dayer rescued Australia from an uncertain start. The burly South Australian got solid support from Symonds (48) and left-handed all-rounder Hogg (53). Lehmann added 102 with Symonds after Australia lost both openers for 18 and skipper Ricky Ponting was forced to retire hurt at 23 for two. Ponting was struck painfully on the right hip by pacer Mervyn Dillon and only returned for the final ball of the innings with a runner.

But Lehmann, who scored the first century on this ground four years ago, rebuilt the visitors’ innings. Symonds gave Lehmann excellent support in 48 off 70 balls with four boundaries. But when Gayle claimed him for his first scalp, the innings again stumbled. Symonds was caught at deep square leg, Michael Clarke (one) was stumped by yards and Ian Harvey (four) run out by captain Lara’s direct hit. At 133 for five, Lehmann and Hogg steadied the ship and also provided the acceleration that realised 84 runs off the last 10 overs. Gayle eventually claimed Lehmann to a boundary catch among three wickets toward the end. The 23-year-old Gayle, in his 75th match, also bowled Hogg and had Brett Lee (four) caught in the deep. Hogg hit four fours off 58 balls in his second one-day half century.