West Indies crash to 51-run defeat

HOBART: West Indies collapsed to a 51-run defeat against Australia ‘A’ after losing their last seven wickets for a mere 34 runs in the second weekend limited overs match between the two teams at the Bellerive Oval yesterday. Sent to bat, Australia ‘A’ totalled 243 for nine wickets off their 50 overs, and West Indies, in spite of a steady 59-run opening stand between the left-handers Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds, fell for 192 in 43 overs, giving the Australian reserves a share of the two-match series. The tourists were without their captain Brian Lara, who had smashed a magnificent 116 in Saturday’s four-wicket win over the same opposition here. Australia ‘A’ had slipped perilously to 84 for five in the 18th over after pacers Merv Dillon, Reon King, Pedro Collins and Dwayne Bravo had rocked their top-order.

Among those wickets was that of number-three batsman Brad Hodge, who fell — against Dillon — to a spectacular catch by the 18-year-old Xavier Marshall at backward point. But Michael Hussey topscored with 70 as he and Cameron White (59) revived the innings to a competitive score. King was expensive but finished as the chief wicket-taker, capturing three for 61 off 10 overs, while Bravo bagged two for 31 off six overs, and Dillon, two for 53 off 10. Set 244 to win, West Indies started well as Hinds top scored with 53 off 86 balls with six boundaries and Gayle lashed a compelling 43 off only 33 balls with six fours and one six.

Hinds was adjudged leg before wicket to James Hopes to make the score 115 for three in the 25th over, although the ball appeared to have pitched outside the left hander’s leg stump. Ramnaresh Sarwan (35) and Marlon Samuels (31) were the next highest scorers, while stand-in captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul (three) and Bravo (five) counted among the low-scorers in the batting disintegration. Brett Lee (2/35) and Nathan Hauritz (2/49) led the Australia ‘A’ bowling.