Aussies underline one-day dominance

IT WAS a perfect day for cricket. Bright sunshine and a sellout crowd had set the stage yesterday at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain for the revival of the West Indies fortunes in the current Cable & Wireless One-Day International series.

Already down 0-3 in the seven-match rubber against the world champions Australia, the home side needed desperately to pull one back to keep their hopes alive and keep the fans’ interest for the remainder of the series. Instead it was another disclipined and clinical batting and bowling performance by the visitors that set up a challenging total and kept the West Indies batsmen in check for an easy 67-run victory. Scores: AUSTRALIA 286 for five wickets (50 overs).  WEST INDIES 219.

The 21st victory on the trot by the men from Down Under in One-Day Internationals underlined their proven superiority in the shortened version of the game and highlighted the glaring deficiencies that exist in the camp of the Caribbean cricketers. For the first time in the series Australian captain Ricky Ponting called the toss correctly and decided to take first strike and his decision was justified by his batters who took advantage of a good Oval strip and an unpenetrative West Indies bowling attack. Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist hit an uncharacteristic sedate 84, which earned him the “Man of the Match” award as Australian rattled up 286 for five wickets in their 50 overs. He was well-supported by his opening partner Matthew Hayden who made 44, captain Ponting with a quickfire 38 and newcomer Michael Clarke, continuing to impress with his second consecutive half-centrury in only his third One-Day International, finishing undefeated on 55. Gilchrist, the Aussie vice-captain and wicketkeeper who shared the captaincy duties with Ponting yesterday, setting the field and encouraging the bowlers, featured in an opening stand of 78 with Hayden which blunted the opening Caribbean attack of Mervyn Dillon and Corey Collymore.

Hayden was the first to depart, caught in the deep at midwicket by West Indies debutant Ryan Hurley off the experienced Vasbert Drakes. Ponting and Gilchrist then compiled a workmanlike 70 before Ponting, trying to force the scoring along, found Hurley at the deep midwicket boundary off change bowler Ricardo Powell’s first and only over of the match. After surviving a difficult caught behind chance off Drakes when on 37, Gilchrist motored along smashing nine fours and a six in his 103-ball innings which laid the foundation for the Australian total. The left-hander was eventually comprehensively bowled by young Hurley, who was switched to the pavilion end. His two catches and the scalp of Gilchrist made his entry into international cricket a memorable one. Clarke and the Australian with Barbadian roots, Andrew Symonds added a further 23 runs for the third wicket before Symonds, who survived two chances, attempted to make room to drive and had his stumps knocked back by Collymore. But Clarke and Michael Bevan maintained the momentum of the innings and pushed the score out of the reach of the West Indies before Bevan was caught by Lara on deep cover off the last ball of the innings off Drakes for a well-played 21.

The Australians were able to post their challenging total in part through the poor outcricket in which no less than five catches were dropped in addition to Clarke being bowled by a Collymore no-ball. It was always an uphill task for the West Indies, under pressure to win and put some life back into the series but were undermined by steady bowling and sharp catching, falling for 219 in 45.3 overs. The task however was studiously undertaken by Chris Gayle and Ricardo Powell who shared an opening stand of 21 in six overs before Powell, trying to hit over the infield, lofted a catch to short midwicket which was accepted by a gleeful Ponting. West Indies vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan never settled and was trapped palpably leg before for 14. Captain Brian Lara entered to a thunderous ovation from the more than 20,000 crowd and started slowly but blossomed later in his innings of 40, even kindling a remote hope of an unlikely victory before he was out, falling to a sharp catch by Matthew Hayden off Symonds whom he had previously treated with disdain. After Lara’s demise it was a steady procession with only Marlon Samuels and Gayle taking any fight to the Australians. Gayle was out leg before to Harvey, fifth man out after facing 113 balls, hitting seven fours and a towering six in his 84. Three run-outs hastened the inevitable and it was only a matter of time before the Australians clinched the series 4-0. The fifth match is on today from 9.30 am at the Oval.