Australia thrash West Indies

Australia thrashed the West Indies by 134 runs on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three limited-overs series finals.

Steve Waugh's Australians stretched their unbeaten run this summer to nine matches with a victory that was as predictable as it was easy.

Sent into bat, the Australians racked up a routine score of 253 for nine from their allotted 50 overs and then destroyed the West Indies fragile batting lineup for just 119 in the 38th over.

The tourists, who have not beaten Australia since they arrived here in October last year, had a glimmer of hope during the Australian innings but once again failed to make the most of their chances.

They had the home team at 179-6 only to let them off the hook and reach 253-9, and threw away any hope of winning when they lost openers Daren Ganga and Ridley Jacobs before a single run had been scored.

And when Brian Lara went for 35 with the total on 58, it was as good as over as the remaining order folded with little resistance.

West Indies were set 254 to win after all-rounder Ian Harvey propped up the Australian tail with a dashing 47 not out.

Australian opener Adam Gilchrist had previously made a brisk 44 before he was run out attempting a cheeky second run.

Ricky Ponting hooked Cameron Cuffy for six to get off the mark then whacked spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo for six before his luck ran out and he was caught by Sylvester Joseph at deep backward square leg for 33.

DEFIANT

Australian captain Steve Waugh made a typically defiant 38 and Michael Bevan chipped in with 23 before both were caught by wicketkeeper Jacobs, who finished with four catches.

But man of the match Harvey came to the rescue with his unbeaten 47 off just 33 balls that featured two fours and a six.

Needing to score at better than five runs an over, West Indies's chances of winning evaporated in the blink of an eye when Damien Fleming had Jacobs caught behind for a duck and Glenn McGrath trapped Ganga lbw for nought in a dubious decision.

Lara and Marlon Samuels added 58 for the third wicket but, once Fleming found the outside edge of Lara's bat and Gilchrist held the catch, the game was as good as over.

Samuels was run out for 24 as West Indies lost six wickets for 23 runs, before Australian spinners Andrew Symonds and Shane Warne mopped up the tail.

The second match of the best-of-three series will be in Melbourne on Friday. If required, a third match will also be played in Melbourne on Sunday.

Scoreboard

Australia

M.Waugh c Lara b Cuffy 10
A.Gilchrist run out 44
R.Ponting c Joseph b Nagamootoo 33
M.Bevan c Jacobs b Williams 23
S.Waugh c Jacobs b Williams 38
D.Martyn run out 18
A.Symonds c Jacobs b McLean 8
I.Harvey not out 47
S.Warne c Jacobs b Cuffy 7
D.Fleming c Nagamootoo b Samuels 14
G.McGrath not out 1
Extras (lb-5, w-5) 10
Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 253
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-72, 3-111, 4-137, 5-168, 6-179, 7-199, 8-219, 9-242
Bowling: McLean 10-0-47-1 (w-1), Cuffy 10-1-45-2, Williams 10-0-55-2 (w-1), Nagamootoo 10-0-55-1 (w-1), Samuels 10-0-46-1 (w-2)

West Indies

R.Jacobs c Gilchrist b Fleming 0
D.Ganga lbw McGrath 0
B.Lara c Gilchrist b Fleming 35
M.Samuels run out 24
J.Adams c Gilchrist b Harvey 9
R.Powell lbw Harvey 3
L.Williams c Ponting b McGrath 1
M.Nagamootoo c Warne b Symonds 8
S.Joseph c and b Warne 18
N.McLean c Martyn b Symonds 0
C.Cuffy not out 0
Extras (b5, lb4, 11w 1nb) 21
Total (all out, 37.2 overs) 119
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-58, 4-74, 5-74, 6-77, 7-81, 8-102, 9-103, 10-119
Bowling: McGrath 10-4-25-2, Fleming 7-2-34-2 (nb-1 w-2), Warne 9.2-1-28-1 (w-2), Harvey 6-2-5-2 (w-1), Symonds 5-0-18-2(w-6).

Result: Australia won by 134 runs.

Man of the match: Ian Harvey (Australia)

Second final: Friday, February 9, Melbourne (day/night)

Mail Cricket Editor