15 January 2005	Saturday	04 Zilhaj 1425

MELBOURNE, Jan 14: Damien Martyn's 95 not out and a five-wicket haul from spinner Brad Hogg helped Australia crush West Indies by 116 runs in the opening match of the triangular limited-overs series on Friday.

World champions Australia smashed 301 for four including half-centuries from Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting before West Indies were dismissed for 185 in 46.2 overs.

Pace man Brett Lee (three for 36) put Australia firmly in control, removing Chris Gayle (0), Ramnaresh Sarwan (four) and Xavier Marshall (five) to peg back West Indies at 33 for four in the seventh over.

Captain Brian Lara (58) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (46) rebuilt the innings with a 98-run partnership before the pair fell to left-arm spinner Hogg, who took a career-best five for 32 to win the man of the match award.

Hogg said the talk from team mates this week of a possible comeback to one-day international cricket by Shane Warne for the 2007 World Cup had not inspired him. "I wouldn't say that. I can only do what I can do out there," the 33-year-old Hogg said.

"If Warney comes back...it would just be a great honour to bowl with the greatest leg spinner the world's ever seen." Ponting said he was thrilled with Hogg's effort and Lee's performance with the new ball.

"He's known that he's been bowling well and bowling fast and he's just been starved of opportunities," Ponting said of Lee. He added that pace man Jason Gillespie had left the field with a slight calf muscle injury after bowling eight overs and faces a fitness test for Sunday's game with Pakistan in Hobart.

A disappointed Lara said the tourists had failed to grasp "half-chances" in the field and batted poorly. "Our top order has got to be still batting after 30 or 40 overs and to be four down before 15 overs is always going to put pressure on the remaining batsmen."

Martyn, who hit six fours and one six in his 93-ball innings, continued the stunning form he showed in 2004 when he hit six test centuries. Clarke hit 66 and Australia captain Ponting also cashed in on the touring side's poor fielding, blasting 78 including five fours and one six.

Clarke, promoted to the top of the order after Matthew Hayden was rested, shared a 115-run stand with Ponting for the second wicket. Andrew Symonds made 20 and Darren Lehmann (20 not out) brought the Melbourne Cricket Ground crowd of 51,453 to their feet with a boundary off the final ball to lift the total over 300.

Unable to break into Australia's test X1 for their last three series, Lee trapped Gayle lbw from the third ball of West Indies' innings. Wavell Hinds was run out for five before Lee had Sarwan and 18-year-old debutant Marshall caught behind fending off short balls.

Hogg claimed the key wicket of Lara caught at cover and in his next over he caught and bowled Chanderpaul to kill off the West Indies challenge at 136 for six.

SCOREBOARD



AUSTRALIA 



A.Gilchrist c Bravo b Bradshaw            0 



M.Clarke b Samuels                        66 



R.Ponting run out                         78 



D.Martyn not out                          95 



A.Symonds c Gayle b Bradshaw              20 



D.Lehmann not out                         20 



Extras (b-2 lb-5 w-11 nb-4)               22 



Total (for four wkts, 50 overs)           301



Fall of wkts: 1-4 2-119 3-207 4-254



Did not bat: S.Watson, B.Hogg, B.Lee, J.Gillespie, M.Kasprowicz



Bowling: Bradshaw 10-1-46-2 (w-1), Dillon 8-0-69-0 (nb-4), 
Samuels 10-0-45-1 (w-2), W.Hinds 3-0-20-0, Gayle 3-0-21-0, 
Sarwan 8-0-49-0 (w-6), Bravo 8-0-44-0 (w-2).



WEST INDIES 



C.Gayle lbw b Lee                         0 



W.Hinds run out                           5 



R.Sarwan c Gilchrist b Lee                4 



B.Lara c Symonds b Hogg                   58 



X.Marshall c Gilchrist b Lee              5 



S.Chanderpaul c and b Hogg                46 



M.Samuels c and b Hogg                    9 



D.Bravo c Gilchrist b Hogg                3 



C.Browne not out                          20 



I.Bradshaw c Clarke b Hogg                12 



M.Dillon c Ponting b Kasprowicz           6 



Extras (b-1 lb-13 w-3)                    17 



Total (all out, 46.2 overs)               185



Fall of wkts: 1-0 2-17 3-21 4-33 5-131 6-136 7-143 8-144 9-167



Bowling: Lee 10-1-36-3, Gillespie 8-0-29-0 (w-2), 
Kasprowicz 6.2-0-26-1 (w-1), Watson 7-0-37-0, 
Hogg 10-0-32-5, Symonds 5-0-11-0.



NEXT GAME:  Australia v Pakistan, Jan 16, Hobart. -Agencies