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PORT-OF-SPAIN (Trinidad), May 26: West Indies ended Australia’s record 21-match unbeaten run in One-day Internationals on Sunday with a 39-run victory in the fifth of seven matches (partly reported in Monday’s edition).
Australia had already taken an unbeatable 4-0 lead in the series before this game.
A plucky 77 by Andy Symonds helped Australia to 251 for nine but it was not enough to enable the world champions to overhaul West Indies’ 290 for five from their 50 overs.
“I was a bit disappointed to see (the winning run) end, but the more I think about the more unbelievable I think it is,” said Australia skipper Ricky Ponting.
“I’m really proud and happy with what the players have done and how they have gone about it. I’d like to think that it is a record that will stand for a very long time.”
West Indies enjoyed an early breakthrough when pace bowler Cory Collymore took two early wickets. Adam Gilchrist (11) pulled a shot high to the mid-wicket boundary where Wavell Hinds took a high catch before Ryan Hurley at long on dropped an attempted pull by Jimmy Maher.
Hurley took a far more difficult catch to dismiss Maher (21) from another Collymore delivery but injured a shoulder his left shoulder in the process and was forced to leave the field.
Ponting managed only 10 before pulling a Mervyn Dillon delivery for Hinds to take another catch, reducing Australia to 57 for three. Michael Clarke and Symonds stiffened the Australian resistance with a 92-run stand.
West Indies’ skipper Brian Lara used his spinners to good effect, including the surprise choice of Ramnaresh Sarwan who took one for 53 from his 10 overs, bowling leg-spin from around the wicket. Clarke (39) was dismissed when his pull attempt from Dillon flew into Lara’s hands.
Lara’s stylish 80 was the highlight of a competitive West Indies’ total.
The left hander batted at number three to bring stability to a shaky upper order and shared a crucial 178-run partnership with opener Hinds.
“We met and exceeded all our targets today....to beat such a great team is very very special,” said Lara. “What they have achieved is historic. All cricket aficionados will remember that for a very long time.”
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES:
C.H. Gayle lbw b Lee 5
W.W. Hinds c Gilchrist b Bichel 79
B.C. Lara c Gilchrist b Bichel 80
R.R. Sarwan c Gilchrist b Lee 32
M.N. Samuels lbw b Lee 42
R.L. Powell not out 20
R.D. Jacobs not out 7
EXTRAS (B-2, LB-10, W-12, NB-1) 25
TOTAL (for five wkts, 50 overs) 290
FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-183, 3-192, 4-263, 5-264.
DID NOT BAT: R.O. Hurley, D.E. Bernard, M. Dillon, C.D. Collymore.
BOWLING: McGrath 10-0-46-0 (3w); Lee 10-2-56-3 (2nb, 1w); Harvey 10-1-46-0; Bichel 10-0-67-2; Hautitz 6-0-38-0 (1w); Clarke 4-0-25-0.
AUSTRALIA:
A.C. Gilchrist c Hinds b Collymore 11
J.P. Maher c Hurley b Collymore 21
R.T. Ponting c Hinds b Dillon 10
A. Symonds b Samuels 77
M.J. Clarke c Lara b Dillon 39
M.G. Bevan c Samuels b Dillon 31
I.J. Harvey b Gayle 2
A.J. Bichel b Samuels 7
B. Lee c Gayle b Sarwan 6
N.M. Hauritz not out 20
G.D. McGrath not out 3
EXTRAS (LB-15, W-8, NB-1) 24
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 251
FALL OF WKTS: 1-18, 2-43, 3-57, 4-149, 5-182, 6-189, 7-202, 8-219, 9-229.
BOWLING: Collymore 8-0-25-2 (1nb, 1w); Dillon 9-0-40-3; Hinds 1-0-3-0; Powell 1-0-8-0 (1w); Gayle 10-0-44-1; Sarwan 10-0-53-1 (5w); Samuels 10-0-48-2 (1w); Lara 1-0-15-0.
RESULT: West Indies won by 39 runs. Australia lead series 4-1.
UMPIRES: B. Doctrove (West Indies) and R.E. Koertzen (South Africa).
TV UMPIRE: E.A. Nicholls (West Indies).
MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Brian Lara.
FIRST MATCH: Kingston, Australia won by two runs.
SECOND MATCH: Kingston, Australia won by eight wickets.
THIRD MATCH: Castries, Australia won by 25 runs.
FOURTH MATCH: Australia won by 67 runs.
SIXTH MATCH: St George’s (Grenada) on Friday.
SEVENTH MATCH: St George’s (Grenada) on Sunday.—Reuters
