West Indies successfully chased 273 for a nervous three-wicket win over Australia, despite a hundred from Mike Hussey in the fourth match of the three-nation One-day International series yesterday at the Kinrara Academy Oval.
Half-centuries from captain Brian Lara and opener Chris Gayle laid the foundation for the West Indies’ victory with 16 balls spare, and catapulted them to the top of the standings with nine points, which virtually assured them a place in the Final on Sunday.
Lara hit 11 fours and one six in 87 from 80 balls. He added 151 for the third wicket with fellow left-hander Gayle, whose 79 from 93 deliveries contained seven fours and three sixes.
Lara’s dismissal in the 41st over triggered a mini collapse, however. West Indies slipped from the comfort of 242 for three to 255 for seven in the 44th over, before Dwayne Bravo and Carlton Baugh, Jr, steered them to safe harbour.
Bravo struck the winning run, when he drove Andrew Symonds to mid-on for a single and was not out on 37, but Baugh’s lofted drive over cover off Symonds in the 46th over for his only boundary had eased the pressure.
Brett Lee was the most successful Australian bowler with three wickets for 46 runs from his allotment of ten overs.
Hussey, one of seven changes to the Australian side for the match, and leading the side in place of the resting Ricky Ponting, led a recovery for the World champions with his highest ODI score and maiden ODI hundred of 109 not out.
Hussey hit ten fours and three sixes from 90 balls, as Australia, choosing to bat, reached 272 for six from their 50 overs.
He added 166 for the sixth wicket with Brad Haddin, whose 70 off 76 balls contained three fours and four sixes, as Australia recovered from 104 for five in the 26th over.
Ian Bradshaw was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with two for 35 from 10 overs, and Bravo took two for 52 from nine overs.
West Indies suffered a setback in the fifth over, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was dubiously caught behind off Lee for a ten-ball duck.
TV replays clearly showed that umpire Asad Rauf's decision was incorrect, since the ball deviated off the top of the left-hander’s pad.
Ramnaresh Sarwan joined Gayle and he was just beginning to put his foot down on the accelerator following a couple of sweetly-timed off-drives for boundaries off Nathan Bracken, who had him caught behind for 25 in the 12th over.
West Indies were 44 for two, but Lara came to the wicket and knuckled down, and an imperious straight drive off Bracken for his second boundary signalled he meant business.
Hussey persisted with Stuart Clark, and Gayle and Lara took full toll of his bowling to leave him nursing the unflattering figures of none for 87 from seven overs.
A pull shot from Gayle off Clarke for six had disdain written all over it, and he was eyeing a hundred, when he pulled a short, rising delivery from Shane Watson and was caught mid-wicket in the 32nd over.
Lara continued to position West Indies for victory, but he was caught at slip off Lee in the 41st over, and the next 20 balls were a blur.
Wavell Hinds was caught behind off Lee for one driving loosely in the 43rd over, two balls later, Marlon Samuel was run out for a nine-ball duck looking to steal a single to backward point fielder Michael Clarke, and Dwayne Smith was bowled by Symonds for four in the 44th over, deceived by a slower ball.
Earlier, Matthew Hayden, playing his first ODI in over a year, held the first half of the Australia innings together with 49 from 77 balls that included five fours.
He and fellow left-hander Simon Katich put on 41 for the first wicket until Ian Bradshaw provided the breakthrough with a slick bit of fielding on the mid-wicket boundary.
A surprisingly strong, but accurate throw to ‘keeper Baugh produced the run out of Katich for 22.
Watson followed in the next over caught at mid-wicket off Jerome Taylor for a seven-ball duck, Symonds was caught at cover off Bradshaw for eight in the 16th over, and Clarke was caught at short third man for one to leave Australia 64 for four in the 18th over.
Hayden was joined by Hussey and they carried Australia past 100, before the opener was caught at backward point, leaving Hussey and Haddin to engineer the salvage operation.
Australia brought in Hussey, Hayden, Katich, Symonds, Dan Cullen, Lee, and Bracken for regular captain Ponting, Phil Jaques, Damien Martyn, Mark Cosgrove, Brad Hogg, Glenn McGrath, and Mitchell Johnson.
West Indies showed one change, replacing Fidel Edwards with Samuels.
West Indies top the standings with nine points with one match in hand, Australia are second on seven with one match to play, and India are last on two with two matches in hand.
Australia won the opening match over West Indies last Tuesday by 77 runs; West Indies beat India last Thursday by 29 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis Method; and the third match between Australia and India ended in a no-result because of rain.
Standings
Points standings, results, and remaining matches in the three-nation One-day International series after yesterday's match:
West Indies 9 points
Australia 7
India 2
Results/remaining matches:
September 12—Australia beat West Indies
by 78 runs.
September. 14—West Indies beat India by 29 runs
(D/L Method)
September 16—No result between India and
Australia
September 18—West Indies beat Australia by three wickets.
September 20—India vs West Indies.
September 22—Australia vs India.
September 24—The Final.
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