Antigua, March 28: Australia completed a 103-run victory over West Indies on Wednesday in the opening World Cup Super Eights match which spilled into a second day after rain had stopped play.
Once again captain Brian Lara with 77 was the only player from the host team to offer any real resistance as the West Indies` batting disintegrated in a rash of undisciplined shots at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The innings finally ended on a hot, sunny afternoon, contrasting with Tuesday`s miserable conditions, when Shaun Tait bowled Daren Powell for five to end the innings at 219 with 4.3 overs to spare.
West Indies, chasing 323 to beat the defending champions, were a miserable 20 for three when Lara came to the crease with Chris Gayle (2) and Marlon Samuel (4) succumbing to catches after wild heaves.
He set about repairing the innings in partnership with Ramnaresh Sarwan, who survived a chance to Michael Hussey at mid-wicket with his score on 12, to help bring up the 50 from 19.1 overs.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting brought back his strike bowler Tait, who had generated his highest pace of the tournament with speeds in excess of 150 kilometres an hour (93 miles an hour).
Lara responded with a hook for four, followed by a sumptuous drive though the covers and then a thin edge which also sped to the boundary.
The pair had added 71 for the fourth wicket when Sarwan slapped a full toss from Hogg straight to Ponting at mid-wicket and was out for 29.
Dwayne Bravo (9) became Glenn McGrath`s third victim before Lara brought up his 63rd one-day half-century from 62 balls with seven fours.
Lara was eventually out trapped lbw to left-arm spinner Brad Hogg going down on his knees and trying to squeeze a delivery past wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
A flurry of attacking shots from wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (52) held the Australians up longer than they might have anticipated before he was caught behind off Nathan Bracken bowling left-arm cutters off his short run.
McGrath, relishing the early moisture in the pitch, finished with three for 31 from eight overs to move to within one wicket of equalling Pakistani Wasim Akram`s World Cup record of 55. Hogg captured three for 56 from 10.
Before rain intervened to stop the play for the day on Tuesday, Matthew Hayden scored his second World Cup century in a row to propel the Aussie score to 322. Australia now holds the world record for 6 successive 300-plus totals in ODIs and Hayden is now the runaway leader in the race for player of the World Cup.
Hayden, who scored the fastest century in the tournament`s history in Australia`s final group match against South Africa last Saturday, reached 158 in an innings of massive authority.
An exhibition of typically muscular belligerence by the Queensland left-hander took the holders to a daunting 322 for six after a brief interruption for rain in the first international staged at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Hayden`s innings was the highest in the World Cup by an Australian, beating Andrew Symonds`s 143 not out against Pakistan four years ago, and followed his fastest World Cup century ever versus South Africa last Saturday.
It was also his third in a row against a Test side.
In his last previous one-day international against Test opposition Hayden scored 181 not out, the highest one-day score by an Australian, against New Zealand.
Hayden, who took 18 balls to get off the mark, went on the charge in the closing overs after reaching his century from 110 deliveries.
First he targeted fast bowler Jerome Taylor in the 45th over, lofting a six over long-on, then a four over mid-off, followed by a massive heave over long-on from successive balls.
In the following over he late cut Marlon Samuels to the boundary then struck the next ball over wide long-on for a further six.
By the time he was caught on the boundary, he had faced 143 balls with 14 fours and four sixes.
After Brian Lara had won the toss and elected to field, Hayden lost Adam Gilchrist, caught behind by Denesh Ramdin off Daren Powell for seven, in the fifth over.
Hayden added 66 for the second wicket with Ricky Ponting before the captain was run out for 35 when Ramnaresh Sarwan hit the stumps with a direct throw from extra-cover at the bowler`s end.
Hayden and Michael Clarke (41) put on 98 from 16.1 overs for the third wicket with the remaining batsmen playing supporting roles to one of the great World Cup innings.
Both hosts West Indies and reigning champions Australia won all three of their matches in the group stage.
West Indies made one change from their eight-wicket win over Ireland at Sabina Park on Friday with Corey Collymore`s extra pace seeing him come in for Ian Bradshaw.
Australia were unchanged from the side that defeated South Africa by 83 runs at Warner Park on Saturday.
TEAMS
West Indies: Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Brian Lara (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Ramdin (wk), Daren Powell, Jerome Taylor, Corey Collymore
Australia: Adam Gilchrist (wk), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Hogg, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait, Glenn McGrath
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Asad Rauf (PAK); 3rd Umpire: Billy Bowden (NZL); Reserve umpire: Rudi Koertzen (RSA)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
Bureau Report
Bureau Report
