Windies ends World Cup champs win streak
Stabroek News
May 26, 2003
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,(Reuters) - West Indies ended Australia's 21-match unbeaten run in one-day internationals yesterday with a 39-run victory in the fifth of seven matches.
Australia had already taken an unbeatable 4-0 lead in the series.
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.
West Indies' hopes soared 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 hurt a finger in the process and was forced to leave the field.
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting managed only 10 runs before pulling a Mervyn Dillon delivery for Hinds to take another catch, reducing Australia to 57 for three.
Michael Clarke and Andy 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.
In a rare lapse of concentration Symonds chopped a Marlon Samuels delivery onto his stumps to end an efficient innings.
STYLISH LARA
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 Wavell Hinds.
He barely had time to pad up after winning the toss when opener Chris Gayle (5) was trapped LBW by an inswinging delivery from fast bowler Brett Lee.
Lara played himself in against some hostile pace bowling by Lee and Glenn McGrath and began to stroke the ball around the Queen's Park Oval with ease.
Hinds's powerful drives provided a pleasing contrast to Lara's deft strokes. The opener hit eight boundaries and crashed two mighty sixes into the stands to push up the West Indies' run rate. He had scored 79 when an Andy Bichel delivery carried to wicket keeper Gilchrist.
After striking 10 boundaries, Lara paid the price for swinging wildly at three successive deliveries as Bichel got the edge to give Gilchrist another catch.
Sarwan (32) and Samuels (42) took advantage as Lee and McGrath began to tire before Lee rallied to dismiss both batsmen.
First Sarwan edged a delivery behind to Gilchrist then two balls later a Lee yorker to Samuels's right toe won him an lbw decision.
Australia rested Matthew Hayden, Brad Hogg and Jason Gillespie for the fifth game of the series, bringing in Maher, Nathan Hauritz and Bichel.
