Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Cricket-Aussies' rare sweep


Mitchell Johnson starred with the ball, following a strong batting performance, as Australia completed a rare ODI series sweep in the Caribbean, when they cruised to a 169-run victory in the fifth and final ODI against West Indies on Sunday.Johnson collected five wickets for 29 runs from 7.5 overs, as Australia successfully defended a formidable target total of 342, when they dismissed West Indies for 172 in 39.5 overs.Johnson formalised the result, when he had Fidel Edwards caught at fine leg fending away a short, rising ball to send another fair-sized, strongly partisan, weekend crowd home disappointed.The victory -- Australia's largest against West Indies -- meant they became only the third team to sweep an ODI series in the Caribbean.Australia won the opening match by 84 runs in St. Vincent, the rain-affected second ODI by 63 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis Method, and the third ODI last Sunday by seven wickets in Grenada, as well as the fourth ODI last Friday by one run here.Previously, South Africa and Pakistan were the two sides that achieved ODI series sweeps in the Caribbean.They both accomplished the feat three years ago, when the Proteas won all five of their matches in a bilateral series, and the Pakistanis won all three in theirs.Australia, choosing to bat on a hard, easy-paced Warner Park pitch, had amassed 341 for eight from their allocation of 50 overs -- a record total against West Indies in an ODI.Shawn Findlay, playing in only his second ODI, was the top scorer for West Indies with 59 and long-standing fellow left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul supported with 38.Andrew Symonds top-scored with 66 from 80 balls, Luke Ronchi made a rapid-fire 64 from 28 balls to earn the Man-of-the-Match award, David Hussey led the late flourish with 52 from 21 balls, and Mike Hussey gathered 51 from 52 balls.Ramnaresh Sarwan took three wickets for 57 runs from nine overs, and Fidel Edwards captured three for 86 from nine overs to be the most successful bowlers for West Indies.The runs Edwards conceded were the most by a West Indies bowler in an ODI, three more than the 83 Corey Collymore gave away from his 10 overs against South Africa four years ago at Johannesburg.Australia then struck early, when Johnson had West Indies captain Chris Gayle caught behind for five in the second over of the home' team's chase, and the left-arm fast bowler inflicted more agony, when Ramnaresh Sarwan was caught at mid-off for seven to leave the hosts on 21 for two.Australia never allowed West Indies to get back into the groove, although Shawn Findlay, playing his second ODI, got the top score of an unbeaten 59 from 74 balls and Shivnarine Chanderpaul made 38 from 49 balls. No other West Indies batsman passed 20.Symonds completed a fine all-round game, scalping two for 23 from seven overs, and stand-in Australia captain Michael Clarke snared two for 34 from six overs.Earlier, Symonds, Ronchi, and the two Husseys built on the platform provided by openers Shaun Marsh and Shane Watson.They put on 70 before Watson, later named Man-of-the-Series, was caught at third man for 29 off Dwayne Bravo in the 13th over, and Marsh was caught behind off Edwards for 49 in the 20th over to leave Australia 129 for two.Ronchi, promoted to No. 3, showed his enterprise, when he equalled the record for the second fastest 50 in an ODI by an Australian.

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