MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – West Indies spilled a flurry of catches and batted poorly as rampant Australia marched to a 4-0 series triumph after a massive 125-run victory in the fifth and final One-day International (ODI) yesterday.
Electing to bat at the MCG, Australia piled up a challenging 324 for five off their 50 overs and West Indies delivered a tame reply of 199 all out in 36.5 overs.
Entering the match trailing 0-3 and already beaten in the series, West Indies dropped five catches and the continuation of their mediocre batting form on the tour allowed Australia another handsome win, led mainly by their captain Ricky Ponting, James Hopes and pacer Doug Bollinger.
“It’s been very tough, we got hammered right throughout the series,” West Indies captain Chris Gayle said.
The two teams will now play a pair of Twenty20 Internationals in Hobart (Sunday) and Sydney (Tuesday).
Needing to post their highest ever successful ODI run chase for a victory, West Indies made a tragic start in search of 325 runs and plunged rapidly to 19 for three in the fourth over.
They lost Travis Dowlin leg before wicket for a “duck” in the first over to Bollinger.
It became 17 for two in the third over when Gayle, immediately after slicing consecutive top-edged sixes off Bollinger, fell to the left-arm pacer for the fourth time in the series.
The West Indies captain popped a catch to Michael Clarke at short cover and two runs later Narsingh Deonarine was bowled off the inside edge for four, attacking Bollinger’s new-ball partner Ryan Harris.
The score dipped to 39 for four in the 10th over when Wavell Hinds (5) tried to pull a short delivery from Harris that rushed onto him and lobbed an easy catch for the 20-year-old debutant Steven Smith running around to mid-wicket.
Although unable to attain the required run-rate, West Indies briefly steadied their innings when Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons added 41 in a fifth-wicket stand that ended when Pollard was caught by Smith on the square leg boundary off Adam Voges.
Pollard, the West Indies’ top-scorer in the series, stroked 45 off 51 balls with four fours and two sixes before departing at 80 for five in the 18th over.
The reigning World Cup champions marched closer to victory when they delivered two quick blows to dislodge Dwayne Smith (21) and Simmons (29).
Smith was run out at 118 for six by Michael Clarke’s direct hit from cover where the fielder also clutched a fiercely hit shot from Simmons six runs later.
Ramdin (3) was adjudged lbw, giving leg-spinner Smith his first ODI wicket at 135 for eight in the 27th over.
Darren Sammy and Nikita Miller produced a late-innings flurry that delayed the inevitable.
Miller stroked 22 off 20 balls and added 55 for the ninth wicket with Sammy, who was 47 not out off 41 balls when Ravi Rampaul (4) was stumped, bringing the lopsided fixture to an end.
Earlier, Ponting top-scored with 61 and led three batsmen getting half centuries against a woeful West Indies effort in the field.
The fourth over was fortuitous for Brad Haddin as he was dropped twice — Travis Dowlin spilling a straightforward chance at second slip and Smith failing to clutch a sharp return catch two balls later.
Shane Watson also had a life on 29 when he flicked a delivery from Smith to backward square leg. Rampaul got both hands to the ball in a diving effort but could not hold on and the opening pair soon brought up a brisk fifty partnership off 50 balls.
The athletic Smith took a fine running catch at deep mid-wicket to dislodge Watson two balls after he had clobbered Sammy for the maximum over the mid-wicket boundary.
Watson fell at 81 for one for a run-a-ball 51 that included three fours and three sixes and Haddin (32) followed seven runs later, bowled off the bottom edge as he tried to pull a delivery from Pollard from outside his off-stump.
West Indies let another crucial opportunity slip in the 30th over when Deonarine dropped Ponting as the Australian skipper – on 48 – swept left-arm spinner Miller to square leg.
Ponting reached fifty off 48 balls but departed soon after for 61 off 55 balls, caught behind — off Pollard — by Ramdin tumbling to his right.
Ponting had brought up a hundred partnership off 95 balls with Clarke, who scored 47 off 58 balls before lofting a high catch off Rampaul to mid-on where Deonarine ran around to grab a juggling catch.
Rampaul bowled a superb 43rd over — when the batting power-play was taken – that included the wicket of Cameron White, caught down the leg side by Ramdin for 22 at 242 for five.
Hopes profited from Wavell Hinds botching an easy catch on the long-on boundary and belted a booming 19 off Rampaul’s last over en route to a terrific 26-ball 57 not out, laced with 10 boundaries.
Adam Voges played his part in the home side’s late innings bludgeoning of the West Indies attack, stroking an unbeaten 45 off 36 balls while posting an 82-run sixth-wicket stand in just 7.1 overs with Hopes.
Pollard was the best of the bowlers with two for 59 off nine overs, while Rampaul claimed two for 68 and Sammy, one for 51.
West Indies curiously retained the same side that lost in Brisbane although strike bowler Kemar Roach was passed fit after an ankle injury.
