HOBART, Australia, Australia, CMC – The West Indies batting collapsed again and Australia motored to their fifth win in two weeks over the Caribbean side as their two-match Twenty20 International series began yesterday.

Australia secured a 38-run triumph at Bellerive Oval where they posted 179 for eight off their 20 overs and limited the West Indies reply to 141 for eight off 20.

Pacers Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes rocked the West Indies batting and ensured an emphatic win for the Australians, who were coming off a 4-0 win in the One Day International (ODI) series.

Faced with a testing winning target of 180, the West Indies suffered the familiar top-order disintegration that has plagued them on tour this month and they crumbled rapidly to 26 for four in the fourth over.

“The start again (was bad) we faltered in that area, we lost about four quick wickets and that actually cramped us,” said West Indies captain Chris Gayle, who had been anticipating a turnaround of form in the T20s.

Man of the match Tait, fast and accurate, bowled Gayle (5) and removed Narsingh Deonarine (0) with consecutive deliveries in the second over, and the tourists declined to 14 for three in the next over when Nannes dislodged Lendl Simmons, caught at third man for five.

In form Kieron Pollard came in and lashed two boundaries but soon fell for 12, caught behind off Tait and it took a fighting half-century stand from Denesh Ramdin and Runako Morton to save the Windies from complete embarrassment after left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson removed Wavell Hinds (11) and Dwayne Smith (4), who were both caught attempting big shots.

Ramdin and Morton linked up in the 10th over with the West Indies at a perilous on 53 for six and carried the score to 126 before Ramdin was caught in the deep off Nannes for a top score of 44.

Ramdin struck seven boundaries in a 26-ball knock and Morton stroked 40 off 41 balls with three boundaries before he too fell to Nannes.

The 20-year-old Steven Smith, who took a fine catch at square leg to remove Smith, produced another superb effort on the boundary to get rid of Morton, who added 73 for the seventh wicket with Ramdin.

With victory way beyond them, Nikita Miller (11) and Darren Sammy (3) were together for West Indies at the end.

Nannes finished with three for 21 off four overs and Tait had three for 30 off four and Johnson, two for 28.

Earlier, Shane Watson and David Warner had given Australia a ripping start with an 83-run opening stand at better than 10 runs an over but West Indies stalled their momentum with three wickets in 11 balls, two for off-spinner Gayle and the other for medium pacer Dwayne Smith.

In his first over, the eighth of the match, Gayle dislodged Watson, caught behind by Ramdin, when the right-hander top-edged an attempted pull into the sky.

Watson made 37 off just 19 balls with four sixes and a four.

In the following over, Warner gave a return catch to Smith after belting 49 off 32 balls with six fours and two sixes.

The score dipped to 95 for three in the 10th over when Gayle sent back David Hussey (1) caught by Kemar Roach on the long-off boundary.

Left-arm spinner Miller, who had shared the new-ball with off-spinner Deonarine in a surprise move, combined with Pollard to claim three vital wickets in the middle-order when the rampant home side were trying pump up their run-rate.

Michael Clarke (12) was smartly caught by a diving Miller at point as the Australian captain cut at an off-stump delivery from medium pacer Pollard at 106 for four in the 13th over.

Miller then had Travis Birt stumped for 13 and Cameron White (15) caught on the long-on boundary two balls later at 129 for six in the 16th over.

Big-hitting Brad Haddin provided impetus for the Aussies, delivering a trademark shot-filled innings and was unbeaten at the end after seeing Johnson (4) give a return catch to Darren Sammy at 151 for seven in the 19th over and Dwayne Smith having Steve Smith (8) caught behind off the last ball of the innings.

Haddin finished on 37 not out off a mere 16 balls with two fours and two sixes.

Bowling for West Indies, Gayle picked up two for 15 off two overs, while Miller had two for 20 off four and Smith, two for 38 off three.

The second game in the series will be played tonight in  Sydney.