Australia Tie ODI Series

Brett Lee took 3-42

Australia won the final match of the ODI series with the West Indies to tie the series 2-2 but not before they were given a nasty scare in the last third of the match.

Batting first, the Australians were hardly bothered reaching 2-193 in the 37th over, with Shane Watson, Dave Warner and Peter Forest all making half centuries but they lost their way, losing the last 8 wickets for just 88. Again, it was a change to the batting order which may have been the cause, with Brett Lee sent in to pitch hit when George Bailey was dismissed. It was a strange decision, not withstanding Lee's efforts in the fourth match and one which highlighted Watson's lack of experience. With two ODI specialists in Mike and David Hussey and the fire power of Matthew Wade, there seemed no reason for the change at a time when Australia was scoring at 5.2 an over. Sunil Narine removed Lee quickly and an inspired performance by Andre Russell bought the West Indies back into the game. He got Mike Hussey with a clever slower delivery and then next ball, bowled a fast lifter which brother David edged behind. Not only that but the big man threw himself about the field with great athleticism and with Darren Bravo, who held two very good catches, inspired his team mates. Wade was out in the last over hitting but Australia looked at least 20 short of what they should have scored.

Lee got back to doing what he's picked for, knee-capping the West Indies innings in his first four over spell. Removing Johnson Charles in his first over and Marlon Samuels in his second, he started with three maidens and suddenly that target had those extra runs back on it. It continued from their with both Bravo's gone cheaply toClint McKay and Watson, followed by Adrian Barath who had provided the bulk of the scoring. The little man is a fine player off the back foot, venturing deep into his batting crease by the point of delivery and he plays the horizontal back foot shots with power and efficiency but he is no position to come forward, often hitting in the air in ODI cricket down the ground. Doherty fooled him with a ball that was fuller and wider and coming forward he aimed a big off drive but wasn't to the ball and donked it straight up in the air to George Bailey at mid on. When Carlton Baugh (Lee) and Keiran Pollard (Watson) followed in the 29th and 32nd overs, the West Indies had slumped to 7-118 and it was just a matter of cleaning up.

Darren Sammy 84 ff 50
with six 4's & six 6's

No one told the West Indies captain, Darren Sammy. An extensive hitter of either colour of cricket ball, he launched an attack on the Australians which saw his fifty raised in just twenty deliveries, equally his own record for the fastest by a West Indian in ODI's. He hit clean and long but he was aided by some dumb cricket by the Australians. The standard for stupidity had been set with the Baugh dismissal. Swiping a shorter ball from Lee to the leg side, it sailed high off his top edge toward Ben Hilfenhaus at fine leg. With only three or four metres to travel, it was a doddle. Wade had other ideas and sprinted with pads and gloves on straight at Hilfenhaus, closing the gap rapidly and arriving at the instant the big bearded fast bowler grabbed the catch. Wade's shoulder dropped into Hilfenhaus' rib cage and the big man's knee struck Wade flush in the nethers. When the trainer arrived, he may well have repeated the words of Wally Grout, struck by Wes Hall. "Don't rub 'em, count 'em." It was a ridiculous piece of cricket that could have cost Australia two valuable members of the Test side and Mickey Arthur shouldn't just explain Wade's mistake, he should excise some of his match fee.

Hilfenhaus, for his part, just stood up laughing. Footie club executives across Australia would have had itchy fingers on their biros.

Andre Russell joined in the assault but both he and Sammy were greatly aided by some very ordinary bowling. In one period of 19 balls, 11 full tosses were served up and a neat 50 runs scored (six 4's, three 6's). McKay was the worst offender, bowling all but one ball of his 8th over full between knee and waist height. It came after a conference with his Victorian team mate David Hussey. The 9th wicket climbed to 101 and the West Indies fired as favourites before Doherty trapped Russell in front on review, the question mark being over the order in which the ball hit pad and bat. Narine didn't last long, giving McKay some compensation when he skied a slower ball straight up and then down into Wade's gloves with Hilfenhaus perhaps calling "yours" from fine leg.

Sammy thumped Lee again - a slow bouncer chest high - but in the end it all proved to much for a gallant skipper refusing to submit and he eventually tugged a ball from Hilfenhaus around the corner to Mike Hussey and a deep forward square leg to end it.

The series finished the way it should have, with fierce competition from both sides. The West Indies are back - not all the way yet- and will be a handful in the Test series. The news that Sunil Narine may not play because he is contracted to the IPL after the West Indies released him for a fee, is a further blow to not only cricket in the Caribbean. ODI cricket never threatened Tests - in fact, it built the skills of Test cricketers and provided an interesting alternative to the longer game which raised interest from sections of the public never before interested in watching cricket. T20 in the hands of private franchises is a different animal and unless the ICC and member associations are careful, it will destroy the longer game if it is allowed to compete with it.

A short T20 series between the West Indies and Australia follows before the Test begin on the 7th Aptil.