Sunday May 18, 01:25 AM

Australia beat Windies by two runs in rain-shortened ODI

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AFP) - World Cup champions Australia hung on to beat the West Indies by two runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method at Sabina Park, stretching their unbeaten run in one-day cricket internationals to 18.

Australia scored 270 for five off their 50 overs and the West Indies were 114 for two from 23.3 overs when rain stopped play for an hour.

When play resumed, the West Indies' revised target was 208 off 37 overs, or 94 runs off the last 84 balls, which appeared to be in the home side's favour.

But a combination of tight Australian bowling and fielding and indisciplined West Indian batting got Ricky Ponting's men home in the first of a seven-match series.

Ponting was named man-of-the-match for his innings of 59, but he conceded that all-rounder Ian Harvey deserved the accolade after hitting an unbeaten 48 off 30 balls in a valuable partnership with Michael Bevan and taking 3-37 off seven overs.

It was Harvey who turned the match for Australia with the key wickets of Brian Lara (23), Devon Smith (26) and Marlon Samuels (two) in three overs to put the skids under the Windies, sending them tumbling from 124 for two to 137 for five.

The West Indians fell behind in the required run-rate and were always up against it, although vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, one of the heroes of the home side's record win against Australia Tuesday in the final Antigua Test, fought until the end with an unbeaten 47 off 34 balls as wickets fell around him.

Australia's winning run in limited-over internationals now stretches back to last January and follows their commanding performance at the World Cup when they beat all comers in southern Africa last February/March, culminating in their 125-run demolition of India in the final in Johannesburg on March 23.

"It was a very good wicket and our 270 wasn't a bad total," Ponting said.

"There was a bit of bounce and pace with the new ball this morning but as the day went on it turned into a very good batting wicket and 270 was going to be a competitive total if we bowled and fielded well.

"We didn't field that well, but we managed to come away with the win.

"Ian Harvey batted and bowled beautifully and probably should have this medal (man of the match) around his neck."

Lara admitted that his team had made mistakes in the field during Australia's innings.

"We have to work on our fielding, there were too many runs scored at the end of the innings, but I still think it was a good effort for the first one-day game of the season so we can improve from here," Lara said.

Lara lost his wicket after a rush of blood. After smashing Harvey for four, he advanced down the wicket to his next delivery only to play a risky shot and edge to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.

Australia's experience in pressure situations stood by them as the young West Indians panicked in the run chase.

Carlton Baugh and Vasbert Drakes were bowled going for big swings and Omari Banks was needlessly run out for 12 off 14 balls by smart ground-fielding from Matthew Hayden.

Harvey and Bevan put on a brisk 87-run partnership in 62 balls to lift Australia to 270 for five.

Up until then the World Cup champions were looking at a total of around 250 against controlled Windies' bowling and fielding.

But Harvey, into the side for injured World Cup batsman Damien Martyn, cracked an unbeaten 48 off 30 balls with seven boundaries and Bevan added 43 off 44 deliveries.

The pair knocked off 37 runs off the final three overs to lift the run-rate to 5.4.

Skipper Ricky Ponting effortlessly cruised to 59 before his slog-sweep was caught by Corey Collymore on the mid-wicket boundary rope off spinner Chris Gayle.

Ponting, who spent a week in bed with a virus which kept him out of the final Antigua Test, looked set for a century with his runs coming off just 66 balls with seven fours.

Ponting put on 86 for the third wicket with Darren Lehmann, who was forced to call on Hayden as a runner after straining a calf muscle.

Lehmann, restricted in his shot-making, hit 55 off 86 balls before he spooned a catch to Ricardo Powell at short cover giving young spinner Banks the first of his two wickets.

The second match in the series is due at Sabina Park on Sunday.

Scoreboard

Australia innings

A. Gilchrist	c Samuels b Dillon	21
M. Hayden	c Gayle b Dillon	7
R. Ponting	c Collymore b Gayle	59
D. Lehmann	c Powell b Banks	55
A. Symonds	c Dillon b Banks	18
M. Bevan	not out	43
I. Harvey	not out	48
Extras	(lb6, w9, nb4)	19
Total	(5 wkts)	270

Fall of wickets:	1-35, 2-47, 3-133, 4-169, 5-183
Bowling:	Dillon 9-1-53-2 (2nb, 4w), Drakes 8-0-50-0 (1nb)
	Collymore 10-0-49-0 (1nb, 1w), Samuels 6-0-26-0
	Gayle 9-0-42-1 (2w), Banks 8-0-44-2 (2w)
Overs:	50

West Indies innings

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