Saturday 28th June 2008
Australia cruise to victory
Australia eased past the West Indies to take a 2-0 series lead after a slow and rain-affected second one-day international.
Although they were made to labour to make 213 for five off their 50 overs, Australia were well on course for victory before rain - and the Duckworth/Lewis rule - intervened in the afternoon to make their task even easier.
The West Indies eventually finished their rain-shortened innings on 140 for eight to give Australia victory by 63 runs.
Having been set a target of 214, the Windies got off to a dire start as Xavier Marshall was out first ball. Debutant wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi - who replaced the injured Brad Haddin at the last minute - had a dream start to his career as he took the catch behind off Brett Lee.
As Australia had in the morning, the hosts found the scoring painfully slow, and it took them until the seventh over to pass the 10-run mark.
Almost as soon as they had, they lost the key wicket of Chris Gayle as he made an aggressive swing at a Mitchell Johnson delivery and sent the ball into the hands of Ricky Ponting.
Andre Fletcher was next to go after a wild swing saw him bowled by James Hopes for 19, and Dwayne Bravo soon followed for just three, caught at deep midwicket by Michael Hussey off Shane Watson's delivery.
Australia then put another nail in the Windies' coffin in the 25th over as Michael Clarke took two wickets in three balls, first seeing Patrick Browne caught by Cameron White for one, with Pollard then sent back for a duck as Watson took the catch to leave the Windies on 53 for six.
Rain then struck in the 27th over, and the revised target of 204 left the hosts needing a mammoth 146 from 14 overs.
On such a slow track, that was never on the cards and the game petered out as Australia took two more wickets, removing Darren Sammy for nine and Daren Powell for 21.
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