27 May, 2008
Clark sinks Windies

A five-wicket haul by paceman Stuart Clark has propelled Australia to a 95-run victory over the West Indies in the first Test at Sabina Park.

Resuming on the final day with the score on 1-46 in pursuit of 287 for victory, the Windies had the odds stacked against them as early as the second over of the day when Ramnaresh Sarwan departed.

No batsman from the home side was able to stymie a relentless onslaught from man of the match Stuart Clark, whose figures of 5-32 represented his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket, as the home side was dismissed for 191.

For the second time in the Test Clark destroyed the Windies' top order, again claiming the first three wickets of the innings.

At one stage bowling unchanged for two hours with Brett Lee, who claimed the key wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Clark eliminated any possibility the home side would become the first team in nine years to defeat Australia in the opening Test of a series.

Deriving plenty of movement in the air, he removed Sarwan (12) and Devon Smith (28) in his first and third overs of the day and also grabbed the important scalp of Dwayne Bravo.

Any hope for a revival evaporated when Chanderpaul, the Windies' hero in the first innings with a courageous century, was caught and bowled by Lee for 11.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (36) and Darren Sammy (35) provided the only resistance for the Windies, adding 67 for the seventh wicket but a direct hit from Stuart MacGill at mid-on ended their stand.

MacGill then cleaned up the tail, securing the final two wickets.

The second Test starts in Antigua on Saturday.