Crowd rage mars Aussie victory
June 25, 2008

SHAUN Marsh struck a fluent 81 on debut as Australia registered an easy 84-run win over West Indies in an opening one-day international spoiled by crowd trouble.

Fans hurled plastic bottles on the playing field in a bitter ending to the game. Play was suspended for more than 10 minutes with Australia just one wicket from victory after fans reacted angrily to the uncertainty surrounding the dismissal of Darren Sammy.

Sammy had been bowled by Nathan Bracken for 33, but the batsman himself was unsure of the dismissal with the ball only just flicking the stumps.

He waited near the boundary for several moments while it was reviewed by the third umpire.

But with no video screen to show the judgement to the crowd, fans reacted to what they felt was an unjust call by tossing both empty and filled bottles from the stands.

All but one of Australia's players were huddled mid-pitch by the time the bottles began to be thrown, with James Hopes sprinting in from the boundary the moment he felt the crowd become restless.

Ground staff quickly cleared the bottles from the outfield, with Bracken (4-31) claiming the final wicket of Sulieman Benn to complete the win a few balls later.

"There's no room for that in the international game,'' Australia captain Ricky Ponting said.

"Luckily today they did miss James, otherwise it could have been a bit nasty.''

Not just marring the game, the crowd's action also provided a black spot on what had been an emotional game for the Australia team as they honoured the memory of Jane McGrath.

Both teams marked the passing of the 42-year-old with a minute's silence before play, with the Australia players wearing pink ribbons and batting with pink grips in paying tribute to former teammate Glenn McGrath's late wife, who lost her 11-year battle with cancer at the weekend.

Despite the crowd trouble, local officials claimed they were happy with security at the ground.

"We had more than 135 police at the ground. When the trouble started, I thought they responded very quickly,'' said Julian Jack, president of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association.

"This is the first time anything like this has happened in the 20 or so years that we have hosted international cricket.

"It would seem the umpires may have made some decisions that were not in favour of the crowd, and the crowd then incorrectly took things into their own hands.

"It is disappointing that this happened, but at least no one was hurt and the outcome of the game wasn't affected.''

Australia secured a 1-0 lead in the five-game one-day series after posting 8-273 from 50 overs before dismissing the Windies for 189 inside 40 overs.

Shaun Marsh claimed man-of-the-match honours for his impressive knock, while Michael Hussey (44) and Brad Haddin (50) shared a 91-run stand to ensure Australia passed 250.

Marsh struck seven fours and one six from 97 balls to give Australia early momentum. He shared 75 for the first wicket with Shane Watson, but the visitors' innings looked to be at the crossroads when they declined to 4-140 in the 31st over.

Haddin entered and struck four fours and one six from 52 balls. He joined Hussey at the crease, and they put the Aussies back on track before he was one of four wickets that tumbled in the closing overs as the visitors chased quick runs.

Watson, playing for Australia for the first time since the final of the World Cup last year at Bridgetown, looked solid until he played across a well-pitched delivery from Bravo and was adjudged leg before for 31 in the 13th over.

The Windies run-chase started dismally with the home side collapsing to 3-29.

From that point, Chris Gayle's side were never in the hunt, with Dwayne Bravo (33), Andre Fletcher (26) Denesh Ramdin (31) and Sammy (33) at least ensuring they got within three figures.

Gayle and Bravo were perhaps both unlucky to be adjudged lbw by umpire Asad Rauf, but the pair may also be docked at least part of their match fees after lingering at the crease well after the umpire's decision.

As well as his run-a-ball half century, Haddin also pulled of a quick-thinking run out when he flicked the ball out of the back of his glove to catch Fletcher just short of his ground.

The second match of the five-match series takes place on Friday at the Queen's Park Stadium in the Grenada capital of St. George's.