June 28, 2008

AUSTRALIA claimed a 2-0 lead in their five-match one-day series against West Indies, marking Ricky Ponting's 300th ODI with a comprehensive 63-run victory.

A 100-run stand between Michael Hussey (62) and man-of-the-match Michael Clarke (56) saved Australia from trouble at 3-35 on a challenging pitch, as they posted 5-213 from 50 overs, before restricting a hapless Windies to 8-140 chasing a rain-revised target of 204 off 41 overs.

Ponting scored just 13 with the bat in becoming the second Australia player behind Steve Waugh to reach 300 games but the victory extended his record as the world's most successful one-day captain to 128 wins.

The skipper has always been reluctant to talk about his achievements, but vice-captain Clarke said the rest of the team were well aware of Ponting's standing.

"We have the greatest leader in the world,'' Clarke said.

"He is a freak. That's his strength. He never, ever talks about himself, he never gets carried away with what he's achieved, but I think everyone else does in the team.

"I think that was certainly another thing in all the guys' minds today before we walked out onto the field to try and get that win for Punter, because he has certainly earned all the praise he gets, plus a lot more.

"He is one of the most modest guys I have met, and when you achieve certain goals, he certainly deserves the praise.''

The result leaves Australia within one win of adding a limited-overs series victory to their 2-0 result in the Tests this tour, with game three at the National Stadium in Grenada on Sunday night (EST) and the final two matches in St Kitts next week.

Only a 55-minute rain delay when the Windies were 6-58 after 27 overs held up the Australia victory charge.

The loss of play meant the home side's target was altered to an even more difficult 204 from 41 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method, but after losing a wicket from the very first ball of their innings, the Windies were never really in the chase.

"I think the wicket was probably one of the worst wickets I've played on in international cricket,'' Clarke said.

"It seamed early ... and once the ball got older it got very slow and was very hard to score. It certainly wasn't one of my best partnerships with Huss.

"Me and Huss felt disgraceful out there. We were laughing at each other.

"Huss said to me, 'Pup, I feel like I can't hit more than a single.' And I said, 'Don't worry mate, you're not on your own'.

"The end result, we put on 100 runs, so we were obviously happy to get through that tough period and get that partnership for the team.

"But it certainly didn't feel that good for either of us today ... I thought Whitey played really good at the end, which set the total up.''

Part-time left-arm spinner Clarke (3-26) finished with the pick of the bowling figures after the pace bowlers broke the back of the home side's ill-disciplined top and middle order.

Brett Lee (1-25) dismissed Xavier Marshall from the first ball of the innings, giving debutant wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi his first catch in one-day international cricket, and Lee his 299th scalp.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (45 not out), after playing a lone hand for much of the Test series, was again the only recognised Windies batsman to stand up, with the rest of order often undone by reckless batting - highlighted by skipper Chris Gayle's dismissal for 10, caught at mid-off from a flat-bat swipe.

It was in stark contrast to the disciplined performance of the Windies with the ball, which was ultimately let down by a sub-standard effort in the field as they handed Australia's batsmen as many as five lives.

Pacemen Jerome Taylor (2-47) and Daren Powell (1-29) did the damage early with Shane Watson (0) Shaun Marsh (12) and Ponting all dismissed cheaply.

From there, Hussey and Clarke battened down the hatches to weather the Windies storm, scoring just eight runs in 10 overs, while going over 100 balls without striking a boundary.

The 50 partnership eventually came up after a cautious 122 balls, but the second 50 took just 51 as they set their sights on 200-plus.

Cameron White (40 not out off 39 balls) and James Hopes (17 not out off 16) eventually got the tourists there with a flurry of runs in the final overs.

After playing his first international in last week's Twenty20 match against the West Indies in Barbados, wicketkeeper Ronchi was handed his one-day international debut with Brad Haddin ruled out for the rest of the tour to return home for treatment on his broken right ring finger.