MELBOURNE, 27 January 2005 — Brett Lee captured four wickets and smashed 38 runs in a fine allround performance to steer Australia to a 73-run win over West Indies in their triangular series One-Day International at Adelaide Oval yesterday.
Lee dismissed West Indian openers Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle in successive balls in his first spell then removed Brian Lara and Courtney Browne, also in successive balls, in his second spell as the tourists collapsed to be all out for 196 in the 45th over.
Lee also played a major role in helping Australia recover from a poor start to pile on 269 for eight from their 50 overs.
The world champions were in deep trouble after left-arm paceman Pedro Collins ripped through the top-order.
Collins dismissed Matthew Hayden (three), Ricky Ponting (no score), Michael Clarke (21) and Darren Lehmann (four) to leave Australia reeling at 38-4.
But middle-order batsman Simon Katich rebuilt the innings with a fine 76 from just 86 balls before tailenders Jason Gillespie (44 not out) and Lee shared an unbroken partnership of 73. Collins also picked up the wicket of Katich to finish with 5-43.
Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, filling in for the rested Adam Gilchrist, made 32 in an 85-run stand with Katich before the late flourish from Gillespie and Lee.
The West Indian reply got off to a bad start when Lee got rid of the two openers but Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan steadied the innings with a 92 run stand before Brad Hogg dismissed Sarwan for 39.
Chanderpaul went on to make 55 off 87 deliveries but his team’s faint hopes of winning disappeared when he was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Clarke.
Australian are unbeaten in the series after five matches and already assured of a place in the final with West Indies and Pakistan fighting for second spot. They play each other in Adelaide tomorrow.
