West Indies v Australia, 4th ODI,

West Indies 294 for 7 (Pollard 102, Barath 41) beat Australia 252 all out (Lee 59, Hussey 57) by 42 runs.

David Hussey, Brett Lee half centuries go in vain for visitors.

West Indies have taken the crucial series lead of 2-1 with one more match to go in the Digicel ODI Series against Australia. The hosts defeated the Aussies by 42 runs in the 4th ODI at Gros Islet in St Lucia. Australia chasing 295 were bowled out for 252 in 46.3 overs. Brett Lee scored a valiant 59 from 48 balls (with 5 fours and 5 sixes) before being the last man out for the visitors.

 Australia were reduced to 62 for 3 in 10.1 overs and the West Indies seemed to be in tremendous control of the match once the dangerous Shane Watson (28 from 24 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes) miscued a pull shot off Darren Sammy to mid on. Off spinner Sunil Narine strangled the Aussies with his sharp turning deliveries and the run scoring came to a huge halt. The hosts went onto reduce the Australians further to 112 for 5 in the 21st over to smell victory.

 The homeside was made to wait for sometime because of a terrific partnership of 67 runs for the 6th wicket between David Hussey (57 from 54 balls with 7 fours) and Matthew Wade (15). However, both the batsmen got dismissed at the wrong time to diminish any chances of an Australian victory at 196 for 7 in the 39th over. Kemar Roach who cleaned up the off stump of David Hussey fired an accidental beamer which hit the hand of Brett Lee painfully. That blow fired up Lee as he took his revenge against the same bowler hitting him for as many as 24 runs in an over!

The Aussies were fighting back thanks to Brett Lee’s clean strikes with the willow but the no.7 was losing partners at the other end. Lee eventually got dismissed in the 47th over caught at long off but not before a stunning 59 from just 48 balls which contained 5 fours and 5 sixes. Australia got bowled out for 252 to lose the match by 42 runs.

 It was tremendous bowling from Sunil Narine as he gave away only 21 runs in his 10 overs besides taking a crucial wicket towards the end. Darren Sammy and Andre Russell bowled superbly taking two wickets each. Russell was simply impressive as he troubled the Australian batsmen with his pace and bounce. Unfortunately, Russell showed signs of damaging his knee though which might keep him out of action! The Man of the Match award went to Kieron Pollard for his brilliant century.

 

Pollard can destroy a fielding side's bearings. He blocks more balls than most, but when he hits, he hits so powerfully that his blocking becomes irrelevant. Even when he did not quite middle a pull against Watson, late in his innings, leaning back like a boxer on the ropes, it careered for six over long-on, an area where he got roughly half his runs. 

 Johnson Charles' innings was made of different stuff. He is only the second cricketer from St Lucia to represent West Indies and was playing in front of his home crowd for the first time. He was angsty, understandably so, needing 30 balls to reach double figures. He encouraged the crowd into excitement with a straight six against Clint McKay but fell for 37 soon after the mid-point, holing out at long-on to an unusual dancing catch by Lee. 

 Adrian Barath, back in the side after a hundred for Trinidad against Guyana a week ago, provided early impetus with nine fours in all in his 41 from 31 balls. But Marlon Samuels' contribution was excruciating and Dwayne Bravo fell first ball.

Australia's reply malfunctioned as early as the second over when David Warner, one of the few batsmen capable of matching Pollard's slugging style, spooned a drive against Dwayne Bravo to mid-on.

Watson played smoothly for a while, only to pull Darren Sammy's loosener to mid-on. Sammy's short ball, not often regarded as devilish, enjoyed further spoils in his next over when Charles plunged forward at third man to hold a top-edged hook from Forrest and leave for ice pack treatment on a damaged shoulder.

 If Sammy's breakthroughs frustrated Australia, two wickets in an over for Russell would have irked them even more. Russell, defying a knee complaint, could barely muster a limping celebration as he first had George Bailey caught at the wicket, cutting, and then two balls later defeated Mike Hussey's attempted pull.