Aussies hold nerve to triumph

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-6  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

AUSTRALIA held its nerve to win the fourth one-day international by one run over a panic-stricken West Indies at Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts, on Friday.

The hosts, cruising along at 242 for three, only scored 39 runs off the last eight overs and were left short at 281 for six off 50 overs.

Captain Chris Gayle (92), Ramnaresh Sarwan (63) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (53) set up a solid platform but the visitors fought back brilliantly in the tense final stages.

Allrounder Shane Watson delivered an ice-cool final over as the West Indies were limited to six singles in pursuit of eight runs.

Pace ace Brett Lee claimed three for 64.

Earlier, Australia totaled 282 for eight off 50 overs on the back of a Man of the Match topscore of 87 off 78 balls from Andrew Symonds.

Symonds and debutante David Hussey (50) shared a partnership of 127 that anchored the Aussie innings.

Lee jolted the West Indies' run chase in the first over when Xavier Marshall fell for a duck. But Gayle and Sarwan brilliantly took the match towards the West Indies in a fluent second wicket stand of 137 off 139 balls.

Even when Sarwan fell at 138 for two when Lee returned for a spell, the hosts continued to hold the edge.

Gayle and Chanderpaul added 50 for the third wicket before Gayle skied a Watson slower ball into the off side where James Hopes held a fine running catch.

Dwayne Bravo and Chanderpaul kept the West Indies on course in another half century partnership. But once Bravo lost his off stump to Hopes at 247 for four off 43 overs, the decline began.

Debutante Shawn Findlay hit a huge six but only managed nine off 14 balls before a stunning midwicket catch by Michael Hussey off Lee cut him short.

Chanderpaul remained the West Indies' best hope, but he was bowled by Nathan Bracken off the final ball of the penultimate over.

Denesh Ramdin and Darren Sammy could only manage six singles from Watson's final over as Australia secured its fourth straight win in the series.

In Karachi, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the last Super Four match of the Asia Cup on Friday.

Pakistan finished with four points, two fewer than today's finalists ?? defending champion Sri Lanka and India.

Opening batsmen Salman Butt (56) and Nasir Jamshed (52) both scored unbeaten half centuries for Pakistan as it won with 116-0 in 19.4 overs. Earlier, pacemen Abdur Rauf (3-24) and Rao Iftikhar (2-20) helped dismiss Bangladesh for only 115 in 38.2 overs.