Aussies take ODIs too

World Cup champions Australia steamed to a 67-run victory over the West Indies to clinch the one-day international cricket series 4-0 at the Queen's Park Oval here on Saturday.

The Australians, the dominant force in world cricket, won their 21st consecutive one-day match and their 11th straight over the Windies.

Ricky Ponting's team powered to 286 for five off their 50 overs and bowled out the West Indies for 219 off 45.3 overs to underline the gulf in experience and performance between the two sides in the seven-game series.

The West Indies, pinned down by Australia's pacemen early in the innings, were always well behind the asking rate and self-destructed with three suicidal run outs in the last four wickets to fall.

Man-of-the-match Adam Gilchrist topscored with 84 in Australia's innings with youngster Michael Clarke contributing a blazing 55 off 40 balls in the highest Australian innings at the Trinidad ground and only two runs behind the best Australian ODI total in the Caribbean.

Gilchrist, freshened up after sitting out last Wednesday's victory in St Lucia, hammered nine fours and a six in his 103-ball knock while 22-year-old Clarke, who scored an unbeaten 75 in St Lucia in midweek, provided late fireworks with six boundaries and a six.

Clarke rode his luck he was bowled off a Corey Collymore no-ball and was reprieved on 47 by Ricardo Powell who dropped a dolly catch in the deep to remain unbeaten in three ODI innings in his fledgling international career.

All the top-order batsmen contributed to Australia's big total. Matthew Hayden smacked 44 off 61 balls, skipper Ponting hit 38 (47), Andrew Symonds 24 (28) and Michael Bevan was out on the final ball of the innings, holing out to Brian Lara in the deep off Vasbert Drakes for 21 off 22 deliveries.

The West Indian fielding was diabolical. They spilled four catches, twice in Gilchrist's knock, Symonds on 10 and Clarke when he was 47.

Yet again the West Indian bowlers lacked penetration and were unable to dismiss the Australians for the fourth time.

After four matches, bowlers, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Brad Hogg, Andy Bichel and Glenn McGrath have yet to bat in the series such has been the dominance of Australia's top-six batsmen.

Opener Chris Gayle hit 84 off 113 balls in the West Indies innings, but apart from skipper Brian Lara's 40 off 47 balls he found little support.

Yet again the Windies got off to a shaky shot with Ricardo Powell (8) out in the sixth over with the score at 20 when Ponting dived to his left to take a blinding two-handed catch off Gillespie's bowling.