SPORTS EDGE

Australia clinches series sweep against West Indies:

BasseterreMitchell Johnson starred with the ball, following a strong batting performance, as Australia completed a rare ODI series sweep in the Caribbean, when they cruised to a 169-run victory in the fifth and final ODI against West Indies on Sunday.Johnson collected five wickets for 29 runs from 7.5 overs, as Australia successfully defended a formidable target total of 342, when they dismissed West Indies for 172 in 39.5 overs.Johnson formalised the result, when he had Fidel Edwards caught at fine leg fending away a short, rising ball to send another fair-sized, strongly partisan, weekend crowd home disappointed. The victory - Australia's largest against West Indies - meant they became only the third team to sweep an ODI series in the Caribbean. Australia won the opening match by 84 runs in St. Vincent, the rain-affected second ODI by 63 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis Method, and the third ODI last Sunday by seven wickets in Grenada, as well as the fourth ODI last Friday by one run here.Australia, choosing to bat on a hard, easy-paced Warner Park pitch, had amassed 341 for eight from their allocation of 50 overs - a record total against West Indies in an ODI. Shawn Findlay, playing in only his second ODI, was the top scorer for West Indies with 00 and long-standing fellow left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul supported with 38.Andrew Symonds top-scored with 66 from 80 balls, Luke Ronchi made a rapid-fire 64 from 28 balls to earn the Man-of-the-Match award, David Hussey led the late flourish with 52 from 21 balls, and Mike Hussey gathered 51 from 52 balls. Ramnaresh Sarwan took three wickets for 57 runs from nine overs, and Fidel Edwards captured three for 86 from nine overs to be the most successful bowlers for West Indies. The runs Edwards conceded were the most by a West Indies bowler in an ODI, three more than the 83 Corey Collymore gave away from his 10 overs against South Africa four years ago at Johannesburg.Symonds completed a fine all-round game, scalping two for 23 from seven overs, and stand-in Australia captain Michael Clarke snared two for 34 from six overs.Earlier, Symonds, Ronchi, and the two Husseys built on the platform provided by openers Shaun Marsh and Shane Watson.They put on 70 before Watson, later named Man-of-the-Series, was caught at third man for 29 off Dwayne Bravo in the 13th over, and Marsh was caught behind off Edwards for 49 in the 20th over to leave Australia 129 for two. Ronchi, promoted to No.3, showed his enterprise, when he equalled the record for the second fastest 50 in an ODI by an Australian. He drove his 22nd delivery from Edwards "inside-out" through extra cover for his fourth four to reach the milestone in the 20th over. But he was caught behind, when he was caught behind off the first ball from left-arm spin bowler Nikita Miller in the 22nd over before Sarwan also had Clarke caught behind for five in the next over to leave the visitors on 152 for four.Symonds entered and batted with typical aplomb alongside Mike Hussey and they put Australia firmly on course for their massive total, when they added 113 for the fifth wicket. Symonds top-edged a pull to mid-wicket for a single to reach his 50 off Edwards in the 42nd over before he was caught behind off the same bowler in the 44th over.Hussey proceeded to reach his 50 in the next over, when he drove Bravo to long-off for a single, but Edwards got him off the last ball of the following over, when he was caught at long-on.In the closing overs, David Hussey, Mike's younger brother, created a stir with his audacious batting, striking four fours and four sixes to reset the record for the second fastest 50 in an ODI by an Australia which Ronchi had earlier established.He reached his 50, when he lofted Sarwan for the last of his sixes over long-on, but two balls later, he was caught at deep mid-wicket off the same bowler before James Hopes was caught at mid-on off the same bowler off the last ball of the innings.Australia were unchanged, but West Indies made one change to their line-up. They dropped Darren Sammy, and brought in Andre Fletcher.

SCOREBOARD

Toss: Australia.

Australia Innings:S. Marsh c Ramdin b Edwards 49S. Watson c Powell b Bravo 29L. Ronchi c Ramdin b Miller 64M. Clarke c Ramdin b Sarwan 5M. Hussey c Findlay b Edwards 51A. Symonds c Ramdin b Edwards 66D. Hussey c Powell b Sarwan 50J. Hopes c Fletcher b Sarwan 18B. Lee not out 0Extras: (lb3, w1, nb3) 7Total: (8 wkts) 341DNB: M. Johnson, N. Bracken did not bat.Fall of wkts: 1-70 (Watson, 12.5 overs); 2-129 (Marsh, 19.2); 3-150 (Ronchi, 21.1); 4-152 (Clarke, 22.1); 5-265 (Symonds, 43.5); 6-280 (M. Hussey, 45.6); 7-341 (D. Hussey, 49.5); 8-341 (Hopes, 49.6).Bowling: Edwards 9-0-86-3 (nb3); Powell 10-0-50-0; Bravo 10-0-74-1 (w1); Gayle 2-0-33-0; Miller 10-0-38-1; Sarwan 9-1-57-3.Overs: 50

West Indies Innings:C. Gayle c wkpr Ronchi b Johnson 5X. Marshall lbw b Watson 17R. Sarwan c Hopes b Johnson 7S. Chanderpaul c Lee b Clarke 38S. Findlay not out 59D. Bravo c D. Hussey b Symonds 13A. Fletcher st Ronchi b *Clarke 1D.Ramdin c M. Hussey b Symonds 3D. Powell b Johnson 10N. Miller c Watson b Johnson 8F. Edwards c Hopes b Johnson 0Extras: (lb2, w9) 11Total: (all out) 172Fall of wkts: 1-6 (Gayle, 1.3 overs); 2-21 (Sarwan, 5.4); 3-56 (Marshall, 11.6); 4-92 (Chanderpaul, 20.3); 5-129 (Bravo, 27.2); 6-131 (Fletcher, 27.6); 7-138 (Ramdin, 29.4); 8-158 (Powell, 35.6); 9-172 (Miller, 39.4).Bowling: Lee 9-0-42-0 (w4); Johnson 7.5-1-29-5 (w2); Bracken 5-0-19-0; Watson 5-0-23-1; Clarke 6-0-34-2 (w1); Symonds 7-0-23-2 (w2)Result: Australia won by 169 runs.Series: Australia sweep five-match series 5-0.Umpires: S. Bucknor, Asad Rauf, TV Replays: N. Malcolm, Reserve: C. Mack. Match Referee: R. Mahanama.Man-of-the-Match: Luke Ronchi (Australia).Man-of-the-Series: Shane Watson (Australia).