Glenn McGrath was on the verge of making more cricket history as world champions Australia got their Super Eight campaign off to a winning start with a 103-run defeat of World Cup hosts West Indies here Wednesday.
McGrath was left one wicket shy of Pakistan great Wasim's Akram's World Cup record of 55 - a mark that may go on Saturday when Australia face Bangladesh - after taking three for 31. West Indies, chasing 323 to win, were bowled out for 219 with more than four overs to spare.
Only captain and star batsman Brian Lara's 77 kept alive hopes of an upset win although wicket-keeper Dinesh Ramdin weighed in with a gutsy 52. Lara was one of a trio of batsmen who fell to spinner Brad Hogg (three for 56). West Indies, beaten for the first time at this tournament, now have less than 24 hours before playing New Zealand on Thursday after rain forced this match into a reserve day before their innings could start.
The hosts, who saw Matthew Hayden score an Australian World Cup record 158 in a total of 322 for six, collapsed to 20 for three inside 10 overs. Shaun Tait, whose first over featured three wides, started the slump when he was adjudged to have had the experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw for five.
First change McGrath made it 16 for two when, with his second ball, Chris Gayle, who made two off 23 balls, top-edged a pull to Shane Watson at mid-on. The collapse continued when Marlon Samuels (four), also trying to hit McGrath of his renowned accurate leength, skied a wild slog high in the air and Andrew Symonds, one of Australia's best fielders, made no mistake with the catch at cover.
The 37-year-old Lara, who so often has had to carry West Indies' batting, square drove McGrath for four to the delight of home fans in a meagre crowd and thrillingly pulled fast bowler Tait for another boundary. At the 25-over half-way mark, West Indies still had a mountain to climb at 90 for three.
And that became 91 for four when, in left-arm wrist spinner Hogg's second over, Ramnaresh Sarwan exited for 29 to end a stand worth 71 when a pull off a full toss was caught by Australia captain Ricky Ponting at close mid-on.
Australia, chasing a hat-trick of World Cup triumphs after lifting the trophy in 1999 and 2003, were now well on their way to making it four wins out of four in this edition.
SCOREBOARD:
AUSTRALIA INNINGS
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A. Gilchrist c Ramdin b Powell 7
M. Hayden c Samuels b Bravo 158
R. Ponting run out 35
M. Clarke lbw b Bravo 41
A. Symonds c Ramdin b Samuels 13
M. Hussey b Powell 9
S. Watson not out 33
B. Hogg not out 5
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Extras: (b1, lb9, w8, nb3) 21
Total: (6 wkts, 50 overs) 322
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Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Gilchrist), 2-76 (Ponting), 3-174 (Clarke), 4-208 (Symonds), 5-234 (Hussey), 6-297 (Hayden)
Did not bat: N Bracken, S Tait, G McGrath
Bowling: Powell 10-2-53-2; Taylor 10-0-67-0 (3w); Collymore 10-0-56-0 (2w); Gayle 4-0-29-0 (2nb); Bravo 7-0-49-2 (2w); Samuels 9-0-58-1 (1nb, 1w);
WEST INDIES INNINGS:
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C. Gayle c Watson b McGrath 2
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Tait 5
R. Sarwan c Ponting b Hogg 29
M. Samuels c Symonds b McGrath 4
B. Lara lbw b Hogg 77
D. Bravo c Ponting b McGrath 9
D. Ramdin c Gilchrist b Bracken 52
D. Smith lbw b Hogg 9
J. Taylor lbw b Symonds 10
D. Powell b Tait 5
C. Collymore not out 1
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Extras: (b1, w15) 16
Total: (all out, 45.3 overs) 219
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Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Chanderpaul), 2-16 (Gayle), 3-20 (Samuels), 4-91 (Sarwan), 5-107 (Bravo), 6-156 (Lara), 7-172 (Smith), 8-199 (Taylor), 9-217 (Ramdin), 10-219 (Powell)
Bowling: Bracken 9-1-25-1 (1w); Tait 7.3-0-43-2 (7w); McGrath 8-1-31-3; Watson 7-0-31-0; Hogg 10-0-56-3 (2w); Symonds 4-0-32-1 (1w)
Toss: West Indies
Result: Australia won by 103 runs
Points: Australia 2 West Indies 0
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Asad Rauf (PAK)
TV umpire: Billy Bowden (NZL)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
Reserve umpire: Rudi Koertzen (RSA).
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