da betano casino： The colour of the ball, sightscreen and clothing all changed and,half-way through, so did the weather
Tony Cozier12-Jan-2001The colour of the ball, sightscreen and clothing all changed and,half-way through, so did the weather. The West Indies’ cricket didn’tand they were beaten by Australia just as badly in the first match ofthe triangular Carlton Series of One-Day Internationals at theMelbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) last night as they were in the fiveTests earlier.In heat that touched 39 degrees Celsius before a cool change droppedit 10 degrees in an hour, they bowled inconsistently, batted withoutpurpose, fielded shoddily and missed five catches. The World Cupchampions were virtually flawless in completing victory by 74 runs.The margin was even wider than it appeared. Batting under lights afterthe thermometer dipped, the West Indies were basically out ofcontention when Brian Lara was third out in the 19th over for 28. Theywere then 57 for three and never threatened to overhaul Australia’s267 for six after that.Marlon Samuels batted with the poise he showed in his three Tests totopscore with 57 from 96 balls. But, aged 19 and in his second One-DayInternational, his mission was simply damage limitation.He arrived in the sixth over after openers Wavell Hinds, caught in thegully, and Sherwin Campbell, taken at third man, had both beendespatched with only nine scored. Lara was dismissed by medium-pacerIan Harvey just when a stand with Samuels seemed to be developing,wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist snaring his edge as he did so often inthe Test series. Ricardo Powell lasted 27 precarious balls for 12before lobbing a catch to mid-on from off-spinner Andrew Symonds and,for the next 14.2 overs, Samuels and Ridley Jacobs batted aimlessly inadding 49.Once local favourite, Shane Warne, ended his spell of 10 overs in hisfirst international of the season, the crowd of over 50 000 took toamusing itself with Mexican waves and the antics of three pitchinvaders as the cricket became meaningless.Symmonds briefly drew their attention back to the middle by dismissingJacobs, Samuels and Mahendra Nagamootoo with the first, fourth andfifth balls of the 41st over. Captain Jimmy Adams, demoting himself toNo. 8, and Laurie Williams batted out the overs in an unbrokenpartnership of 54 but it meant nothing to patrons who were streamingout of the MCG long before the last ball was bowled.Australia’s total was based on a second-wicket partnership of 111 in22.2 overs between Mark Waugh and Ricky Ponting after Nixon McClean’swell-judged, running catch at third man accounted for Adam Gilchristoff Cameron Cuffy in the third over.Waugh hoisted Cuffy for six 10 rows back into the seats in theMember’s Stand and had just passed 50 when he fell to another finecatch. He hoisted Laurie Williams and Hinds, moving in from long-on,ended the stand.The West Indies claimed the valuable wickets of the dangerous MichaelBevan, Ponting and captain Steve Waugh while limiting the scoring to49 between the 31st and 42nd overs. Ponting, let off by Williams on astraightforward catch in the deep when 32, fell to a sensational takeby Powell, sprinting in from deep square-leg and diving forward.Captain Waugh, in his 300th One-Day International, holed out to longoff from Samuels who, along with Nagamootoo, sent down his fullcomplement for ten overs of spin.At 193 for five in the 42nd over, the West Indies had chances to limitAustralia to under 250. They blew them as Powell and Williams bothdropped Symmonds, who added 74 off 52 balls with Martyn.Williams fell back so heavily on his head in muffing his chance atpoint, he had to leave the field for attention, adding injury toinsult. The last ten overs yielded 83, the last two brought 26, thelast, from McLean, 15. It carried Australia to a total that requiredbetter batting than the West Indies have shown all season and theynever looked like getting close.Australia play the third team in the tournament, Zimbabwe, at theGabba in Brisbane tomorrow and meet the West Indies again thefollowing day at the same venue.