Rain washes away West Indies' hopes of derailing Australia

Requiring 226 for their first win of the Australian summer, the Windies were at six for no loss after five balls off Doug Bollinger’s opening over when rain forced the players from the field. Australia were bowled out for 225 in 49.5 overs.

The teams returned to the field two hours later but the rain only allowed only one more ball to be added to the score sheet.

Chris Gayle was yet to score after surviving six balls from Bollinger, with Travis Dowlin left at the non-striker's end without facing.

Runs came from four byes and two wides as Bollinger went all out to capture Gayle's scalp for the fifth time this summer and third time in as many one-dayers.
The visitors needed to win to stay alive in the five match series following heavy losses in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Earlier, after winning the toss, West Indies put in Australia to bat on a pitch holding up amid threats of rain and the ploy finally worked in favour of the visitors.

Ravi Rampaul (4/61), Dwayne Smith (3/45), Darren Sammy (2/46) and Kieron Pollard (1/26) combined to dismantle an Australian battling line-up missing a number of key players.

Paine (16) was the first man out and was quickly joined in the pavilion by Voges (8).
With the home-side in a vulnerable position at two for 30, Clarke and Ponting (22) threatened to wrest control back with a 48-run partnership before the skipper inside edged Sammy onto his middle stump. The match temporarily halted Windies' momentum, taking the players off the field for 15 minutes but when the clouds cleared James Hopes (30) joined Micheal Hussey (44) at the crease and the two guided Australia to a respectable total.

Score Board

AUSTRALIA

Paine b Rampaul    16
Voges lbw Smith    8
Ponting b Sammy    22
Clarke c Ramdin b Sammy    46
White c Ramdin b Pollard    17
Hussey b Smith    44
Hopes c Deonarine b Rampaul    30
Johnson c Pollard b Smith    2
Hauritz b Rampaul    2
Harris c Pollard b Rampaul    21
Bollinger (not out)    0
Extras (LB-5, W-12)    17     
Total (all out; 49.5 overs)    225
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-30, 3-78, 4-107, 5-144, 6-194, 7-198, 8-202, 9-206.
Bowling: Rampaul 9.5-0-61-4, Smith 10-0-45-3, Sammy 10-0-46-2, Pollard 9-2-26-1, Miller 10-0-35-0, Gayle 1-0-7-0.

WEST INDIES

Gayle (not out)    0
Dowlin (not out)    0
Extras (B-4, W-2)    6     
Total (for no loss, 1 over)    6
Bowling: Bollinger 1-0-2-0.