Australia crush Windies

KUALA LUMPUR – Australia crushed the West Indies by 127 runs to win the DLF Cup final yesterday and send a chilling warning to their rivals ahead of the Champions Trophy next month.

Set 241 to win, the West Indies were skittled out for 113 from 34.2 overs, unable to deal with the power and accuracy of Australia’s top-notch bowling attack. Brett Lee took 4-24 while his partner Glenn McGrath bowled six overs for just six runs, two of which were extras.”It’s a very good result for us but I still don’t think we have played our best cricket,” said Australian captain Ricky Ponting.”I don’t think the West Indies surrendered, I don’t think any team ever does.It was just that we bowled very well.”His West Indies counterpart Brian Lara said that despite the loss, he was encouraged that his team made the final at all.”We lost two many wickets too soon.We crumbled and didn’t get our act together,” he said.”But I am encouraged and very pleased that my side got to the final.We still have work to do but we are getting there.”The Windies got off to the worst possible start when Chris Gayle was sensationally out lbw to a Lee yorker on the first ball of the innings.When Lee was given a breather the peroxide blonde Nathan Bracken was brought into the action with dramatic consequences.Shinarine Chanderpaul, who has struggled this series, smacked him for four on his first ball but that’s where it ended as he mistimed a flick off the legs the very next ball to be caught by Simon Katich at midwicket.Runako Morton spent 31 balls at the crease without scoring when Bracken trapped him leg before, leaving the West Indies at 20 for three.It brought Lara to the crease and along with Ramnaresh Sarwan looked to be steading the ship before a dubious decision cost him dear.Nampa-AFPBrett Lee took 4-24 while his partner Glenn McGrath bowled six overs for just six runs, two of which were extras.”It’s a very good result for us but I still don’t think we have played our best cricket,” said Australian captain Ricky Ponting.”I don’t think the West Indies surrendered, I don’t think any team ever does.It was just that we bowled very well.”His West Indies counterpart Brian Lara said that despite the loss, he was encouraged that his team made the final at all.”We lost two many wickets too soon.We crumbled and didn’t get our act together,” he said.”But I am encouraged and very pleased that my side got to the final.We still have work to do but we are getting there.”The Windies got off to the worst possible start when Chris Gayle was sensationally out lbw to a Lee yorker on the first ball of the innings.When Lee was given a breather the peroxide blonde Nathan Bracken was brought into the action with dramatic consequences.Shinarine Chanderpaul, who has struggled this series, smacked him for four on his first ball but that’s where it ended as he mistimed a flick off the legs the very next ball to be caught by Simon Katich at midwicket.Runako Morton spent 31 balls at the crease without scoring when Bracken trapped him leg before, leaving the West Indies at 20 for three.It brought Lara to the crease and along with Ramnaresh Sarwan looked to be steading the ship before a dubious decision cost him dear.Nampa-AFP