West Indies bowler Dwayne Bravo (right) celebrates the fall of an Australian wicket with Christopher Gayle during the tri-series cricket match in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. - Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR (CMC):

West Indies successfully chased 273 for a three-wicket win over Australia, despite a hundred from Mike Hussey in the fourth match of the three-nation one-day international series yesterday at the Kinrara Academy Oval.

Half-centuries from captain Brian Lara and opener Chris Gayle laid the foundation for the West Indies' victory with 16 balls to spare, and catapulted them to the top of the standings with nine points and virtually assures them a place in the final on Sunday.

Lara hit 11 fours and one six in 87 from 80 balls. He added 151 for the third wicket with fellow left-hander Gayle, whose 79 from 93 deliveries contained seven fours and three sixes.

Lara's dismissal in the 41st over triggered a mini collapse, however. West Indies slipped from the comfort of 242 for three to 255 for seven in the 44th over before Dwayne Bravo and Carlton Baugh, Jr., steered them to safe harbour.

Bravo struck the winning run, when he drove Andrew Symonds to mid-on for a single and was not out on 37, but Baugh's lofted drive over cover off Symonds in the 46th over for his only boundary had eased the pressure.

Brett Lee was the most successful Australian bowler with three wickets for 46 runs from his 10 overs.

Hussey, one of seven changes to the Australian side for the match, and leading the side in place of the resting Ricky Ponting, led a recovery for the World champions with his highest ODI score and maiden ODI hundred of 109 not out.

Recovery

Hussey hit 10 fours and three sixes from 90 balls, as Australia, choosing to bat, reached 272 for six from their allocation of 50 overs.

He added 166 for the sixth wicket with Brad Haddin, whose 70 off 76 balls contained three fours and four sixes, as Australia recovered from 104 for five in the 26th over.

Ian Bradshaw was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with two for 35 from his allowance of 10 overs, and Bravo took two for 52 from nine overs.

West Indies suffered a setback in the fifth over, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was dubiously caught behind off Lee for a 10-ball duck.

TV replays clearly showed that umpire Asad Rauf's decision was incorrect, since the ball deviated off the top of the left-hander's pad.

Ramnaresh Sarwan joined Gayle and he was just beginning to put his foot down on the accelerator following a couple of sweetly-timed off-drives for boundaries off Nathan Bracken, who had him caught behind for 25 in the 12th over.

West Indies were 44 for two, but Lara came to the wicket and knuckled down, and an imperious straight drive off Bracken for his second boundary signalled he meant business.

Hussey persisted with Stuart Clark, and Gayle and Lara took full toll of his bowling to leave him nursing the unflattering figures of none for 87 from seven overs.

Positioning for victory

A pull shot from Gayle off Clarke for six had disdain written all over it, and he was eyeing a hundred when he pulled a short, rising delivery from Shane Watson and was caught mid-wicket in the 32nd over.

Lara continued to position the West Indies for victory, but he was caught at slip off Lee in the 41st over, and the next 20 balls were a blur.

Wavell Hinds was caught behind off Lee for one, driving loosely in the 43rd over, two balls later Marlon Samuels was run out for a nine-ball duck looking to steal a single to backward point fielder Michael Clarke, and Dwayne Smith was bowled by Symonds for four in the 44th over deceived by a slower ball.

SCOREBOARD

Australia (maximum 50 overs)

M. Hayden c Taylor b Bravo

49
S. Katich run out (Bradshaw)	22
S. Watson cLara b Taylor	0
A. Symonds c Smith b Bradshaw	8
M. Clarke c Gayle b Bradshaw	1
M. Hussey not out	109
+B. Haddin c Taylor b Bravo	70
B. Lee not out	1
Extras (b1, lb5, w6)	12
TOTAL (6 wkts - 50 overs)	272
S. Clark, N. Bracken, D. Cullen did not bat. Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-42, 3-57, 4-64, 5-104, 6-270. Bowling: Taylor 10-0-53-1, Bradshaw 10-0-35-2, Gayle 7-0-46-0, Smith 7-0-38-0, Samuels 7-0-42-0, Bravo 9-1-52-2. West Indies C. Gayle cHussey b Watson	79
S. Chanderpaul c wkpr Haddin b Lee	0
R. Sarwan c wkpr Haddin b Bracken	25
B. Lara cHussey b Lee	87
D. Bravo not out	37
W. Hinds c wkpr Haddin b Lee	1
M Samuels run out (Clarke)	0
D. Smith b Symonds	4
+C. Baugh not out	7
Extras (lb6, w16, nb11)	33
TOTAL (7 wkts - 47.2 overs)	273
I. Bradshaw, J. Taylor did not bat. Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-44, 3-195, 4-242, 5-249, 6-249, 7-255. Bowling: Lee 10-0-46-3, Bracken 9-0-31-1, Clark 7-0-87-0, Watson 10-0-42-1, Symonds 5.2-0-27-1, Cullen 6-1-34-0. Result: West Indies won by three wickets. Points: West Indies four, Australia zero. Toss: Australia. Umpires: A. Rauf, T. Hill (TV Replays: M. Benson). Match Referee: C. Broad. Man-of-the-Match: Mike Hussey (Australia).