Aussies take series lead as Windies wilt

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Seamer Stuart Clark captured a career-best five-wicket haul to bowl Australia to an easy 95-run victory over the West Indies on the final day of the first Digicel Test at Sabina Park on Monday.

Set 287 for a rare victory against the Aussies, the West Indies failed to produce the same competitive spirit and steely resolve of the last two days and capitulated for a modest 191 with none of their batsmen getting past 40.

The 32-year-old Clark ended with five for 32 in 20 overs of each way swing and seam on a nagging line and length which stifled the scoring of the West Indian batsmen, forcing them into fatal errors.

Having bettered his previous best of five for 55 on debut against South Africa in 2006, Clark was named Man-of-the-Match for his overall figures of eight for 91 in 39 overs, which pushed his career stats to 75 wickets in only 16 Tests at a miserly average of 20.77.

The pacy Brett Lee, who took the key wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 11 courtesy of a return catch, ably assisted Clark but bowled without luck for the most part with a couple of catches being dropped off his bowling.

Clarke, who dismissed the first three in the West Indies batting order in both innings, and Lee (2-81) combined for 20 consecutive overs while bowling unchanged for 110 minutes in the extended pre-lunch session to sweep aside the top-six West Indies batsmen.

By the time they got a deserved rest, they had rendered the previously absorbing contest into a cakewalk for the Aussies with the Windies wobbling to 91 for six.

Even though Denesh Ramdin (36) and Darren Sammy (35) brought a measure of respectability to the final total with 67-run seventh-wicket stand, Australia wrapped up their 13th win in the last 14 Tests well before the tea interval to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series for the Frank Worrell Trophy.

(For more see main lead)

CMC mes/kp/08