ALL POWER TO AUSTRALIA AS INTERNATIONAL SEASON CONCLUDES

The tale of this match, as it has been in so many of Australia's eleven straight wins over the bamboozled West Indian outfit, was written from early in the piece. By about as early, in fact, as the time that Mark Waugh (173) and Ricky Ponting (63) came together to assemble a partnership of 125 runs for the second wicket that made a mockery of West Indian captain Jimmy Adams' invitation to the Australians to bat first.

To think that the tourists would have been able to contain the Australians to a manageable score would have depended upon several factors. A helpful pitch, a tight line and length, and sharp ground fielding would all have helped immeasurably. Anything other than meek body language would have been handy. And quite possibly - given the completely overwhelming pattern established this summer - it might have required the sight of a few pigs flying across the ground too.

"It's a big achievement. We probably haven't realised how big the achievement is but, in time, it will be recognised," said a pleased Australian captain Steve Waugh of the Australians' completion of a perfect summer on home soil.

"We've played good cricket all the way through and the guys have worked hard and deserved success. It has been a really pleasing summer," he added.

The West Indians did actually ended up making an excellent first of the chase. Marlon Samuels (63), Wavell Hinds (60) and Ridley Jacobs (59) all played lovely attacking innings, in fact. But the match was effectively all over by the time that they went to work. The intervention of Warne (4/48 off 8.3 overs), in trapping Ricardo Powell (21) lbw without playing a stroke and inducing Brian Lara (0) to slog a catch to wide mid off all in the space of his first over of the match, more or less killed any vague, flickering hope.

A seventeenth one-day international century for Waugh - and the highest ever score by an Australian male at this level no less - powered Australia to the mammoth score of 6/338. In so doing, it effectively ensured that the locals' path to a fifteenth straight victory for the summer was never likely to be anything other than smooth.

Against an attack which battled for consistency and virtually anything in the way of enthusiasm, Waugh (173) was essentially untroubled throughout. He did exhibit the occasional sign of frustration early with some unconvincing strokes across the line of deliveries from new ball pair Nixon McLean (1/58 off ten overs) and Cameron Cuffy (1/53 from ten) but was soon back on course again. It was a course from which he was never diverted. He will face a significantly sterner examination tomorrow when he fronts the Australian Cricket Board Special Investigator, Greg Melick, and International Cricket Council (ICC) investigators probing his alleged acceptance of money from an illegal Indian bookmaker in 1993.

With an equally assured Ponting (63), Waugh helped offset the loss of Adam Gilchrist (5) to a mistimed cut and matters never really improved for the West Indians. Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds (7) were two batsmen who did actually fail today but it scarcely made any difference. Another 136 runs flowed in a partnership between Waugh and Michael Bevan (58) in better than even time for the fourth wicket. In fact, so dominant had the Australians' position become that, by as early as the forty-first over, they had already surpassed the West Indians' highest score in any preceding match in this series.

It was the forty-sixth over in which Waugh surpassed Gilchrist's previous Australian one-day international (ODI) best of 154 - made against Sri Lanka at this ground in the 1998-99 season. So tame was the bowling arraigned against him by that stage that, for a short time thereafter, even the all time record of 194 (compiled by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar against India in 1996-97) appeared under threat. It was not until Lara held a catch at long on in the forty-ninth over - after Waugh had backed away to leg and tried to blast a Samuels (3/71 from ten overs) delivery over mid on - that that possibility was finally ruled out.

As it was, Waugh still plundered the ninth highest individual hand in ODI history; Australia hammered its way to the largest ever ODI total at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; and, the home team also registered the country's second highest total of all time in ODIs. It was also the highest ever ODI tally in Australia. There were probably even more records that fell by the wayside. But to quote them would only reinforce the blindingly obvious about West Indies' relative ineptitude.

It wasn't quite the kind of climax that another sizeable crowd deserved. Then again, maybe it was exactly the kind of finish that this season demanded.

This summer, Australia has extended its run of consecutive Test match victories to an astonishing fifteen. It has failed to lose a single one-day international and has prolonged another amazing winning streak that has seen it triumphant in all but one of the twenty-six encounters that it has contested in the Carlton Series over the course of the last three years. Most strikingly of all, it has won most of these games with an ease bordering on the ridiculous.

Today's match, while bringing with it slightly more glory than usual for the victor and a closer margin than normal, was about as inglorious again for the vanquished.

WARNE STRIKES TWICE TO PROLONG TOURISTS' AGONY

The new opening pairing of Ricardo Powell (21) and Wavell Hinds (42*) had at least made a positive start by the time of Warne's intervention, rocketing the total to fifty-four after nine overs before the indomitable Victorian struck. Introduced into the attack after an unsuccessful opening spell from Damien Fleming at the Great Southern Stand End, the champion leg spinner set the start on its head with his very first ball when he had Powell deciding to pad up at a ball turning sharply back into him. Powell's error of judgement was an unfortunate one and set the stage for another enigmatic display from Brian Lara (0).

If his teammate's demise had been caused by an unfortunate error, then it was still nothing compared to that of the one made five balls later by the side's senior batsman. Lara charged at Warne, tried to loft a straight shot over the infield, but failed to clear Damien Martyn at wide mid off. A terrible mistake at a terrible time and a terrible way to end the tour for a man who has attempted to shoulder his ailing team's batting workload all summer.

Hinds has, to his credit, continued to bat beautifully at the other end. And, in the wake of Lara's dismissal, he has found an excellent ally in Marlon Samuels (25*). Those two have quickly advanced the score to its present mark with a nice counter-attacking touch. But the target established for them is still a mighty long way away.

RECORDS TUMBLE AS WAUGH, AUSTRALIA PUNISH LISTLESS WEST INDIANS

Against an attack which battled for line and length and virtually anything in the way of enthusiasm, Waugh (173) was essentially untroubled throughout. He did exhibit the occasional sign of frustration early with some unconvincing strokes across the line of deliveries from new ball pair Nixon McLean and Cameron Cuffy but was soon back on course again. It was a course from which he was never diverted. He will face a significantly sterner examination tomorrow when he fronts the Australian Cricket Board Special Investigator, Greg Melick, and International Cricket Council (ICC) investigators probing his alleged acceptance of money from an illegal Indian bookmaker in 1993.

With an equally in control Ricky Ponting (63), Waugh added 125 runs for the second wicket and matters never really improved for the West Indians. Adam Gilchrist (5) and Andrew Symonds (7) were two batsmen who did actually fail today but it scarcely made any difference. Another 136 runs flowed in a partnership between Waugh and Michael Bevan (58) in better than even time for the fourth wicket. In fact, so dominant had the Australians' position become that, by as early as the forty-first over, they had already surpassed the West Indians' highest score in any match in this series.

It was in the forty-sixth over in which Waugh surpassed Gilchrist's previous Australian one-day international (ODI) best of 154 - made against Sri Lanka at this ground in the 1998-99 season. So tame was the bowling arraigned against him by that stage that, for a short time thereafter, even the all time record of 194 (compiled by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar against India in 1996-97) appeared under threat. It was not until Brian Lara held a catch at long on in the forty-ninth over - after Waugh had backed away to leg and tried to blast a Marlon Samuels (3/71 from ten overs) over mid on - that that possibility was finally ruled out.

As it was, Waugh still plundered the ninth highest individual hand in ODI history; Australia hammered its way to the largest ever ODI total at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; and, the home team also registered the country's second highest total of all time in ODIs. It was also the highest ever ODI tally in Australia. There are probably even more records that have fallen by the wayside. But to quote them would only reinforce the blindingly obvious about West Indies' relative ineptitude.

After they had won the toss and invited the Australians to bat, far more had been expected from the tourists with the ball and in the field. It was instead an appalling display. Their line and length was steady at best, there were only really two good moments (in the form of fine catches from Wavell Hinds) in the field; and, captain Jimmy Adams seemed perfectly content to set defensive fields from early in the piece. This is a match they simply have to win. But already, they seemingly have absolutely no hope of doing that.

TWO WICKETS FALL BUT NO SIGN OF STUMBLE FROM AUSTRALIA

In the comparative calm before what is likely to ultimately develop into a storm of run scoring late in this innings, Waugh (81*) and Ponting (63) had added a controlled 125 runs for the second Australian wicket before their association was finally terminated. It wasn't necessarily a belligerent partnership; rather, it was an exhibition in skilled placement and adroit punishment of a stream of bad deliveries.

And in truth, it was only a lapse in concentration from Ponting that caused his demise. He could probably have dispatched a genuine long hop to any part of the stadium of his choosing but somehow misplaced the stroke and presented Wavell Hinds with the opportunity to accept a low catch running in from his position on the deep mid wicket rope.

The fall of that wicket was soon followed by another when Symonds tried, impetuously, to launch a Cameron Cuffy delivery over mid wicket. Instead, he dragged a low catch to Nagamootoo in that position and disappeared back to the pavilion almost as quickly as he had come from it.

That suddenly left the Australians three wickets down. But, with Waugh continuing to make excellent progress all the while at the other end - even past the point of 8,000 one-day international runs and toward a third century in this series alone - they barely seem in bother. Indeed, unless the West Indians can adhere to a far more consistent line and length through the concluding overs of the innings, the die seems cast. Australia is heading for another big total.

SUBDUED BUT CONTROLLED OPENING BY AUSTRALIA

The presence of persistent morning drizzle in Melbourne ensured that it wasn't until 3:00pm AEDT - thirty minutes after the scheduled starting time - that play finally commenced. And, when it did, both teams gave the appearance of going through the motions a little before a smaller than expected crowd. Invited to bat first in circumstances which encouraged the occasional sign of life from the pitch, Australian openers Adam Gilchrist (5) and Mark Waugh (37*) played in restrained fashion initially.

Then, in the fifth over, the Australian vice captain made an unexpectedly early exit. A ferocious cut at the pace of Nixon McLean produced a slightly mistimed stroke and a low, nicely taken catch for Wavell Hinds at point.

The arrival of Ricky Ponting (38*) at the crease then ushered in a gradual acceleration of the scoring rate. The Tasmanian signaled his intentions to play attractively almost immediately, issuing a number of delightful cross-batted strokes at new ball bowlers McLean and Cameron Cuffy whenever they dropped the ball short of a good length.

Waugh, at the other end, was not scoring as incisively and showed a few signs of frustration as he launched one or two wild swings. But, after he had middled another such attempt from two paces down the wicket at Cuffy to strike a powerful boundary through mid on, confidence and assurance seemed to return to his game.

Earlier, the Australians named a side unchanged from the one that secured a convincing victory in the opening match of the finals series in Sydney two days ago. The West Indians, for their part, elected to make one change, Hinds returning to the side in place of fellow batsman Sylvester Joseph. As yet, though, it seems to have sparked no change in the tourists' general demeanour. Their body language, if it is anything by which to judge, does not provide anything other than dim signs.

RAIN DELAYS START IN MELBOURNE

But, for the moment, Australia's march toward the completion of a perfect summer is under threat from conditions that look anything but appropriate to the season. Ugly grey skies in Melbourne have brought with them persistent drizzle and a decision that play has no chance of starting at the scheduled time of 2:30pm AEDT.

At this point, Umpires Steve Davis and Darrell Hair have elected to push the commencement time back by half an hour in the hope that conditions will be more suitable by then. There will be no reduction in overs if that move proves successful, but the break between innings will be shortened by fifteen minutes.

So, for the moment, that's about as much as there is to report from within the bleak confines of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Hopefully, there will be happier news in the next of the updates that we will continue to provide throughout the day.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 09 Feb2001 - 22:23