By Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor 
Australia captain Ricky Ponting swings to the boundary on his way to 59 at Sabina Park against the West Indies yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
THE WEST Indies' bid for a winning start in the seven-match Cable & Wireless one-day series ended in disappointment for a bumper crowd at Sabina Park yesterday when, despite a bold attempt for victory by Ramnaresh Sarwan, they failed by three runs to defeat Australia after rain and the Duckworth/Lewis system intervened and all but destroyed a contest that appeared heading for an exciting finish.
Chipping along at 114 for two off 23.2 overs in reply to Australia's 270 for five off the allotted 50 overs, captain Brian Lara on 17 and looking good, Devon Smith on 21 and also looking good, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels to come, the West Indies, scoring at a rate of 4.91 runs an over and despite needing to up it to 6.32, were in with a good chance off knocking off the World Cup champions when the rain came and chased the players off the field.
When play resumed, however, the target was no longer 167 runs off 26.4 overs at 6.32 per over.
According to Duckworth/Lewis, it was then 208 off 37 overs, that meant the West Indies needed 94 off 14 to win, that, based on the careless, desperate strokes by Lara, Smith and Samuels, was too many runs off too few overs for the West Indies and, but for Sarwan, who hit 47 not out off 36 deliveries, it was all Australia after that as the West Indies, going for broke, dropped to 137 for five after losing three wickets for 23 runs in six overs.
With the rate per over up to 6.88 and the odds against his team, Lara, hit medium pacer Ian Harvey wide of long-on for four, ran down the pitch to next delivery, swung wildly, and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
That was 124 for three in the 25th over; it was 33 for four in the 27th when Smith cut hopefully at Harvey and edged to Gilchrist; it was 137 for five in the 29th when Samuels drove at Harvey and edged a catch to Andy Symonds at backward point; and from there on, the Windies were on the back foot.
With Sarwan stroking each delivery on merit, however, with the West Indies falling short by only three runs, apart from fast bowler Mervyn Dillon who made a few blunders in the field and who bowled some wayward deliveries at the end of Australia's innings, Lara, Smith and Samuels must have kicked themselves when it was all over.
After winning the toss and sending Australia to bat, the West Indies, but for Vasbert Drakes who conceded 53 runs off nine overs, bowled well and at times fielded brilliantly to restrict the visitors to 186 for five after 40 overs before Michael Bevan, 43 not out off 44 deliveries, and Harvey, 48 not out off 30, smashed 84 runs off the last 10 overs.
With Ricardo Powell as Christopher Gayle's partner and the crowd cheering them on, the West Indies dashed to 75 off 14 overs before, after some powerful strokes against the Aussie speed merchant, both batsmen fell to successive deliveries from Brett Lee.
Gayle, who had pulled to wide long-on and driven sweetly through extra-cover in the fast bowler's previous over, chipped, got a short, rising delivery, attempted to pull, and was caught by Brad Hogg running back at extra-cover; and after crossing while the ball was in the air, Powell, who had hooked pacer Andy Bichel for six and driven powerfully to long-on in the previous over, attempted to hook, was beaten for pace, and the ball flew high off the shoulder of the bat and landed in the waiting gloves of Gilchrist.
Match No. 2 begins today at 9:30.
SCOREBOARD
Australia Innings
A. Gilchrist c Samuels b Dillon 21
M. Hayden c Gayle b Dillon 7
R. Ponting c Collymore b Gayle 59
D. Lehmann c Powell b Banks 55
A. Symonds c Dillon b Banks 18
M. Bevan not out 43
I. Harvey not out 48
Extras: (6lb, 9w, 4nb) 19
TOTAL: (for five wkts - 50 overs) 270
Bowling: Mervyn Dillon 9-1-53-2 (2nb, 4w), Vasbert Drakes 8-0-50-0 (1nb), Corey Collymore 10-0-49-0 (1nb, 1w), Marlon Samuels 6-0-26-0, Chris Gayle 9-0-42-1 (2w), Omari Banks 8-0-44-2 (2nb).
West Indies Innings
(victory target revised from 271 off 50 overs to 208 off 37 overs after rain fell at 114 for two off 23.2 overs)
C. Gayle c Hogg b Lee 37
R. Powell c Gilchrist b Lee 37
D. Smith c Gilchrist b Harvey 26
B. Lara c Gilchrist b Harvey 23
R. Sarwan not out 47
M. Samuels c Symonds b Harvey 2
O.Banks run out (Hayden/Symonds) 12
C. Baugh b McGrath 7
V. Drakes b Symonds 1
M. Dillon not out 8
Extras: (2lb, 1w, 2nb) 5
TOTAL: (for eight wkts - 37 overs) 205
Fall: 1-75, 2-75, 3-124, 4-133, 5-137, 6-161, 7-176, 8-185.
Bowling: Glenn McGrath 8-1-34-1, Brett Lee 8-1-52-2 (1nb), Andy Bichel 7-1-38-0 (1nb), Ian Harvey 7-0-37-3 (1w), Andrew Symonds 7-0-42-1.
