Rookie Rampage Caps Aussie Whitewash Of Windies

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday July 8, 2008

By ALEX BROWN SMH

THE first hurricane of the season could strike the Leeward Islands next Tuesday, but the West Indies would be forgiven for thinking it arrived several days early.

David Hussey and Luke Ronchi produced innings worthy of the Beaufort wind scale, bludgeoning and bashing their way to the second-and third-fastest half-centuries in Australian limited-overs cricket history. Their efforts helped the tourists to post a record total (8-341) and victory margin (169 runs) in contests between Australia and the West Indies, thus sealing a 5-0 series whitewash to complement their 2-0 Test series victory.

That the feats were achieved by batsmen playing just their second one-day international innings hinted at the success of Australia's generation-Y one-day team this tour.

Having entered the Caribbean with a question mark, the new-look Australian team will leave with an exclamation mark after trouncing the West Indies in the fifth and final ODI match at Warner Park.

Ronchi, named man of the match, headed to the pavilion content in the knowledge his 22-ball 50 was the second fastest achieved by an Australian in limited-overs competition.

But the Western Australian gloveman had slid to third on the list before the innings was out after Hussey needed just 19 balls to reach his own half-century.

Hussey's thunderous knock was the equal fifth-fastest 50 in ODI history.

Australia's total was helped further by the 113-run fifth-wicket stand between Andrew Symonds (66 from 88 balls) and Mike Hussey (51 from 56).

"It was just the job I was given to do, to make the most of the power plays . . . and it came off luckily enough today. There are other times that it hasn't, but today it did," said Ronchi, who could be considered for selection as a specialist batsman when first-choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin returns from injury.

The Australians made short work of defending their total. Mitchell Johnson removed experienced duo Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan inside six overs en route to the second-best figures (5-29) of his career. Only rookie batsman Shawn Findlay (59 not out) provided any meaningful resistance, and even then with the game all but gone.

Michael Clarke cut a contented figure after the match, elated by the knowledge he had helped Australia to a 5-0 series victory in his first outing as one-day captain.

Having been anointed Australia's captain-in-waiting for several years, Clarke said it was only now, with the experience of the past week, that he felt worthy of the tag.

"It was probably hard to accept when you're so young," he said.

SMH

FASTEST 50s FOR

AUSTRALIA IN ODIs

18 BALLS: Simon O'Donnell v Sri

Lanka, Sharjah, May 1990

19 BALLS: David Hussey v West

Indies, Basseterre, July 2008

22 BALLS: Luke Ronchi v West

Indies, Basseterre, July 2008

Damien Martyn v Bangladesh,

Cairns, August 2003

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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