



St George's (Grenada), June 28: : score of 62 from 105 balls, and with Clarke shared a crucial fourth wicket stand, as Australia reached 213 for five from their allocation of 50 overs after choosing to bat on a hard, true pitch.
The two Michaels added exactly 100, after Australia courted early strife at 35 for three in the ninth over. Clarke reached his landmark in the 34th over, when he drove his 87th delivery from Sulieman Benn to long-on for a single.
But he fell in the 38th over, when Benn had him adjudged lbw after the batsman got too far inside the line to turn a delivery into the leg-side.
Hussey reached his 50 in the 41st over, when he edged a loose drive at his wide, 94th ball from Jerome Taylor to third man for the last of his two fours, and seemed prepared to carry the Aussies through until the end.
But he tried to clear long-on with a delivery from Bravo and was caught inside the boundary in the 45th over leaving Hopes and Cameron White to carry Australia the rest of the way.
Not for the first time during Australia's trip to the Caribbean, the start of play was delayed for close to 15 minutes because of issues with the sightscreen at the northern end of the ground.
It's hard to determine if the mollycoddle affected the two Australian openers, but they were dismissed within five overs of each other. Shane Watson was adjudged lbw playing across to Taylor for a duck with the last ball of the first over, and Shaun Marsh was caught behind edging a stiff grope at a rising ball from Daren Powell in the sixth over to leave Australia 19 for two.
After another issue with the sightscreen at the southern end of the ground, Australia were wobbled further. Australia captain Ricky Ponting, appearing in his 300th ODI, fell to Jerome Taylor for the eighth time in international cricket (Tests and ODIs), and he was caught at short, straight mid-wicket for 13 in the ninth over.
But Hussey and Clarke, drawing on their experience, navigated Australia through choppy waters, and they later reached "the promised land." Taylor took two for 47 from his
allotment of 10 overs for West Indies....
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