It could last forever. What a run by the Baggy Green!

Australia's Winning Streak Comes to an End
Andrew Miller - 25 May 2003

Australia's 21-match unbeaten run has come to an end, the very
day after they took an unassailable 4-0 lead in the seven-match
series. West Indies won the toss and made an imposing 290 for 5,
thanks to an enterprising second-wicket partnership of 178
between Brian Lara and Wavell Hinds, and some restrictive spells
of bowling from an assortment of part-time spinners. Australia
lost early wickets in reply and never came close, despite a
classy 77 from Andrew Symonds. As Steve Waugh found out last
month, clean sweeps in the Caribbean are notoriously hard to
achieve.

Lara was in barnstorming form in the Tests, but had managed just
62 runs in the first four ODI matches, and invited criticism for
coming in at No. 5 during yesterday's 67-run defeat. But today,
determined to stave off another whitewash, he led from the front,
coming in at No. 3 as early as the second over after Chris Gayle
had been trapped lbw by Brett Lee.

He started slowly, but after taking a good look at the bowling,
Lara launched into Glenn McGrath and Lee with a series of
lacerating back-foot drives and pulls. They were statements of
intent that were seized upon by an increasingly animated Port-of-
Spain crowd, and Hinds caught the mood as well, cracking a Lee
long-hop to the point boundary, before pulling McGrath through
midwicket. They were urgent between the wickets as well, although
a fraction over-eager on one occasion, when Hinds narrowly beat a
Lee direct-hit after being sent back by Lara.

Eventually though, Andy Bichel's golden arm made the
breakthrough. He had been clattered for six fours in his first
three overs, but returned for a second spell to pick up Hinds and
Lara in consecutive overs - Lara for the seventh time in the
tour. But some sensible accumulation from Ramnaresh Sarwan kept
West Indies grinding towards an ominous total. He added 71 for
the fourth wicket with Marlon Samuels, who kept his attacking
instincts in check while at the same time cracking five loose
deliveries for emphatic boundaries. Ricardo Powell completed a
successful team effort with an unbeaten 20 from 13 balls.

Australia had not successfully chased a total of this magnitude
for more than a year, and they were quickly pinned back by Corey
Collymore and Merv Dillon, who grabbed the crucial wickets of
Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting. Gilchrist lasted just 13 balls,
carelessly lofting Collymore straight down the throat of Wavell
Hinds at deep-midwicket for 11 (18 for 1), and though Ponting
started confidently, he soon flicked a good-length ball from
Dillon straight to Hinds at square leg (57 for 3). Collymore also
dealt with Jimmy Maher, standing in for Matthew Hayden, thanks to
a brilliant catch by Ryan Hurley, who dived forward from mid-on
and damaged his shoulder in the process.

Symonds and Michael Clarke did their bit to salvage the situation
with a well-paced 92-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Clarke had walloped an unbeaten 55 from 40 balls in Saturday's
victory, and picked up where he left off by smashing Gayle for a
first-ball four through long-on. But Lara's response was
unorthodox in the extreme, as he turned to the legspin of Sarwan,
who had previously bowled just three overs in one-day cricket.
Sarwan dropped in the odd loose delivery, but his big-spinning
leg-stump line proved difficult to get away. Clarke, forever
giving himself room, cracked three fours in his 39, but when
Dillon returned to the attack, Lara leapt high at mid-on to cling
onto a well-middled swipe (149 for 4).

Australia's hopes now rested on the magnificent form of Symonds,
and the ultimate finishing skills of Michael Bevan. Symonds
played a delightful innings, mixing his natural power with a
series of deft glides and late cuts as the spinners continued to
bowl a tight line. But he eventually misjudged another dab off
Samuels, and deflected the ball onto his stumps for 77. Ian
Harvey quickly followed, bowled by Gayle for 2, and the contest
had been over for some time when Bevan was given out by the third
umpire, caught at gully off Dillon for 31. With 55 runs needed
from the final over, Lara bowed to popular demand and brought
himself on to bowl, as Australia's winning streak came to an end.