CRICKET: Misery for West Indies

Australia 242-6 West Indies 121-6 Australia won by 121 runs

West Indies suffered another blow to their confidence when they slumped to a 121-run defeat against Australia in a World Series one-day international in Adelaide yesterday.

Beaten convincingly in their previous two tour matches and obviously weakened by the absence of Brian Lara, West Indies limped to a paltry 121 for 6 without ever threatening to challenge Australia's total of 242 for 6.

The tourists, badly out of form, failed to recover from a dismal top- order collapse in a match reduced to 47 overs a side because of early morning rain at Adelaide Oval.

After 12 overs, West Indies were floundering on 19 for 4, with openers Sherwin Campbell and Leicestershire's Phil Simmons, captain Richie Richardson and Kent's Carl Hooper already back in the pavilion.

It was a third successive one-day loss for West Indies, who are clearly suffering as a result of Lara's decision to stay at home. They lost the opening World Series match against Sri Lanka by four wickets on Friday, only three days after a more humiliating defeat against the inexperienced Australian Cricket Academy side.

Mark Waugh, the Australian No 3 and man of the match, lift- ed his side with a rapid 53 after Richardson won the toss. Waugh was promoted in the order to replace David Boon, who was dropped.

(West Indies won toss)

AUSTRALIA

*M Taylor c Harper 47

M Slater b Bishop 32

M Waugh c Hooper b Harper 53

R Ponting st Browne b Harper 11

S Law c Hooper b Harper 13

M Bevan not out 32

S Lee st Browne b Hooper 39

I Healy not out 0

Extras (b1 lb7 w7) 15

Total (for 6, 47 overs) 242

Fall: 1-60 2-108 3-142 4-166 5-169 6-232.

Did not bat: S Warne, C McDermott, G McGrath.

Bowling: Ambrose 9-0-4-30; Walsh 10-1-46-0; Bishop 8-0-33-1; Simmons 2-0-17-0; Harper 10-0-46-4; Hooper 8-0-49-1

West Indies

S Campbell run out 4

P Simmons c Waugh b McGrath 7

*R Richardson c Healy b McDermott 4

C Hooper lbw b McDermott 0

S Chanderpaul c Taylor b Waugh 39

J Adams c Law b Lee 20

R Harper not out 31

C Browne not out 11

Extras (lb2, w3) 5

Total (for 6, 47 overs) 121

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-16, 3-16, 4-17, 5-54, 6-97.

Did not bat: I Bishop, C Ambrose, C Walsh.

Bowling: McDermott 7-2-8-2; McGrath 5-1-13-1; Lee 7-0-20-1; Warne 7-1- 22-0; Waugh 10-0-26-1; Law 7-1-23-0; Bevan 3-0-7-0; Slater 1-1-0-0.