Windies get confidence booster

ADELAIDE - The West Indies cricket team ended a two-month winning drought with a comfortable win over Australia A in a one-day fixture at the Adelaide Oval tonight.

The Windies, who have endured a sorry tour, had failed to win a game since November after capitulating in five Tests against Australia.

But tonight they finally sampled that long-forgotten winning feeling, comfortably accounting for Australia's second-string side by four wickets with more than eight overs to spare after bowling the home side out for 145 in just 42.3 overs.

Victory did not come without a scare after a late tumble of wickets threatened to make reaching the target hard work.

The Windies have been notorious for their batting collapses on this tour, and once again their middle order unravelled in quick succession to Victorian paceman Damien Fleming and Test leg spinner Stuart MacGill.

However, tour revelation Marlon Samuels steadied the Windies' rudderless ship, winning man of the match honours after top scoring with 45 and taking two wickets.

Ridley Jacobs remained not out on 15 and Laurie Williams was unbeaten on 11 as the Windies cruised to 6-146.

Australia A made an early breakthrough as the tourists started their run chase before the dinner break.

Paceman Paul Wilson had stand-in Windies skipper Sherwin Campbell (eight) caught by Michael Slater in his second over to have the tourists 1-14. Fleming, who continued his successful return after missing much of the summer with a shocking run of injuries, then claimed the crucial wicket of Brian Lara, caught by Shane Lee at first slip for nine.

Wavell Hinds and Samuels resumed at 2-28 after the break and forged a 71-run partnership before Hinds (29) was caught by Greg Blewett at cover off the bowling of MacGill.

After going so long without a victory, the West Indies got the wobbles and lost three wickets in three overs.

Fleming struck again when he had Sylvester Jacobs (13) caught behind by Wade Seccombe.

The Queensland keeper was in the action again, stumping a charging Samuels from the bowling of MacGill.

Ricardo Powell was then bowled by Fleming for a duck, giving the Victorian swing bowler figures of 3-18 from 10 overs in only his second match since missing more than a month with a bulging disc at the base of his neck. Australia A could not recover with the bat after losing five wickets for just 95 runs in the first 25 overs.

Lee looked set to offer some resistance to the Windies' attack, belting a Mahendra Nagamootoo delivery for a massive six over midwicket and out of the ground.

But when Lee lunged forward in an attempt to give Nagamootoo's next ball similar treatment, he was trapped just outside his crease and stumped by Jacobs for 30.

Andy Bichel and Wilson put on a battling 25 for the last wicket before Bichel was caught by Powell off the bowling of Samuels for 30.

West Indies leg-spinnger Nagamootoo claimed 3-28 from 10 overs while Samuels took 2-27 from 9.3 and Laurie Williams also took two wickets.

Samuels said morale was good in the West Indies' camp ahead of the triangular series.

"It's wonderful to start with a win," he said.

"Everything is coming together ... it's going to be a great competition but I think the West Indies will do well."

While Fleming was happy with his performance, he felt Australia A could have benefited from having more time to prepare.

The squad only met in Adelaide yesterday and had a training session yesterday afternoon.

"For me it was really pleasing to get through, I feel really good," Fleming said.

"The team spirit is really good but just the way we batted today we just didn't get any momentum.

"Maybe if we'd got here a couple of days early and had a couple of training sessions together it might have been a bit better."