JOIN USShane Watson celebrated his return to international cricket with a sparkling innings of 122 to drive Australia to a 39-run victory over West Indies in the third one-dayer and an unassailable 3-0 series lead.
The 31-year-old opener's 111-ball knock on Wednesday helped Australia to 329 for seven in their 50 overs and West Indies flirted with reaching the big victory target before James Faulkner (4/48) polished them off for 290. Darren Bravo top scored with 86 for West Indies, who will be playing only for pride in the remaining two matches in Sydney and Melbourne.
It was the first one-day international ever played in the nation's capital and the Manuka Oval track certainly gave the batsmen plenty of opportunity to score runs.
Watson, who missed much of the domestic season through injury, reached his seventh ODI century in 102 balls and then conjured up two fours and two sixes in the next nine balls before holing out to Kieron Pollard at backward square leg. West Indies started their run-chase at a slow pace but soon picked up with typical flourish to match Australia's run rate at around the 30 over mark.
Left-arm seamer Faulkner made two crucial interventions, however, the first when he bowled dangerman Chris Gayle (2) and Darren Bravo in the space of four balls to leave West Indies at 215 for , and too much to do, and Windies never could get the going after those dismissals.
AUSTRALIA
Watson c Pollard b Roach 122
Finch c Thomas b Sammy 38
Hughes c Thomas b Sammy 86
Clarke c&b Pollard 15
Bailey c Pollard b Narine 44
Maxwell c Pollard b Narine 4
Wade (not out) 4
Faulkner b Bravo 2
Johnson (not out) 8
Extras (B-1, W-3, NB-2) 6
Total (7 wkts; 50 overs) 329
Fall of wickets: 1-89, 2-201, 3-242, 4-284, 5-299, 6-317, 7-321.
Bowling: Roach 9-1-72-1, Russell 5-0-41-0, Sammy 8-0-49-2, DJ Bravo 7-0-39-1, Narine 10-0-55-2, Gayle 5-0-36-0, Pollard 6-0-36-1.
West Indies
Powell c Wade b Maxwell 47
Thomas c Hughes b McKay 19
Darren Bravo b Faulkner 86
Dwayne Bravo b Starc 51
Gayle b Faulkner 2
Pollard (run out) 9
Russell c Wade b McKay 43
Sarwan b Johnson 12
Sammy b Faulkner 8
Narine b Faulkner 1
Roach (not out) 1
Extras (LB-4, W-6, NB-1) 11
Total (all out, 47.3 overs) 290
Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-81, 3-195, 4-214, 5-215, 6-234, 7-264, 8-281, 9-289.
Bowling: Clint McKay 10-1-62-2, Mitchell Starc 7-0-50-1, Mitchell Johnson 9-1-59-1, James Faulkner 8.3-1-48-4, Glen Maxwell 10-0-44-1, Michael Clarke 3-0-23-0.