KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) – West Indies and Australia played to a dramatic tie in the third One-Day International, in a thrilling finish to a riveting contest at Arnos Vale here yesterday.
Needing one run from the last three balls of the match to reach their target of 221, the last wicket pair of captain Darren Sammy (10) and Kemar Roach (nine not out) hesitated over a quick single and found themselves stranded at virtually the same end.
Starting the nerve-racking last over requiring seven for victory, West Indies scrambled singles from the first two deliveries before Sammy slammed the third from fast bowler Brett Lee to the wide long on boundary, to bring the scores level.
Sammy then squirted the fourth ball to point and held his ground while Roach set off for a near impossible single. In the end, Sammy found himself quarter of a way down the pitch when Lee took the bails off at the bowlers’ end.
The result, however, represented a tremendous comeback by the home side after they appeared out of it at 117 for six in the 29th over.
Andre Russell then arrived at the crease to crack 37 from 42 balls and Carlton Baugh supported with 33 from 69 balls, in a pivotal 64-run stand for the seventh wicket that pulled the innings around.
Russell, who was bowled by a Shane Watson no-ball in 31 in the 39th over, struck three fours and a six while Baugh counted three fours.
The momentum shifted again when Russell edged seamer Clint McKay behind at 181 for seven in the 43rd over and Baugh holed out to deep mid-wicket off the same bowler, nine runs later.
Sunil Narine crashed two boundaries in 10 before falling but Sammy and Roach steered the Windies to the brink of victory.
Earlier, Mike Hussey hit 67 and George Bailey, 59, but West Indies produced a lethal late innings burst to rattle Australia and to scupper the visitors’ hopes of an imposing total.
Batting first after winning the toss, Australia were dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings for 220, a disappointing total considering they were well poised for a late assault at 202 for four in the 46th over.
They lost their last six wickets for 18 runs off 25 balls as exciting off-spinner Sunil Narine claimed two wickets at the death to finish with three for 32 while Kemar Roach took wickets with successive deliveries in the 47th over, to end with two for 42.
Off-spinner Marlon Samuels, who started the slide by getting rid of the dangerous Mike Hussey, finished with two for 39.
Once again, West Indies bowled well up front to reduce the Aussies to 58 for three in the 15th over.
Captain Watson was run-out for 10 by Russell’s direct throw from mid-on in the seventh over, Matthew Wade was bowled behind his back for two by Narine in the 10th before David Warner slashed Sammy to Kieron Pollard at point for 37.
Mike Hussey then combined with Bailey to stitch up the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 112.
The left-handed Hussey faced 95 balls and stroked four fours and a six – a rare maximum off Narine that sailed over mid-wicket – while Bailey struck a single four and a six off 87 balls.
They were preparing to go into overdrive when Bailey swung Samuels into Dwayne Bravo’s lap at square leg in the 40th over.
The Hussey brothers, Mike and David, put on 32 from 35 balls for the fifth wicket before the rot set in.
Opener Johnson Charles then gave West Indies a handy start, belting 45 from 56 balls with seven fours and an audacious six over long-off off spinner Nathan Lyon.
He added 27 with Kieran Powell who scored 12 before sliding out of his crease and being stumped off left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty (2-30).
West Indies then lost wickets steadily as Samuels (2) fell lbw to Watson (3-30) to a straight ball and without addition to the score at 52 for three, left-hander Darren Bravo lazily drove his third delivery, a slower ball from Watson, straight to Bailey at short cover to depart without scoring.
Charles and Dwayne Bravo (13) put on 20 for the fourth wicket before departing in the space of six runs and Pollard threatened something special with 36 from 43 balls, with two fours and two giant sixes.
Going after a third six, however, Pollard was held in the deep off Lyon, paving the way for the theatrics that followed.

AUSTRALIA innings
S. Watson run-out 10
D. Warner c Pollard b Sammy 37
M. Wade b Narine 2
G. Bailey c DJ Bravo b Samuels 59
M. Hussey stp. Baugh b Samuels 67
D. Hussey b Roach 15
D. Christian lbw b Narine 12
B. Lee b Roach 0
C. McKay c wkp. Baugh b Narine 0
X. Doherty run-out 0
N. Lyon not out 4
Extras: (b-4, lb-6, w-3, nb-1) 14
Total: (all out, 49.5 overs) 220
Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Watson), 2-38 (Wade), 3-58 (Warner), 4-170 (Bailey), 5-202 (M. Hussey), 6-202 (D. Hussey), 7-203 (Lee), 8-208 (McKay), 9-208 (Doherty).
Bowling: Roach 10-0-42-2, DJ Bravo 8-1-30-0, Narine 9.5-1-32-3, Sammy 5-0-27-1, Russell 5-0-28-0, Samuels 9-0-39-2, Pollard 3-0-12-0.
WEST INDIES innings
K. Powell st Wade b Doherty 12
J. Charles c Christian b Watson 45
M. Samuels lbw b Watson 2
DM Bravo c Bailey b Watson 0
DJ Bravo c wkp. Wade b Doherty 13
K. Pollard c Doherty b Lyon 36
C. Baugh c Christian b McKay 33
A. Russell c wkp. Wade b McKay 37
D. Sammy run-out 10
S. Narine c D. Hussey b Lee 10
K. Roach not out 9
Extras: (b-1, lb-5, w-6, nb-1) 13
Total: (all out, 49.4 overs) 220
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Powell), 2-52 (Samuels), 3-52 (DM Bravo), 4-72 (Charles), 5-78 (DJ Bravo), 6-117 (Pollard), 7-181 (Russell), 8-190 (Baugh), 9-204 (Narine).
Bowling: Lee 9.4-1-52-1, McKay 10-1-50-2, Doherty 10-2-30-2, Watson 10-4-30-3, Lyon 8-2-41-1, Christian 2-0-11-0.