The inevitable victory was achieved 13 minutes before the scheduled tea interval on the penultimate day after the visitors, who were set a modest 147 to win the first Cable & Wireless Test, reached the target, losing opener Matthew Hayden on the way.

Man-of-the-match Justin Langer, who slammed 146 in the Australian first innings total of 489, was undefeated on 78 and vice-captain Ricky Ponting 42 not out.

Earlier, fast bowler Jason Gillespie had destroyed the West Indies lower-order before lunch. In a remarkable spell, which saw him grabbing four wickets for a mere four runs in 4.2 overs, the West Indies catapulted from their overnight 381 for five to 398 all out, losing their last five wickets for the addition of 17 runs.

The tall pacer, who finished with five for 39 from 20.2 overs started the homesters’ demise with the final delivery of the first over when Vasbert Drakes, who was 14 overnight, was trapped lbw on the backfoot, failing to add to his score.

Mervyn Dillon (0) went in similar fashion in the following over with just two added to the score.

An injured Ridley Jacobs was forced to bat as it became necessary and he was joined by Wavell Hinds as his runner.

It meant then that both Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who resumed on 26 and batting with a runner since the third afternoon, and Jacobs were dependent on the Jamaican duo - a unique situation in Test cricket.

Much depended on the pair, if West Indies were to set Australia a substantial total to chase, following their heroics in the first innings when Chanderpaul recorded an even hundred, the third fastest in Test and Jacobs an unbeaten 54.

West Indies’ hopes however vanished when Gillespie induced an outside edge from Chanderpaul for wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist to take a straightforward catch as the West Indies slipped to 391 for eight.

Chanderpaul’s 31 included four fours in 106 minutes.

Showing signs of aggression, Jacobs hoisted leg-spinner Stuart MacGill over long-on for huge six but MacGill got revenge with the very next ball as an obviously uncomfortable Jacobs went caught at short-leg by Darren Lehmann for 11.

Gillespie wasted no time in wrapping up the innings, trapping last man Jermaine Lawson lbw for his second duck of the match.

The opening pair of Langer and Hayden, who started slowly, had wiped off 47 of the required total by lunch with Langer already finding his range with some fluent drives in his unbeaten 32 while a more subdued Hayden was 11 not out.

Dropped on 46 by substitute David Bernard Jr, from a skier, off off-spinner Marlon Samuels, Langer proceeded to blast the next delivery to the extra cover boundary to post his half-century which included seven fours in 102 minutes.

West Indies claimed a consolation wicket when an out-of-sorts Hayden failed to beat substitute Narsingh Deonarine at midwicket and was well caught for 19 with the score on 77.

That was however the home team’s only success as Langer and Ponting dominated proceedings after that. Langer’s unbeaten 78 included 10 fours in 181 minutes off 113 balls while Ponting slammed four fours and a six over long-off from the bowling of Samuels.

The win ensured Australia draw level on the number of victories with the West Indies in the Caribbean, both having 13 victories each while 13 matches have been drawn.

The second Test starts at the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago, on Saturday.

WEST INDIES first innings first innings 237 (S.Chanderpaul 100, R.Jacobs 54 not out; A.Bichel three for 55, B.Hogg two for 40, S.MacGill two for 49)

Australia first innings 489 (J.Langer 146, R.Ponting 117, A.Gilchrist 77; V.Drakes five for 93, J.Lawson two for 111)

WEST INDIES second innings
W.Hinds lbw MacGill 7

D.Smith c wkpr Gilchrist b Gillespie 62

D.Ganga c Lee b Lehmann 113

B.Lara hit wicket b Hogg 110

M.Samuels c Ponting b MacGill 7

S.Chanderpaul c wkpr Gilchrist b Gillespie 31

V.Drakes lbw Gillespie 14

M.Dillon lbw Gillespie 0

R.Jacobs c Lehmann b MacGill 11

P. Collins not out 1

J. Lawson lbw Gillespie 0

Extras: (b-6, lb-13, nb-22, w-1) 42

Total: (for five wickets, 97 overs) 398

Fall of wickets: 52, 110, 295, 303, 354, 382, 384, 391, 397.

Bowling: MacGill 31-5-140-3 (nb-2, w-1), Hogg 15-0-68-1 (nb-3), Lee 14-4-57-0 (nb-14), Gillespie 20.2-5-39-5 (nb-1), Bichel 13-4-40-0 (nb-2), Waugh 8-1-29-0, Lehmann 4-0-6-1.

AUSTRALIA second innings
J. Langer not out 78

M.Hayden c sub. Deonarine b Lawson 19

R. Ponting not out 42

Extras: (b-1, lb-2, nb-3, w-2) 8

Total: (for one wicket, overs) 147

Fall of wickets: 77