Piloted by a stroke-filled 80 from captain Brian Lara and a responsible knock of 79 by Wavell Hinds, the West Indies, who were aggressive and audacious in their approach, amassed 290 for five in their 50 overs and then restricted Australia to 251 for nine despite a fine 77 off 85 balls from middle order batsman Andrew Symonds.

The West Indies’ imposing total, which left Australia needing 291 for victory at 5.82 runs per over, was the third highest in a One-Day International at the venue and their best batting performance so far in the seven-match series.

Australia, who had taken an unbeatable 4-0 lead by winning Saturday’s first game of the back-to-back contests, made a valiant attempt to reach the challenging target but were thwarted by steady and suffocating bowling from a revitalised and resilient West Indian bowling and fielding outfit.

Fast bowlers Mervyn Dillon, three for 40 and Corey Collymore, two for 25, led the way, making the vital strikes and received admirable support from part-time spinners Marlon Samuels, two for 48 and Ramnaresh Sarwan, one for 53.

It was the West Indies’ first triumph over Australia in their last 12 One-Day Internationals and lifted the team’s spirits following their 3-1 Test series loss and the four successive defeats.

Lara, who marshalled his troops like an Army commander and made critical bowling changes, set the example in the field and his players responded with a fantastic fielding display to keep the Australians at bay throughout their reply.

Earlier, Lara and Hinds shared a Caribbean record second-wicket partnership against Australia of 178 runs in 33 overs after linking up when opener Chris Gayle was dismissed in the day’s second over for five after the West Indies won the toss and batted.

The left-handed pair delighted the 18 000-strong crowd with an array of attacking shots, with Lara hitting 10 fours in his 101-innings and Hinds smashing eight fours and two sixes off 102 deliveries.

The duo kept the score ticking along at five runs an over, posting the West Indies’ fifty in 11.4 overs, the 100 in 19.3 overs and the 150 in 29 overs.

Lara was the first to reach his fifty off 66 balls with eight fours but Hinds, who blossomed after a cautious start, stepped on the gas as he sped to his half-century off 82 deliveries with six fours.

Hinds celebrated the landmark by lifting off-spinner Nathan Hauritz into the C.L Duprey Stand at long on for six and in the next over, powerfully smashing part-time left-arm spinner Michael Clarke for another six over long on.

He overtook Lara in the 70s but was out shortly afterwards in the first over of a new spell by Andy Bichel when he edged a catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.

Bichel, whose first three overs cost 26 runs and had to be pulled out of the attack, struck again in his next over when Lara, after square-driving him for his 10th four, snicked an outswinger to Gilchrist behind the stumps.

Sarwan and Samuels then came together to sustain the tempo, adding 71 runs at a run-a-ball for the fourth wicket before fast bowler Brett Lee returned to dismiss both batsmen in the same over.

Sarwan made 32 off 37 balls with three fours while Samuels hit five fours in a fluent knock of 42 off 38 balls. Ricardo Powell weighed in with a breezy 20 not out off 13 balls as he and Ridley Jacobs gathered 26 runs in the last three overs.

Lee was Australia’s most successful bowler with three for 56 off his 10 overs while Bichel ended with two for 67 from his 10 overs.

In response, Australia slipped to 57 for three, losing the key wickets of Gilchrist (11) and captain Ricky Ponting (10), plus Jimmy Maher, who made 21.

Collymore removed Gilchrist, courtesy of a head-high catch on deep midwicket boundary by Hinds, who also pouched another catch above his head to account for Ponting.

The diminutive Ryan Hurley then made amends for an earlier miss when he dropped Maher off Dillon by racing in from mid-off and making a spectacular dive to snare a catch inches from the ground.

Unfortunately, he fell on his left shoulder in taking the catch and was forced to leave the field.

Symonds and Michael Clarke, who made 39 with five fours off 53 balls, then came together to feature in a fourth-wicket stand of 92 runs in 18.1 overs to keep Australia in the hunt.

However, Dillon returned for a second spell and immediately removed Clarke, who tailed away from his crease and slapped a catch to long on where Lara quickly back-pedalled and plucked the ball from the air.

That opened the floodgates for the West Indies as Samuels, trundling flat off-breaks, bowled dangerman Symonds off the inside edge as he tried to cut a delivery too close to him, ending an innings which contained eight fours.

In the next over, Gayle, operating in similar style to Samuels, bowled Ian Harvey for two, losing Australia in deep trouble at 189 for six.

Australia’s woes were compounded when Samuels struck again, bowling Bichel for seven as he swung and missed.

It soon became 219 for eight when Lee tried to hit a leg break from Sarwan, who was given a full quota of 10 overs with the injured Hurley off the field, and spooned a catch for Gayle to take, running around from the covers.

Bevan might be known as ‘The Finisher’ after steering Australia to many victories from difficult positions but the task was too much for him this time.

He hoisted Sarwan for a six between midwicket and long on and moved to 31 off 40 balls when he scooped a catch to Samuels at backward point off Dillon.

Umpire Billy Doctrove was unsure about whether the ball had hit the ground after it left Bevan’s bat and referred it to the Television umpire, Eddie Nicholls, who flashed the red light after viewing several replays from different angles.

Lara even had the honour of bowling the final over of the innings and it hardly mattered that he was struck for 15 runs as the West Indian fans were already celebrating a victory. They invaded the field, with celebrations continuing in the Trini Posse Stand for another hour.

WEST INDIES innings
C.Gayle lbw b Lee 5

W.Hinds c wkp. Gilchrist b Bichel 79

B.Lara c wkp. Gilchrist b Bichel 80

R.Sarwan c wkp. Gilchrist b Lee 32

M.Samuels lbw b Lee 42

R.Powell not out 20

R.Jacobs not out 7

Extras: (b-2, lb-10, w-12, nb-1) 25

Total: (5 wickets, 50 overs) 290

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-183, 3-192, 4-263, 5-264.

Bowling: McGrath 10-1-46-0 (w-3), Lee 10-2-56-3 (w-6, nb-1), Harvey 10-1-46-0, Bichel 10-0-67-2, Hauritz 6-0-38-0 (w-3), Clarke 4-0-25-0.

AUSTRALIA innings
A.Gilchrist c Hinds b Collymore 11

J.Maher c Hurley b Collymore 21

R.Ponting c Hinds b Dillon 10

A.Symonds b Samuels 77

M.Clarke c Lara b Dillon 39

M.Bevan c Samuels b Dillon 31

I.Harvey b Gayle 2

A.Bichel b Samuels 7

B.Lee c Gayle b Sarwan 6

N.Hauritz not out 20

G.McGrath not out 3

Extras: (lb-15, w-8, nb-1) 24

Total: (9 wickets, 50 overs) 251

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-43, 3-57, 4-149, 5-182, 6-189, 7-202, 8-219, 9-229.

Bowling: Collymore 8-0-25-2 (w-1, nb-1), Dillon 9-0-40-3, Hinds 1-0-3-0, Powell 1-0-8-0 (w-1), Gayle 10-0-44-1, Sarwan 10-0-53-1 (w-5), Samuels 10-0-48-2 (w-1), Lara 1-0-15-0.