Scorecard

Australia extended their unbeaten streak in one-day internationals to 18 with a victory over the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday.

The West Indies, originally set 271 to win, were given a target of 208 from a total of 37 overs after rain interrupted the match.

They came agonisingly close, but just did not have that extra edge and lost the match by 2 runs.

Earlier, half-centuries by captain Ricky Ponting (who was named man of the match) and Darren Lehmann carried Australia to a respectable 270 for five.

Ponting and Lehmann came to the crease after pace bowler Mervyn Dillon had removed openers Adam Gilchrist (21) and Matthew Hayden (7) in a lively opening spell.

Dillon started badly with a string of loose balls and Gilchrist crashed three fours through the covers and hit another powerful boundary over deep long-on.

But Dillon then began to get some bounce out of the Sabina Park pitch and Gilchrist was caught when he sent his mistimed hook shot to Marlon Samuels at mid-wicket.

Hayden struggled to settle and edged another rising delivery from Dillon to give Chris Gayle an easy catch at slip, delighting the near sellout Jamaican crowd.

West Indies should have removed Ponting just short of his half-century when he and Darren Lehmann were stranded between the wickets and apparently at the mercy of Chris Gayle.

The off spinner threw to wicket keeper Carlton Baugh when he could have run out Ponting at the Headley Stand end and both batsmen escaped.

Ponting brought up his 50 off 116 balls, with six fours. Nine runs later he was punished for a moment of recklessness when his attempted pull off Gayle flew into the hands of Corey Collymore at long on.

Using a runner due to a calf strain, Lehmann reached 55 before slicing one-day international debutant Omari Banks to Ricardo Powell at mid-on.

Banks promptly took the wicket of Andrew Symonds (18) but Michael Bevan (43 not out) and Ian Harvey (48 not out) kept the runs ticking over, taking 26 from the final two overs.