Cricket World Cup, Super 8: Australia post impressive total before rain

The first Super 8 match has been truncated after the first innings due to heavy rain in Antigua with Australia about to start the defence of their daunting 322-6.  The game will conclude on the reserve day tomorrow (27th March).

West Indies must have fancied themselves when they got shot of Gilchrist, edging behind for 7, and Ponting relatively cheaply.  Luckily for the Windies Ponting was run out, as they looked about as likely to bowl him as the ICC are to make a remotely sensible decision.  However, they did not account for the reborn Matthew Hayden who went on to clobber a morale-sapping 158, featuring a particularly brutal onslaught at the end  with his last 50 runs coming in only 27 balls.  He was ably assisted by Clarke (41) and late in the innings Shane Watson (33).

West Indies now go to bed knowing that they need to hit at least 6.44 runs per over to win this match, a mighty ask given that the Aussies will be bowling at them in the morning damp rather than the dry afternoon as would have been the case today. [lee calvert]