Windies score historic win

Scoreboard

Record-breaking West Indies [ Images ] made the highest-ever fourth innings winning total to beat Australia [ Images ] by three wickets in the fourth and final Test and avoid an unprecedented home whitewash.

West Indies, set 418 to win and 3-0 down in the series, reached the historic target with an unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership of 46 from lower order batsmen Omari Banks and Vasbert Drakes.

Drakes's winning hit set off wild celebrations when he cut a four down to backward point off costly leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.

The triumph surpassed the previous record -- India's [ Images ] 406 for four to beat West Indies in Port of Spain in 1976 -- and handed captain Brian Lara [ Images ] his first success in his second stint as captain.

Drakes made 27 and 20-year-old Banks, in only his second Test, a battling 47.

Against the best bowling attack in world cricket, it was a remarkable performance by West Indies, who early on the fourth day had slumped to 74 for three before they were boosted by centuries from Guyanese pair Ramnaresh Sarwan [ Images ] (105) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul [ Images ] (104).

West Indies resumed on Tuesday on 371 for six, needing 47 to win, but suffered a quick blow when they lost Chanderpaul, their last recognised batsman.

In a tense atmosphere, Brett Lee [ Images ] made the early breakthrough in the fourth over of the morning.

Bowling around the wicket, Lee delivered a ball around two feet wide of the off-stump which found the edge of Chanderpaul's bat and Adam Gilchrist [ Images ] took a low catch to his left to remove the Guyanese left-hander.

But Drakes and Banks, playing with great maturity, steered the West Indies home in a dramatic session which included several loud appeals and a massive six by Drakes off MacGill, who ended the innings with just one wicket for 149 off 35.5 overs.