Watched by a capacity crowd at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium in the 3rd match to be played under lights in the 2010 T/20 World Cup, West Indies were yesterday sent packing from the tournament as they lost their final Super Eight game to Australia by seven wickets.

The Regional side produced another pathetic batting performance and only the Guyanese pair of Ramnaresh Sarwan (26) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (24) reached 15 as West Indies catapulted to 105 all out with an entire over to spare in a match they had to win by at least 24 runs to squeeze into the semi-finals on a better run rate than Sri Lanka, who beat India by 5 wickets earlier yesterday.

Although they lost both openers in quick succession, Australia reached 109-4 from 16.2 overs to march into the their 2nd consecutive ICC tournament semi-final in St Lucia after they beat South Africa at Beausejour in the 2007 World Cup semi-final.

Brad Haddin led the way with 42 from 46 balls with five fours before he fell to Chris Gayle with his team 2 away from victory in the one-sided contest.

West Indies won the toss and elected to bat and after a spanking straight drive for four by Gayle, the West Indies Captain was bowled by Dirk Nannes 2nd ball and the raucous crowd went dead silent. Chanderpaul and Sarwan joined forces in the warm afternoon sunshine and Chanderpaul clipped Nannes through mid-wicket for four. When the left-hander stroked Shaun Tait to the point boundary in the next over the colourful crowd was once again dancing in the stands.

On a ground which hosted the first ever International Night cricket match in the West Indies, the 2nd wicket pair took the score to 20 in the first two overs to keep hopes alive and the Sri Lankans fans worried.

On a much slower track than the one on which West Indies beat India in Barbados, Sarwan played a crunching pull off Shane Watson for 4 and then spanked him for another boundary.

But Australia, who beat Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup Final in Barbados, struck an important blow in the same over as Chanderpaul tried to go over the top and was taken at mid-on at 39-2. His 18-ball 24 included 4 fours and his demise left the home team, without a Multi-nation title since 2004 when they beat host England in the Champions Trophy final, wobbling on the ropes against the most mentally tough side in world cricket.

The Aussies, who have won the last three 50-over World Cups (1999, 2003 & 2007) have never won any of the previous 20/20 World Cups prompting suggestions that the cricketing powerhouse does not consider this format series as important as Tests or ODIs but even without Skipper Ricky Ponting they have been clinical in this tournament after their shock defeat to Zimbabwe in the Warm-up match.

With the destructive Gayle and the experienced Chanderpaul out of the way inside the first 5 overs, a lot depended on Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo to stage a recovery but Bravo (6) was unfortunate to be run out at the none-striker’s end off of a deflection from the bowler’s hand as Sarwan drove powerfully.

At 52-3 in the 8th over, the West Indies were struggling and when Narsingh Deonarine, back in the side to replace Wavell Hinds, slog-swept Steven Smith to deep mid-wicket for a duck and the out of form Denesh Ramdin (1) edged Mitchell Johnson to the Keeper at 60-5 in the 10th over, the West Indies had lost 3 wickets for just 8 runs.

For the first time in the series the big-hitting 22-year-old Kieron Pollard arrived at the crease with more than five overs to bat and once again proved to his critics that he is one of the world’s most overrated cricketers who appear incapable of batting for a prolonged period in West Indies colours. He was soon stumped off Smith for 13 at 77-6 in the 13th over.

Pollard had sparked hopes of something special with a four and a six but the lack of mental fortitude from the highest paid IPL player again aided in his demise and produced another failure. His place in the Regional side to face South Africa in the Digicel home series which commences in Antigua later this month must now be in jeopardy.

The stunned crowd watched in horror as home boy Darren Sammy, the only St Lucian to play Test cricket and Man-of-the-Match in his team’s two matches in Guyana, was caught and bowled for a duck and Smith was on a hat-trick.

The pathetic batting display continued when Sarwan who laboured for 31 balls for his 26, lofted David Hussey to David Warner and the West Indies were in tatters at 82-8.

More heartaches was to follow for the fans who flocked the oldest of the new West Indian cricket venues with flags, drums, horns and faith in a team which has repeatedly let them down with poor cricket.

Hussey removed Jerome Taylor (3) in the 15th over as the West Indies, winners of the first two Cricket World Cups in 1975 and 1979 under Clive Lloyd, lay critically wounded at 85-9 after Hussey struck twice in the 15th over and West Indies catapulted to 85-9.

The left-arm spin pair of Sulieman Benn (10) and Nikita Miller (9*) salvaged some pride with a last wicket stand of 20. Benn woke the fans from their depression with a six off Watson in the penultimate over to ensure the Caribbean side reached a 3-figure score.     

Merissa Aguilleira, the dynamic Captain of the West Indies female team, which gets paid much less than their male counterparts, said before the tournament commenced that her team would make the Region proud by doing better in the Women’s version of the tournament than the men.

By the time Benn was comprehensively bowled in the 19th over, most fans were already shifting focus to the Caribbean lasses who clash with New Zealand on Friday under lights in the Women’s Semi-Final in St Lucia.

Smith (3-20), David Hussey (2-3) and Johnson (2-22) were the main wicket takers for Australia who raced to 31 in three overs in reply before the explosive Warner who clobbered Taylor for 2 fours and a six in the 3rd over was dismissed. He hit 4 fours and a six from 18 balls in his 25.

The home fans had something to shout about in the 4th over when Watson (5) was bowled in a maiden over from Benn who shared the new ball with Taylor. Michael Clarke (16) was run out at 78-3 and Haddin departed before victory was achieved.

For all the talk of a lack of interest for cricket in the West Indies the atmosphere in St Lucia last evening gave the impression of a nation in morning.

England face Sri Lanka tomorrow before Australia play Pakistan on Friday in the semi-finals. West Indies will have to start preparing for the home series against South Africa which starts with back-to-back 20/20s in Antigua on May 19 & 20