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Rampant Aussies cruise to victory

Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken swept West Indies away as Australia won the first Test in Brisbane by 379 runs.

The tourists were bowled out for 129 as Lee claimed 5-30 and Bracken, in his first appearance since January 2004, produced figures of 4-48.

Australia declared on their overnight score of 283-2, leaving West Indies a theoretical victory target of 509.

But only Chris Gayle (33) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (31) passed 20 as the last eight wickets went down for 44 runs.

For once, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne did not manage a single wicket between them - although Warne contributed two slip catches to remove openers Gayle and Devon Smith.

The former fell to all-rounder Shane Watson, who later injured his shoulder while fielding and could be doubtful for the second Test in Hobart, which starts on 17 November.

Ponting, who was named Man of the Match for scores of 149 and 104 not out, was rewarded for his decision to back his bowlers at the start of play when Lee removed Smith for three in the eighth over.

Gayle and Sarwan added 42 for the second wicket, but when the former departed, the pressure was on Brian Lara to try and produce something special for his side.

West Indies avoided further loss before lunch but Lara's run of poor form continued after the re-start when he sliced a ball from Bracken to Matthew Hayden in the gully after making 14.

Left-armer Bracken followed up by having Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw for seven and was later on a hat-trick after dismissing tail-enders Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards with successive deliveries.

When Chanderpaul was out, West Indies were 99-4 and the rest capitulated in just eight overs.

Corey Collymore survived Bracken's hat-trick ball but he did not last long as Lee picked up the last two wickets for his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests and his first since the 2001 Test against New Zealand, also at The Gabba.