ADELAIDE, Australia (CMC) — A feeble batting display and an equally impotent bowling performance undermined West Indies and sent then careening to their second successive one-day loss to Australia yesterday.

Unable to recover from a devastating opening burst from left-arm seamer Doug Bollinger, West Indies staggered to 170 all out off 39.4 overs and their bowlers then produced an ordinary effort, culminating in an eight-wicket loss at the Adelaide Oval.

Captain Ricky Ponting stroked an unbeaten 57 from 55 balls and in-form opener Shane Watson hammered 53 from 50 balls, as Australia cruised to their target off just 26.3 overs to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Not much went right for the tourists after they won the toss and batted and captain Chris Gayle’s dismissal off the first ball of the match was a foretaste of the misery to come.

Quickly reduced to 16-4 in the seventh over by Bollinger’s outstanding opening spell, West Indies could not muster enough resolve to mount an emphatic comeback and were dismantled for the second successive game.

Extracting generous swing and pace, Bollinger bothered all the Windies batsmen to finish with 4-28 from his eight overs, while fellow pacer Clint McKay claimed 2-33.

Right-hander Dwayne Smith rallied the lower order with a composed 43 from 63 balls, while Kieron Pollard stroked 32 from 39 balls, but no West Indies batsman could produce that special innings to rescue their ailing side.

Smith, who hit two fours and a six, posted an invaluable 45 for the ninth wicket with Ravi Rampaul, who scored 18 from 22 balls, as West Indies scrambled precious runs to ensure their bowlers at least had a total at which to bowl.

It was Bollinger who started the rut when he trapped the talismanic Gayle lbw off the first ball of the game, as the left-hander played back to a good length delivery and was struck in line.

Travis Dowlin flirted indecisively with the final ball of the fourth over, a wide delivery from McKay and edged to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin at 11-2 and opener Runako Morton’s limp 12-ball four ended when he missed a straight one from Bollinger and was also lbw with no run added to the total.

Bollinger completed a brilliant first spell when he found the edge of right-hander Lendl Simmons’ probing bat to give Haddin his second simple catch of the innings at 16-4.

Denesh Ramdin who scored 30 from 42 balls and Narsingh Deonarine, who gathered 23 from 36 balls, raised the touring side’s hopes with a 46-run fifth wicket partnership that breathed new life into the floundering innings.

Both played positively with Ramdin striking four fours and Deonarine five, but the stand was ended when the left-handed Deonarine was hit in front by erratic left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson at 62-5.