Hayden is a huge hit as Aussies power on

Matthew Hayden starred in a showcase of Australia's awesome batting power yesterday as the defending champions set the World Cup hosts a daunting target in the first Super Eight match.

Showing a complete disregard for his 36 years, the hulking opener smashed 158 as the West Indies were left to chase a total of 322 for six from 50 overs.

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Rain wiped out the reply before a ball was bowled and play resumes today.

It was a sparkling new ground in Antigua but this was the same old Australia, with Hayden batting in a manner of which the man the new ground is named after, Sir Viv Richards, would have been proud.

Australia plundered 99 runs from the last 10 overs to dash West Indian hopes that they would have to pursue a more manageable target of around 280, which had once seemed likely.

Whatever the concerns about their bowling, the world champions' batting has been completely repaired since crashing to five successive defeats against England and New Zealand at the back end of their summer programme.

Following their demolition of South Africa's attack last Saturday, the Australians have now made 699 runs against major opposition in their last two games at a shade under seven an over.

This has been in large part due to the consecutive centuries made by Hayden, whose international career looked close to ending after the 2005 Ashes defeat.

Following that he just managed to hang on to his Test place, but was dumped from the limitedovers side until making a comeback at the tri-series event in Malaysia last September.

Shane Watson appeared to be the selectors' preferred choice to open alongside Adam Gilchrist, but the all-rounder is now having to come in as the last man in an intimidating top seven.

Hayden swung his heavy willow to hit 14 fours and four sixes in an immaculately paced innings that had the home side reeling.

Amazingly, the Queenslander took 18 balls to get off the mark as he sized up a new pitch that had not previously been used for a match of this significance.

It was left to Ricky Ponting to lift the momentum after Gilchrist succumbed to some of the early movement on offer to the bowlers.

The skipper, now second in the world ODI rankings behind Kevin Pietersen, looked in superb touch until he attempted a risky single to Ramnaresh Sarwan at wide mid off and was run out by a direct hit.

Then came a sequence of panicky singles from the world champions which, had Sarwan's accuracy been repeated, would have led to the loss of Hayden and his partner Michael Clarke.

Between them they added 98 before the canny Dwayne Bravo brought one back to trap Clarke in front of his stumps.

When Andrew Symonds and the out-of-form Mike Hussey perished, the score was 234 for five with nine overs left and the hosts would have entertained hopes of a more moderate target.

But Hayden is, apart from anything else, a remarkable athlete for one so big and he just kept going, taking the game from the West Indies when he hammered two straight sixes and a four off three balls from the opposition's quickest bowler, Jerome Taylor.

The Australians put their recent slump down to the fact that they were overloaded with training to get them in peak shape for the World Cup. Judging by Hayden's stamina, it looks a sound long-term investment.