Hinds hit 125 off 140 balls to clinch victory with eight balls to spare at 254 for seven after the World Cup champions had been dismissed for 252 on the last ball of their 50 overs.

The victory was the West Indies' second straight over the powerful Australians, who had already clinched the seven-game series with victories in the opening four games. They lead 4-2 ahead of Sunday's final match of the series here.

Hinds was the difference, scoring the only hundred of the series by either side and batting right through the innings.

The series may be all over for the West Indies, but they are finishing it off the right way following their spirited 39-run victory in Port of Spain last Sunday to end Australia's golden 21-game unbeaten ODI run.

"I rate this as the best innings I've played because I stuck to the game plan and batted through the innings and did the job for the team," said Hinds, who was not even in the squad at the start of the series.

"Ramnaresh Sarwan and I played an important partnership, Sarwan played very responsibly and young David Bernard came in and did a bit towards the end... but it was a great team effort."

The West Indies looked up against it when skipper Brian Lara was caught and bowled by Andrew Symonds for 15 leaving his side at 67 for two in the 16th over, but Hinds and Sarwan put them back on track with a 114-run partnership for the third wicket.

Sarwan was out for 50 off 69 balls when he became the first of two wickets to fall in Brett Lee's 40th over of the innings.

"The guys stuck to the plan pretty well, although we lost wickets around the 40 overs mark, but all credit must go to Wavell, he kept the innings together," said skipper Lara.

"Sarwan stuck with him for a 100 partnership and got us through."

Lara, looking ahead to Sunday's final match at Queen's Park, said it loomed as the biggest match of the series for the West Indies.

"We have lost the series, but it's very important to leave the right impression in the West Indian cricket public's mind that we are playing good cricket and it will be great to go out there on Sunday and win again."

The Australians, who have now lost two consecutive ODI games for the first time since June last year, will rue squandering a blazing start to finish with 252 off 50 overs after winning the toss.

The World Cup champions began with an imperious 90-run stand between Gilchrist and Hayden off 14.2 overs before they threw away wickets with sloppy batting.

The Australians lost nine wickets for 147 and only reached 252 and five runs an over through prodigious hitting by number eight Andy Bichel with 41 off 40 balls, which included two sixes and three fours.

Gilchrist looked in ominous touch with a thunderous 64 off 66 deliveries. His clean hitting netted him eight boundaries and two sixes before he tried to thrash spinner Marlon Samuels through point and was snapped up chest-high by Lara.

Skipper Ricky Ponting looked scratchy before he attempted a suicide single and was run out by Lara for two and Andrew Symonds, Australia's leading scorer in the series, was guilty of a casual attempted flick through mid-wicket to give Lara an easy catch for 16.

Darren Lehmann, back from a calf muscle injury, looked composed in his 43 off 53 balls before he was caught and bowled by Chris Gayle.

Gayle also claimed another caught and bowled to dismiss Jimmy Maher for 19 and had Bichel taken on the boundary rope for Lara's third catch of the innings.

Gayle finished the best of the West Indian bowlers with 3-37 off 10 overs with Samuels taking 2-39 off 10 overs and paceman Corey Collymore 2-46 off 10 overs.

The Australians started well enough with the wickets of Gayle (18) and Lara (15) inside 16 overs, but Hinds and Sarwan put the home side back on course with their century stand.

Lee removed Sarwan and Samuels (0) in the space of three balls in the 40th over to have the West Indies at 181 for four and Ricardo Powell followed soon after when he was caught and bowled by Lehmann for one.

But wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs (8) and David Bernard (7) stayed with Hinds in steadying partnerships to get the West Indies home.

Lee finished with 3-50 off 9.4 overs.