Clarke salutes rampant Australia

Australia celebrate another victory - their 17th in 18 completed matches - before flying to New Zealand for their next assignment

Australia Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke insists his side will make the most of the brief chance they have to celebrate completing an unbeaten summer on home soil.

Australia wrapped up the Twenty20 series against West Indies today courtesy of a comprehensive eight-wicket triumph at the SCG, their 17th win in 19 games on their own turf in all forms of the game.

The only blemishes on that record are a drawn Test and washed-out one-day international against the Windies, while Pakistan were beaten in all nine competitive games on their recent tour.

“I am very happy,” said Clarke, who leads the 20-over side while Ricky Ponting captains the Test and one-day teams.

“We got over the line,” he said of the unbeaten record - the first time Australia have achieved the feat in nine years - before turning his sights towards the trip to New Zealand and the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in April.

“We fly to New Zealand tomorrow morning but there will be a bit of celebrating tonight before a couple of big games going into the World Cup.”

Clarke reserved special praise for David Warner, who smashed the second fastest fifty in Twenty20 internationals - off 18 balls - on his way to 67 off 29 deliveries, and Shane Watson, who hit a marginally less explosive 33-ball unbeaten 62.

Their scintillating opening stand of 99 off just 46 balls hurried Australia to a target of 139 with 8.2 overs to spare, just reward for a superb all-round display.

“I can’t believe that performance from both David Warner and Shane Watson,” said Clarke.

“Our attitude over the last few days has been fantastic: we have been positive and played great cricket. We were fantastic with the ball and our standards in the field continued.”

Man-of-the-match Warner, who scored all but five of his runs in boundaries, was pleased to perform on his home ground.

Shane Watson and David Warner enjoy each other's company during a brutal opening stand of 99 in just 7.4 overs

“I went out to play my normal game and enjoy it in front of the fans,” he said. “I practice switch-hitting in the nets and luckily it came off.”

The game marked the final match of a long, and unsuccessful, tour for the West Indies, beaten 2-0 in the Test series, 4-0 in the one-dayers and 2-0 in the Twenty20 series.

“It has been a tough summer,” admitted captain Chris Gayle. “We have been hammered into the ground; we have lost fair and square.

“Hopefully we can treat it as a learning experience as it was a young team. We senior players are not going to be around for ever and these guys are the future.

“It was a good opportunity for them to stand up against a big team, get some runs and take some wickets.”