The West Indies briefly looked good for an upset over reigning champions Australia but ultimately came up short by 50 runs in Saturday's Champions Trophy Group A clash at the Wanderers.

Set a formidable 276-run target, the Windies got off to a an explosive start, leaping to 38 without loss inside the first six overs as Devon Smith and Andre Fletcher took to strike bowlers Peter Siddle and Brett Lee.

The Aussies appeared to have pegged proceedings back when Siddle had Smith (17) caught behind, but that was shortlived enjoyment for the bowling side as Fletcher and Travis Dowlin kicked on the momentum regardless of the opener's departure.

The duo added 86 for the third wicket, taking a particular liking to Shane Watson's shoddy line and length, spanking him for 28 runs across five overs. 21-year-old Fletcher proved the aggressor, while 32-year-old Dowlin was content to rotate the strike and pitch in with the odd boundary.

It took some unprofessional running between the wickets to undo the threatening stand, as Fletcher (54) failed to ground his bat in an attempted quick single and was found well short of his ground in the wake of Mitchell Johnson's direct-hit from extra cover.

James Hopes ensured wicketkeeper-batsman Chadwick Walton (nought) didn't have any say with the willow before Dowlin (55) too failed to capitalise on his half-century, holing out to gloveman Tim Paine, who took a great diving catch off the top edge.

With the required run-rate skyrocketing and the batting Powerplay there to be taken advantage of, David Bernard (eight) enjoyed a couple of hacks - mostly across the line - before Siddle castled his middle-peg, while skipper Floyd Reifer scraped together what he could in a knock hardly becoming of a captain.

Sammy - who in the Aussie knock fetched consecutive sixes courtesy big-hitter Johnson - got his own back with two biggies on the trot off the southpaw seamer, the first over long-off and the next over midwicket. Johnson responded with back-to-back bouncers, both of which were wayward enough for Sammy to bob and weave away from.

Sustainability was always going to be key but when Sammy (20) holed out on the off-side boundary to Watson and Reifer (28) picked the man out at backward point, the writing was pretty much on the wall for the Windies, who headed into the five-over home stretch in need of 56 runs with three wickets in hand.

It wasn't to be.

Nikita Miller (four) was unable to repeat his theatrics against Pakistan a couple of days prior, Kemar Roach obliged Nathan Hauritz with a belated second scalp and Dale Richards - who picked up a shoulder injury in the field - failed to take up guard and that was that - the Windies all out for 225 and Australia the winners by comfortable margin.

Earlier late-innings heroics from Johnson saw Australia to a total they'll be far from happy with in the post-match team chat.

Faced with the tantalising prospect of amassing a 300-plus tally against a West Indian outfit depleted by the absence of striking senior stars, the reigning champions instead floundered their way to 275 for eight.

Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, the Windies got off to a cracking start as fit-again fast bowler Kemar Roach hailed his return with a fearsome yorker that accounted for first-ball quacker Watson.

The dogged plodding of opener Paine and the flourshing effort of captain Ricky Ponting were left to contend with some steep bounce on a tricky Wanderers track. The duo mustered an 85-run stand across 19 trying overs before a severe lack of foot work had Paine caught behind off lanky pace ace Bernard.

Mike Hussey (six) stuck around for a while before his attempt to force the pace failed, leaving a top edge off the pull to spill into the hands of fine-leg on the fence.

Ponting's 79-run vigil - the 69th half-century of his awesome ODI career - came to an end when some smart work from wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton proved the undoing of the determined captain, with spinner Miller overjoyed with the sharp stumping.

Cameron White (four) fell prey to his questionable back-foot play, bowled by Miller and Callum Ferguson was caught well off guard by Roach's pace, bowled for 20.

Hopes (five), back in the side in the wake of Michael Clarke's back injury, failed to perform, feathering an edge to Walton off Darren Sammy.

Enter Johnson and sidekick Lee, who improved their all-rounder status with a fruitful session of controlled hitting. While Lee (25) was somewhat more subdued than his batting partner, half-centurion Johnson took to all corners of the 'Bull Ring'.

A mid-pitch mix-up ensured the end of their 70-run stand in 64 balls, but not before left-hander Johnson had sailed Sammy over cow corner for back-to-back sixes.

With Hauritz (seven not out) along for the ride, Man of the Match Johnson (73 not out) continued his savagery, taking Bernard for 21 in the penultimate over of the knock and Sammy for 13 in the 50th.

Jonhenry Wilson in Johannesburg