Watson and Lee fire Aussies to another resounding win

MELBOURNE, Australia, Sunday (AFP) - Brett Lee and Shane Watson decimated the World XI's elite batting line-up to power Australia to a 156-run victory and a Super Series one-day clean sweep at Docklands stadium here on Sunday.

Lee claimed 4-30 off nine overs and Watson 4-39 off 7.5 overs as the World XI capitulated for just 137 off 27.5 overs in the all-stars' worst batting performance of the three-match series.

Australia, with their ears ringing in condemnation after losing the Ashes to England last month, hit back in the best possible way, confirming their unchallenged status as the world's best ODI team.

The Australians, fuelled by their 293 for five off 50 overs with Michael Hussey, Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson all notching half-centuries, had the match well in their grasp inside 18 overs, reducing the World XI to 99 for six.

Lee put the skids under the World XI with three wickets in his first four overs to have them tottering at 27 for 4 in the seventh over, while Watson finished with man-of-the-match honours with four wickets and an unbeaten 66.

Lee sent Chris Gayle's off-stump crashing with the second ball of the innings before new-ball partner Glenn McGrath induced Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara to sky a catch to Damien Martyn at mid-off for 13 in the fourth over.

Lee was on a hat-trick after Jacques Kallis attempted to pull only to lob a catch to Hussey at square-leg for two.

He then sent Brian Lara on his way next ball with one that moved away off the pitch to find an edge for wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist for a duck.

In three innings in the Super Series, Lara's scores were 0, 5, 0.

Andrew Flintoff, cleared by X-rays of a fractured wrist after attempting a difficult reflex caught and bowled chance from Ponting during the Australian innings, saw off the hat-trick.

England's Ashes hero batted for 21 off 25 balls with four fours before he was bowled going for a big swing at Watson, leaving the World XI punch-drunk at 87 for five in the 14th over.

Watson brought off a brilliant run out of Virender Sehwag (37) off his own bowling, swooping on his follow-through and diving full length to throw down the stumps one-handed with Sehwag well out of his ground.

That left the world team sinking at 99 for six.

Lee struck again in his eighth over with Rahul Dravid failing to fully connect with an attempted pull, holing out to Martyn at mid-off for 16 off 38 balls.

Daniel Vettori went for a five-ball duck, skipper Shaun Pollock was out to Watson for eight and Shahid Afridi went down swinging for 16, giving Watson his fourth wicket.

Hussey and Watson earlier combined in an unfinished 145-run sixth-wicket partnership off 135 balls to take the Australians almost to the 300-mark.

Hussey further enhanced his blossoming reputation as a finisher at the end of Australia's innings, with a poised 75 off 74 balls, including five fours and a six, while all-rounder Watson cracked 66 off as many balls.

Hussey had a six-bound hit off Makhaya Ntini declared a dead ball when it hit the stadium's enclosed roof.

Ponting, who won his third straight toss of the series, looked to be in control when he was caught by Lara at mid-wicket off Muralitharan for 68.

The Australian skipper followed up Friday's 66 with eight fours and a six in an 85-run partnership off 97 balls with Martyn.

Gilchrist, who scored a memorable 79-ball 103 on Friday, blazed away for 32 off 31 balls with two fours and a six before he top-edged an attempted pull shot off Pollock, leaving the Australians at 58 for two in the ninth over.

Martyn survived two referrals to the third umpire on four and 32 before he became the first player given out by the video umpire in the tournament, lbw to Vettori for 33 off 44 balls.

AUSTRALIA INNINGS 

A. Gilchrist c and b Pollock 		32 
M. Clarke lbw b Ntini 			3 
R. Ponting c Lara b Muralitharan 	68 
D. Martyn lbw b Vettori 		33 
A. Symonds c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 	1 
M. Hussey not out 			75 
S. Watson not out 			66 

Extras (lb7, w1, nb7)			15 

TOTAL (5 wkts, 50 overs) 		293 

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15, 2-58, 3-143, 4-146, 5-148 

DID NOT BAT: B. Lee, C. White, N. Bracken, G. McGrath 

BOWLING: Pollock 9-0-67-1 (6nb), Ntini 7-0-58-1 (1nb), 
	Flintoff 4.2-0-23-0, Muralitharan 10-1-38-2, Kallis 1.4-0-11-0, 
	Vettori 10-0-34-1 (1w), Gayle 6-0-42-0, Sehwag 2-0-13-0. 

WORLD XI INNINGS 

V. Sehwag run out (Watson) 		37 
C. Gayle b Lee 				0 
K. Sangakkara c Martyn b McGrath 	13 
J. Kallis c Hussey b Lee 		2 
B. Lara c Gilchrist b Lee 		0 
A. Flintoff b Watson 			21 
R. Dravid c Martyn b Lee 		16 
S. Pollock c White b Watson 		8 
D. Vettori c Clarke b Watson 		0 
S. Afridi c McGrath b Watson 		16 
M. Ntini not out 			0 

Extras (lb6, w14, nb4) 			24 

TOTAL (all out, 27.5 overs) 		137 

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0, 2-20, 3-27, 4-27, 5-87, 6-99, 7-119, 8-120,
		9-137, 10-137. 
(Afridi replaced Muralitharan as a super sub) 

BOWLING: Lee 9-2-30-4 (3nb, 1w), McGrath 6-0-26-1, 
	Bracken 5-0-36-0 (11w), Watson 7.5-0-39-4 (1nb, 2w).