Aussies too hot for Kiwis
Reigning champions Australia overpowered New Zealand by seven wickets
for a 25th straight World Cup victory in a dominant display at the VCA
Ground here on Friday. Australia’s fast bowlers, with Mitchell Johnson
taking four wickets, led the way as New Zealand were bowled out for just
206 with nearly five overs of their innings left.
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N. McCullum |
Left-armer Johnson finished with four for 33 and Shaun Tait three for
35.
That New Zealand even had the remotest chance was down to a battling
fifty from Nathan McCullum and skipper Daniel Vettori’s 44 with the duo
combining well in an eighth-wicket stand of 54.
The Black Caps had earlier been in dire straits after their top order
collapsed to 73 for six against the quicks from 66 for two.
Australia finished on 207 for three with a mammoth 16 overs to spare
with Michael Clarke (24) and Cameron White (22) the not out batsmen as
Australia also won the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
Opener Shane Watson top-scored with 62.
“It was a good game for us. New Zealand are a very good one-day side,
a very competitive team and for us to win as well as we have today is
pretty satisfying,” said Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
“Things worked out well. The fact that we got early wickets meant
that I could keep attacking with the quick bowlers.” Vettori admitted
his team had suffered a disappointing performance.
“We got off to not a bad start but losing three or four wickets in
that clump really hurt us. We were fortunate that Nathan McCullum (52)
played the innings he did to give us a chance,” he said.
“We are going to have to move past this result pretty quickly. We’ve
got Zimbabwe in about seven or eight days so maybe a good break is a
good thing for us. We can get our heads around a must-win game.”
Australia openers Watson and Brad Haddin were rarely troubled during
a century first-wicket stand. Haddin, a fluent strokemaker, brought up
his fifty in 39 balls with eight fours while Watson went to the landmark
in 52 balls including a six off a Nathan McCullum off-break.
NAGPUR, AFP
SCORECARD
NEW ZEALAND
M. Guptill b Watson 10
B. McCullum c Krejza b Tait 16
J. Ryder c Haddin b Johnson 25
R. Taylor b Tait 7
J. Franklin c Haddin b Johnson 0
S. Styris c Haddin b Tait 0
J. How lbw b Smith 22
N. McCullum lbw b Johnson 52
D. Vettori c Haddin b Lee 44
T. Southee c Ponting b Johnson 6
H. Bennett not out 0
Extras (b1, lb8, w13, nb2) 24
TOTAL (all out, 45.1 overs) 206
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-40, 3-66, 4-66, 5-67
6-73, 7-121, 8-175, 9-206, 10-206
Bowling: Lee 8-2-29-1
Tait 7-0-35-3 (2nb, 4w)
Johnson 9.1-3-33-4 (2w)
Watson 3-1-9-1 (1w)
Krejza 9-0-47-0 (1w)
Smith 9-0-44-1
AUSTRALIA
S. Watson b Bennett 62
B. Haddin c Franklin b Bennett 55
R. Ponting st B McCullum b Southee 12
M. Clarke not out 24
C. White not out 22
Extras (lb3, w29) 32
TOTAL (3 wkts, 34 overs) 207
Did not bat: D Hussey, S Smith, M Johnson, B Lee
S Tait, J Krejza
Fall of wickets: 1-133, 2-136, 3-167
Bowling: Southee 10-2-45-1 (4w)
Vettori 7-0-39-0 (1w)
Bennett 7-0-63-2 (7w)
N McCullum 3-0-22-0
Ryder 5-0-24-0 (3w)
Franklin 2-0-11-0 |
