Bailey, Voges help Australia to 243 for 8:

Rain halts play, NZ 51 for 2

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from England

Rain stopped play in the game between Australia – New Zealand with New Zealand on 51 for 2 chasing 244 for victory at the time of our going to press in a Group A match in the ICC Champions Trophy match, here today.

At the wickets were Kane Williamson on 18 and Ross Taylor on 9. After early hiccups Australia recovered to make 243 for 8 in their 50 overs thanks to two valuable knocks from Captain George Bailey 55 and Adam Voges 71 in their Group ‘A’ match.

It was a total that was going to be difficult for the New Zealand batsmen to get, although they have strong set of batsmen. But if the Aussie bowlers concentrate on line and length and bowl wicket to wicket to wicket they could be concerned at the finish.

The Australian team which is already in a crisis, suffered further when dashing opening batsman David Warner was dropped after an ‘unprovoked physical assault’ on England batsman Joe Root in a bar room brawl.

The dropping of Warner,further weakened the Australian batting. They are struggling to stay in the tournament after losing their Captain Michael Clarke whose chances of playing in this tournament and even in the ‘ASHES’ series are in doubt. He was made the ‘water boy’ in this game. It was a nice day in Birmingham and when George Bailey won the toss he decided to bat on a wicket that looked good for a score of over 250 if the Australian batsmen can regroup and bat the way they can.

Since the day when Australian captain Greg Chappell asked his brother Trevor to bowel an under arm delivery in a limited over game in Australia, the contest between these two teams have been fought out with a vengeance, and this game was not going to be any different.

Australia were off to a bad start losing Shane Watson lunging forward and snicking McClenaghm to Luke Ronchi for 5 and then Phil Hughes was run out trying to steal a single and at 10 for 2 the New Zealanders were on top.

But a 64 ruin stand for the 3rd wicket between Captain Georg Bailey and Mathew Wade helped them recover and Bailey and Adam Voges consolidated with a good partnership of 77 for the 4th wicket.

After Voges went for 71, the Aussies lost momentum and also kept losing wickets. Towards the end of innings Glen Maxwell hit out strongly to make 29 in 22 and take Australia to 243 for 8 in 50. Edgbaston, Birmingham, Wednesday.