Australia beat England by 7 wickets

09/04/2007

Skipper Ricky Ponting struck a superb knock of 86 to help Australia score a comfortable seven-wicket victory over arch rivals England in their World Cup Super Eights match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Sunday.

Ponting's timely knock, which came with the help of 11 fours off 106 balls, put paid to England's hopes of fighting back after they set a modest 248-run target for the defending champions.

The Aussie skipper added 112 for the third wicket with Michael Clarke (55 not out) to take his team to within striking distance of their third consecutive win in the second stage and a full eight points, including two carried over from the preliminary league.

Ponting was run out off a direct throw from Paul Collingwood, but at 201-3, Australia were all set to complete the formalities. Andrew Symonds (28 not out) ensured it was not a close affair as he struck mighty blows early in his innings and took them home with 16 balls to spare.

Australia also had the benefit of a brisk start as the left-handed opening pair of Matthew Hayden (41) and Adam Gilchrist added 57 in 11 overs. Gilchrist was caught at point by Collingwood off Andrew Flintoff while Hayden went a little later, bowled by Collingwood.

But with Ponting and Clarke batting themselves in, the match was always theirs.

Earlier, Kevin Pietersen struck a doughty 104 but England could only manage a modest 247 all out in 49.5 overs. Pietersen's fourth One Day century and his maiden one against their famed opponents kept the innings together after England elected to bat on a good batting pitch.

A couple of early wickets pegged England back but Pietersen's 140-run stand for the third wicket with Ian Bell (77) helped resurrect the team against some probing bowling by the defending champions.

But overall, the batting lacked the firepower and as many as eight of their batsmen failed to get to double-figures.

Pietersen was lucky to get two chances, which have so much become a trademark for him along with the odd edges that get him boundaries. Ponting failed to latch on to a difficult chance at mid-wicket off Andrew Symonds when he was on 50 and then Hayden dropped a sitter at mid-off off Shaun Tait when Pietersen was on 63.

Pietersen was restrained after the departure of Bell, who played an enterprising 90-ball knock during which he did not hesitate to come down the wicket to the seamers. Bell once hit three fours off a Glenn McGrath over and totalled nine boundaries in his 10th ODI half-century.

But the wickets of Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff in quick succession slowed the innings in the middle overs, with Ravi Bopara (21 off 36) failing to repeat the kind of strokeplay he exhibited against Sri Lanka in their last match.

Pietersen holed out to long-off and the lower-order too could not do much as the innings folded up with a delivery to go.

England did not have a very bright start to their innings as their batsmen struggled against the pace of Tait, who had captain Michael Vaughan in knots on more than one occasion and finally dismissed him, played on, for five. Left-hander Andrew Strauss (seven) too went in similar fashion as England were reduced to 24-2 in the sixth over before Bell and Pietersen helped them recover.

Tait, McGrath and Nathan Bracken ended with three scalps each.
England brought in Strauss for Ed Joyce while the Aussies replaced an injured Shane Watson with Brad Hodge.

Australia have a full six points after two matches of the second stage. Their wins have come against the West Indies and Bangladesh while they carried over two points for their league win over South Africa.

England have just two points after two matches of the Super Eight stage. Not carrying over any points because of their loss to New Zealand, the other qualifier from their preliminary group, they have beaten Ireland but lost to Sri Lanka.

Score : England 247/10 in 49.5 overs (Bell 77, Pietersen 104, McGrath 3/62, Bracken 3/33, Tait 3/41) Australia 248/3 in 47.2 overs (Ponting 86, Clarke 55, Hyden 41, Flintoff 1/35, Collingwood 1/50)