SYDNEY, Jan 23: Australia scored a record 10-wicket win in the first final of the triangular one-day series on Thursday after their fast bowlers ripped through England’s batting for just 117.
Pacemen Andy Bichel and Man-of-the-Match Brett Lee took seven wickets between them in England’s dismal 41-over innings before Adam Gilchrist smashed an unbeaten 69 from 37 balls in Australia’s 118-0 from 12.2 overs with 37.4 overs to spare.
The Australia vice-captain clubbed 15 fours while Hayden smashed six boundaries plus a six off the bowling of Ronnie Irani over long-off in the penultimate over.
England won the toss and batted but lost six wickets in their first 20 overs and only Paul Collingwood, with 43, passed 25 in the innings that lasted 41 overs.
Australia wicket-keeper Gilchrist equalled his own world record of six dismissals which he already shared with England’s Alec Stewart and Ridley Jacobs from West Indies.
Lee, who led the attack in the absence of injured pair Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, took 3-29 from his 10 overs including the wickets of openers Marcus Trescothick for a duck and Nick Knight for five.
Captain Nasser Hussain (one), who played on to his stumps, and Alec Stewart (12), who was caught behind, struggled with the pace of Brad Williams who took 2-22.
Bichel took 4-18 including the key wicket of Michael Vaughan, lbw for 21 in the 20th over.
Scoreboard
ENGLAND:
M.E. Trescothick c G’rist b Lee 0
N.V. Knight c G’rist b Lee 5
M.P. Vaughan lbw b Bichel 21
N. Hussain b Williams 1
A.J. Stewart c G’rist b Williams 12
P.D. Collingwood st G’rist b Warne 43
I.D. Blackwell c Ponting b Bichel 0
R.C. Irani c Bichel b Lee 10
A.R. Caddick not out 12
J.M. Anderson c G’rist b Bichel 0
M.J. Hoggard c G’rist b Bichel 0
EXTRAS (LB-7, W-5, NB-1) 13
TOTAL (all out, 41 overs) 117
FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-11, 3-19, 4-33, 5-45, 6-45, 7-79, 8-115, 9-117.
BOWLING: Williams 10-2-22-2 (1w); Lee 10-1-29-3 (1nb, 1w); Bichel 7-2-18-4 (1w); Warne 10-0-28-1 (2w); Hogg 4-0-13-0.
AUSTRALIA:
A.C. Gilchrist not out 69
M.L. Hayden not out 45
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-2) 4
TOTAL (for no wkt, 12.2 overs) 118
DID NOT BAT: R.T. Ponting, D.R. Martyn, M.G. Bevan, A. Symonds, G.B. Hogg, S.K. Warne, B. Lee, A.J. Bichel, B.A. Williams.
BOWLING: Caddick 3-0-31-0; Anderson 4-0-35-0 (2w); Hoggard 3.2-0-36-0; Irani 2-0-14-0.