|
|
|
| July 3, 2005 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1426 |
Flintoff, Harmison restrict Aussies
LONDON, July 2: Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison produced a command performance at Lord’s as England dismissed Australia for 196 in Saturday’s triangular series one-day final.
The home side’s seam attack, given first chance to exploit helpful overcast conditions, recovered from an early mauling to hit back with interest as the world champions were bowled out with seven balls of their 50 overs to spare.
Harmison took three for 27 while Flintoff, the pick of the bowlers, claimed three for 23. Michael Hussey, batting at seven, top-scored for the world champions with 62 not out.
The first six-and-a-half overs, however, were all Australia. In retrospect, they seemed to belong to another game.
Faint-hearted Englishmen, indeed, might have been tempted to concede there and then as Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist harvested 50 off 39 balls.
Simon Jones was hit for four fours in a row by Gilchrist and retired to the outfield with figures of three overs for 29 runs.
The next 50 runs took 20 overs, five wickets falling in the process as England’s seamers nipped the ball about.
Two wickets fell for four runs. Hayden, driving on the up at Darren Gough after making 17, caught the ball on the toe and looped it to mid-off.
Flintoff, having replaced Jones, hit a perfect length immediately, beating Gilchrist repeatedly as he moved the ball up and down the slope before the left-hander, pulling, skied to Kevin Pietersen at mid-wicket after making 27.
Michael Vaughan’s second bowling change was as effective. Ricky Ponting, still struggling with his form, pulled Gough for six but then leg-glanced Harmison’s first ball behind, returning to the pavilion in a fury.
Harmison bagged a second when Damien Martyn made 11 before failing to get forward and edging behind to make it 90 for four and it was 93 for five with halfway approaching when Jones returned with a fine second spell to trap Michael Clarke lbw for a couple.
Andrew Symonds and Hussey, Australia’s last chance, rebuilt, but slowly. Paul Collingwood and Ashely Giles looked like England’s bowling Achilles heel but Symonds, a master at pacing an innings, this time failed to capitalise on a caution start.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA:
A.C. Gilchrist c Pietersen b Flintoff 27
M.L. Hayden c Giles b Gough 17
R.T. Ponting c G. Jones b Harmison 7
D.R. Martyn c G. Jones b Harmison 11
A. Symonds c Strauss b Collingwood 29
M.J. Clarke lbw b S Jones 2
M.E.K. Hussey not out 62
G.B. Hogg c G. Jones b Harmison 16
B. Lee c G. Jones b Flintoff 3
J.N. Gillespie c G. Jones b Flintoff 0
G.D. McGrath c Collingwood b Gough 0
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-5, W-7, NB-6) 22
TOTAL (all out, 48.5 overs) 196
FALL OF WKTS: 1-50, 2-54, 3-71, 4-90, 5-93, 6-147, 7-169, 8-179, 9-179.
BOWLING: Gough 6.5-1-36-2 (1nb, 2w); S.P. Jones 8-2-45-1 (1w); Flintoff 8-2-23-3 (1nb, 1w); Harmison 10-2-27-3 (1nb, 3w); Collingwood 8-0-26-1; Giles 8-0-30-0—Agencies
|
|
|
|
