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| February 4, 2006 | Saturday | Muharram 5, 1427 |
Lee spearheads Aussies demolition of South Africa
MELBOURNE, Feb 3: Speedster Brett Lee added to his growing reputation as a lethal limited overs bowler as he snared 4-30, including three wickets in one over, as Australia crashed and bashed their way to an 80-run win over South Africa here Friday.
Lee, who was orginally due to be rested for the match, was the executioner, but it was batsmen Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds who softened up Australia’s opponents in the latest Tri-series match.
Like a couple of schoolyard bullies, the pair showed no compassion as they bludgeoned the Proteas’ attack for 60 runs off their last five overs to rocket their team to an impressive 281-7.
In reply, South Africa, reduced to a disorganised rabble by Lee, mustered a meek 201-9, conceding a bonus point to the Australians in the process.
“Batting second was always going to be difficult so keeping them to a score of around 230 was going to be important for us,” captain Graeme Smith told ABC radio.
“I think at one stage we probably had them there and we let it slip probably in the last 10 (overs) and especially the last five.”
It was a dismal performance from a side which needed to win either this match or their next against Australia in Sydney on Sunday, to avoid a “live” confrontation with Sri Lanka in Hobart.
The Australians have already qualified for the best-of-three finals series but South Africa, if they lose again on Sunday, could then be overhauled for the remaining berth by Sri Lanka.
From the outset of the South African innings, it was obvious that they lacked the application to beat the Australians.
Smith, who had shown signs of breaking free of the form slump that has plagued him throughout his team’s Australian tour, was trapped in front by Lee for a duck after just two balls.
Fellow opener Boeta Dippenaar followed, caught behind off Stuart Clark for nine and when Jacques Rudolph fell for 19 the Proteas were in trouble at 48-3.
When Lee was reintroduced to the Australian attack in the 38th over, things looked bleak for South Africa, by the end of it, they were desperate.
Justin Kemp (28), Mark Boucher (0) and then Johan Botha (46) all fell and the Proteas had crashed to 156-8.
The Australians had earlier looked like they might be restricted to a modest total but at 167-5 from 37 overs, Hussey joined Symonds and the pair ripped into the Proteas.
Hussey slogged 62 runs off 44 balls, including nine boundaries while Symonds clouted 65 off 60 balls, with a booming six over mid-wicket and five boundaries.
Lee, who was initially going to be rested for the match, was only rushed back into the side after veteran Glenn McGrath was forced to withdraw when it was revealed his wife was suffering a recurrence of cancer.
Scoreboard
Australia:
A. Gilchrist b Hall 33
S. Katich c Pollock b van der Wath 25
R. Ponting c van der Wath b Botha 53
D. Martyn c Botha b Smith 34
A. Symonds run out 65
M. Clarke run out 1
M. Hussey b van der Wath 62
B. Lee not out 0
Extras (b1, lb1, w4, nb2) 8
Total: (7 wkts, 50 overs) 281
Fall OF WKTS: 1-45, 2-71, 3-145, 4-163, 5-167, 6-276, 7-281
Did not bat: B. Dorey, S. Clark, B. Hogg
Bowling: S. Pollock 10-2-20-0, C. Langeveldt 6-0-50-0 (2nb 1w), A. Hall 10-0-56-1 (1w), J van der Wath 10-0-82-2 (1w), G. Smith 10-0-59-1 (1w), J. Botha 4-0-12-1
South Africa:
G. Smith lbw b Lee 0
B. Dippenaar c Gilchrist b Clark 9
J. Rudolph run out 19
H. Gibbs b Hopes 33
J. Botha c Gilchrist b Lee 46
A. Prince run out 24
J. Kemp c Hopes b Lee 20
M. Boucher c Ponting b Lee 0
S. Pollock c Martyn b Symonds 16
A. Hall not out 19
J. van der Wath not out 8
Extras: (w6, nb1) 7
Total: (for 9 wkts in 50 overs) 201
Fall of wkts: 1-0, 2-13, 3-48, 4-69, 5-117, 6-155, 7-156, 8-156, 9-183
Bowling: B. Lee 10-2-30-4 (1w 1nb), S. Clark 8-1-34-1, B. Dorey 10-0-48-0 (2w), J. Hopes 6-1-16-1, B. Hogg 7-0-32-0 (2w), A. Symonds 9-0-41-1 (1w)
Man-of-the-Match: M. Hussey (AUS)
Umpires: Peter Parker (AUS), Aleem Dar (PAK).—Agencies
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