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POTCHEFSTROOM (South Africa), Feb 27: Australia qualified for the World Cup Super Six in emphatic style on Thursday, crushing Namibia by 256 runs amid a flurry of world records.
The world champions sealed a record-equalling 11th straight One-day International victory by the largest ever winning margin, Glenn McGrath producing the best World Cup bowling figures of seven for 15 as Namibia were routed for 45.
The Group ‘A’ match was a statistician’s dream, with records tumbling as frequently as Namibian batsmen in the sunshine at Potchefstroom.
Darren Lehmann smashed a World Cup record 28 runs in the final over of Australia’s innings to lift his side to a total of 301 for six, and Adam Gilchrist took six catches to equal the best haul by a wicket-keeper in One-day Internationals.
Lehmann’s big-hitting brought him 50 from only 31 balls and inflicted on Rudi van Vuuren the fourth worst bowling figures in one-day history as he finished with no wicket for 92 runs from 10 overs.
Lehmann clubbed 4, 4, 4, 6, 4 and 6 from the medium-pacer’s over to take Australia past 300. His effort improved the previous World Cup best in an over, the 26 plundered by Brian Lara off Canada’s Barry Seebaran only last week.
The victory confirmed that Ricky Ponting’s side would finish top of Group ‘A’ with one match still to play against England on Sunday.
The Namibia batsmen were humiliated by McGrath, who eclipsed his previous best figures in One-day Internationals, the five for 14 he captured against West Indies at the 1999 World Cup.
Only West Indies fast bowler Winston Davis, with seven for 51 against Australia at Headingley in 1983, had previously taken seven wickets in a World Cup innings.
McGrath and Brett Lee, who bowled at express pace throughout his spell, were irresistible, with only one player, Namibia captain Deon Kotze, reaching double figures as extras top-scored with 15 in an innings lasting a mere 14 overs.
Gilchrist held the final two catches of the innings off Andy Bichel to give him six victims.
Bichel had come into the side as a late replacement for Jason Gillespie who was rested as a precaution after suffering an injury to his right heel on Wednesday.
At least Namibia, in their first World Cup, had the small consolation of passing the previous lowest score in the World Cup, the 36 made by Canada against Sri Lanka earlier in the tournament.
Before Lehmann’s carnage, Matthew Hayden (88) and Andrew Symonds (59) took the chance to get some time in the middle ahead of the next stage of the competition.
Symonds and Damien Martyn (35) shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 84 to lift the Australians after an indifferent period in the middle of their innings before Lehmann’s late fireworks sparked off an extraordinary succession of records.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA:
A.C. Gilchrist b van Rooi 13
M.L. Hayden b L. Burger 88
M.G. Bevan c and b L. Burger 17
A. Symonds run out 59
R.T. Ponting c D.B. Kotze b L. Burger 2
D.R. Martyn b B.L. Kotze 35
D.S. Lehmann not out 50
G.B. Hogg not out 19
EXTRAS (LB-8, W-6, NB-4) 18
TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 301
FALL OF WKTS: 1-26, 2-104, 3-140, 4-146, 5-230, 6-231.
DID NOT BAT: B. Lee, A.J. Bichel, G.D. McGrath.
BOWLING: van Vuuren 10-0-92-0 (2nb, 1w); van Rooi 6-0-24-1 (4w); B.L. Kotze 10-0-62-1 (2nb, 1w); L.J. Burger 10-1-39-3; D.B. Kotze 10-0-54-0; A.J. Burger 4-0-22-0.
NAMIBIA:
A.J. Burger c Ponting b McGrath 4
S.J. Swanepoel c Ponting b Lee 2
M. Karg c Gilchrist b McGrath 4
D. Keulder c Gilchrist b McGrath 3
B.G. Murgatroyd lbw b McGrath 0
D.B. Kotze c Gilchrist b McGrath 10
L.J. Burger c Gilchrist b McGrath 1
M. van Schoor c Gilchrist b Bichel 6
B.L. Kotze b McGrath 0
B.O. van Rooi not out 0
R.J. van Vuuren c Gilchrist b Bichel 0
EXTRAS (LB-4, W-6, NB-5) 15
TOTAL (all out, 14 overs) 45
FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-14, 3-16, 4-17, 5-28, 6-34, 7-45, 8-45, 9-45.
BOWLING: McGrath 7-4-15-7 (2w); Lee 6-1-26-1 (5nb); Bichel 1-1-0-2.
RESULT: Australia won by 256 runs.
UMPIRES: B.F. Bowden (New Zealand) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).
TV UMPIRE: N.A. Mallender (England).
MATCH REFEREE: G.R. Viswanath (India).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Glenn McGrath.—Reuters
