Ponting dazzles as Aussies regain Trophy
HOBART (Australia), Dec 20: Skipper Ricky Ponting and his bowlers tormented New Zealand on Thursday as Australia reclaimed the Chappell Hadlee Trophy one-day series at Bellerive Oval in emphatic fashion.
The juggernaut Australians clobbered the Black Caps for 282 for six off their 50 overs and then reduced them to 168 all out off just 34 overs to seal a 114-run victory and a 2-0 series victory.
Ponting’s unbeaten 134 off 133 balls, following his 107 off 108 balls in Australia’s opening series win in Adelaide last week, justifiably made him man of the series.
Once Ponting powered Australia to their 282 total, the pressure was on the Kiwis to keep in the contest after New Zealand won the toss and sent them into bat. After speedster Brett Lee removed both openers, Brendon McCullum (6) and Jamie How (2), inside the first five overs, the Black Caps were always up against it and they slumped to 88 for seven before some late lusty hitting by Scott Styris delayed the inevitable.
Styris crashed two sixes and nine fours in his belligerent 75 off 79 balls, including three consecutive boundaries off Lee before the pace spearhead rattled his middle-stump with a yorker.
Lee claimed 3-47 off nine overs.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA
M. Hayden c Mills b Oram 29
M. Clarke c and b Gillespie 7
R. Ponting not out 134
M. Hussey c How b Oram 9
A. Symonds lbw b Mills 52
B. Haddin run out (Hopkins) 26
J. Hopes run out (Gillespie) 20
B. Lee not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-2) 5
TOTAL (for 6 wkts, 50 overs) 282
FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-56, 3-87, 4-201,
5-246, 6-280.
DID NOT BAT: B. Hogg, N. Bracken, S. Tait.
BOWLING: Mills 10-0-59-1, Gillespie 8-0-68-1, Oram 10-1-34-2 (1w), Vettori 10-0-42-0, Patel 8-0-58-0 (1w), Styris 4-0-18-0.
NEW ZEALAND
J. How c Haddin b Lee 2
B. McCullum c Haddin b Lee 6
M. Sinclair lbw b Hopes 14
S. Styris b Lee 75
R. Taylor lbw b Tait 13
J. Oram c Lee b Hopes 2
G. Hopkins c Clarke b Hogg 9
D. Vettori c Haddin b Hogg 0
K. Mills b Tait 7
M. Gillespie c Symonds b Hogg 24
J. Patel not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-2, W-9) 15
TOTAL (all out, 34 overs) 168
FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-8, 3-43, 4-60, 5-72, 6-87, 7-87, 8-118, 9-158.
BOWLING: Lee 9-1-47-3 (2nb), Bracken 5-0-21-0, Tait 8-2-30-2 (7w), Hopes 6-0-17-2, Hogg 6-1-49-3 (2w).
RESULT: Australia win by 114 runs.
SERIES: Australia win the Chappell-Hadlee series 2-0.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: R. Ponting (AUS).
UMPIRES: Mark Benson (ENG), Peter Parker (AUS).
TV UMPIRE: Bruce Oxenford (AUS).
MATCH REFEREE: Roshan Mahanama (SRI).—AFP