Fri, 25Feb 2011-Australia vs New Zealand World Cup 2011-8th match Group A - Bulletin

Seamers, openers set up easy victory for Australia

An aggressive fast bowling display followed by solid opening partnership helped Australia to a thumping seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in their second group A match played at Nagpur.

A lot of hype was created in the build up to this Trans-Tasman tie but turned out to be a lop-sided affair as Australia outclassed Kiwis in all three departments of the game.

After losing the toss, New Zealand batsmen capitulated to some terrific fast bowling by Aussie quick bowlers and poor shot selection leaving their bowling line-up with a tough task to defend the total. Man of the Match Johnson and Shaun Tait were in red hot form knocking out Kiwi top order batsmen thanks to their attacking line and lengths without much runs on the board as two of them shared seven wickets.

Chasing a victory target of 207 runs on a flat Nagpur pitch, Aussie openers were in a dominating mood right from the word go rocketing to 133 in nineteenth over to kill all the hopes of Kiwi miracle.

Brad Haddin was particularly in dominating form hitting Kiwi bowlers to all corners of the park and putting them back foot early in the chase. He drove elegantly, gave himself room to hit up and over off-side, lofted imperiously and cut with ease to power himself to a 50-ball 55 run innings punctuated with eight hits to the fence.

Watson, as usual, continued with run making form by smashing another fifty, his fourth in last five innings, and had put Australia in control before getting out to Hamish Bennet who also broke the opening partnership having Haddin caught in the deep.

Right handed Watson started off in a circumspect fashion playing second fiddle to Haddin but exploded once getting the hang of the pitch unfurling some gorgeous strokes including six hits to the fence and a towering six.

Ponting didn’t last long thanks to nifty work behind the stumps by Brendon McCullum bringing Cameron White to the crease who alongwith Michael Clarke provided the finishing touches to the chase in the 34th over.

Game, however, was lost during Kiwi batting effort. After losing the toss, New Zealand batsmen capitulated to some terrific fast bowling by Aussie quick bowlers and poor shot selection leaving their bowling line-up with a tough task to defend the total.

Australia seamers responded brilliantly to their captain’s decision to field first by helping their side to limit New Zealand to 206 runs as fast men shared nine wickets between four of them with Johnson leading the way by bagging another four wicket haul and Tait claiming three.

Had it not been to late order fight back from Vettori and Nathan Mcullum, things could have been more embarrassing for Black Caps with score, at one time, reading 121 runs for the loss of seven wickets.

Younger McCullum, who came at number eight, scored yet another half-century with skipper Vettori showing some fight with run a ball 43 putting valuable 54 runs for the ninth wicket. Once McCullum was gone, Vettori added another 31 runs with Tim Southee to take his team over 200 mark before getting out to Brett Lee caught down the leg-side by Haddin.

McCullum’s 56 runs that came off 76 balls including three hits to the fence was one defiant innings after his team had lost top order to reckless batting and aggressive fast bowling display.

Johnson, wrecker-n-chief, dented the Kiwi big time taking two wickets in his first spell and coming back in the end not only to end Nathan-Vettori partnership but last wicket to have fallen as well.

He got dangerous looking Ryder for 25 runs and James Franklin for nought and ended Nathan’s resistance by trapping him leg before wicket before forcing Southee to scoop in the air.

It was, however, brisk pace of Shaun Tait that dented Kiwis early removing Brendon McCullum for 16, castling Taylor for seven and Styris for duck.

Shane Watson, leg-spinner Smith and disciplined Brett Lee who missed the bat many times chipped with a wicket to each of them.

Openers score fifties as Australia look for early win

Australia were cruising in pursuit of 207 runs target set to them by New Zealand with score board reading 128 runs at the end of seventeen overs and openers yet to be disengaged.

Both Haddin and Watson were terrific form tearing apart the average Kiwi bowling effort to all corners of the ground with both having strike rate more than hundred.

Haddin was batting on 58 while Watson was giving him a support not-out on 52.

Openers give Australia flying start

Australian openers started the run chase of 207 runs in an aggressive manner with scoreboard reading at 58 runs with Australia having all 10 wickets intact.
Brad Haddin was in dominating mood right from the word go scoring 32 runs off just 24 balls containing five fours with Shane Watson playing very sensibly to give his aggressive partner more strike.

Seamers limit NZ to 206 runs

Australia seamers responded brilliantly to their captain’s decision to field first by helping their side to limit New Zealand to 206 runs their second group A match at Nagpur.

They shared nine wickets between four of them with Johnson leading the way with another four wicket haul and Tait claiming three.

After losing the toss, New Zealand batsmen capitulated to some terrific fast bowling by Aussie quick bowlers and poor shot selection leaving their bowling line-up with a tough task to defend the total. 

Had it not been to late order fight back from Vettori and Nathan Mcullum, things could have been more embarrassing for Black Caps with score, at one time, reading 121 runs for the loss of seven wickets.

Younger McCullum, who came at number eight, scored yet another half-century with skipper Vettori showing some fight with run a ball 43 putting valuable 54 runs for the ninth wicket. Once McCullum was gone, Vettori added another 31 runs with Tim Southee to take his team over 200 mark before getting out to Brett Lee caught down the leg-side by Haddin.

McCullum’s 56 runs that came off 76 balls including three hits to the fence was one defiant innings after his team had lost top order to reckless batting and aggressive fast bowling display.

Johnson, wrecker-n-chief, dented the Kiwi big time tak