Mon, 21Feb 2011-Australia vs Zimbabwe World Cup 2011-4th match Group A-Bulletin

Australia ease to comfortable victory

A hostile fast bowling spell from Mitchell Johnson helped Australia to score a comfortable victory over minnows Zimbabwe in their first Group A match played at Motera Cricket Stadium.

The win is Australia’s 30th consecutive victory in the world cup and 23rd under Ponting’s captaincy who is yet to lose a game in the event as skipper.

Riding on the half centuries from Watson and Clarke, Australian fast bowlers bowled at a full throttle mixing aggression with common sense to bowl out Zimbabwe for 171 runs chasing a target of 263 runs.

Left arm fast bowler’s spell of 4 wickets for 19 runs dented the Zimbabwean reply big time that never looked to threaten the Australian total. He got wickets of Taibu and Ervine in his first spell and mopped up the tail in his comeback spell.

It was Cremer’s 49 run 8th-wicket partnership with Prosper Utseya that prevented Zimbabwe from further embarrassment after they had slipped to score of 104 for the loss of 7 wickets. 

Zimbabwe openers, Coventry and Taylor started the run chase steadily hitting some crisp shot with Coventry cover drive off Brett Lee standing out.

However, Coventry soon fell to Brett Lee miscuing a pull shot and was caught by the bowler himself for 14 runs. It triggered a collapse with Johnson taking two quick wickets while Tait disturbing stumps of Taylor thanks to a pacy delivery that batsman wanted to work through square leg.

Jason Krejza was also amongst the wickets taking two of them including Zimbabwean captain Chigumbura who popped up a simple catch to Haddin after gloving one in his attempt to play a sweep shot.

Tait, bowling in short spells, bowled with lot of pace and venom proving to be very hot to handle for inexperienced Zimbabwe batting unit hitting some of them on helmet.

Earlier Australia scrapped to their first innings total against some spirited and disciplined bowling display by the Zimbabweans not letting their opponents score freely.

It was again Watson who gave was Aussie’s top performer with the bat scoring 79 runs off 92 balls with Clarke  holding  the innings together in the later stages with his undefeated more than run a ball 55 to give some respectability to Australian total.

While Australian struggled to score freely, bowlers kept the pressure going by bowling a tight line and length and taking wickets regularly well supported their fielders.

Openers started in a cautious manner scoring just 53 runs in first 15 overs and lacked the aggressive intent. First piece of real aggression came in 14th over bowled by Mpofu in which the pair got 17 runs both hitting two boundaries apiece.

Keeping the pitch and their strengths in mind, Zimbabwe opted for slow left arm spin of Price to partner fast bowler Mpofu.

Good work from miserly Price was kept up by Utseya who gave Zimbabwe first success by removing out of sorts Haddin for a 66 ball 29 run innings.

Watson who opened up after scoring his fifty along with skipper Ponting tried to give impetus to the innings but both fell inside three overs. Looking good for a big score, Ponting was 3rd man to go run out by a direct hit by Mpofu from deep midwicket.

Watson hit a six and eight fours in his 79 and his wicket brought Clarke-58 off 55 balls- to the crease who stitched some small and crucial partnerships with White, Hussey and Smith.

Majority of Australian batsmen failed to convert starts into big scores and it was left to Hussey and Smith’s little cameos to help the side to cross 250-mark.

Bowling effort aided by a good fielding performance might not have been flashy but good enough to keep Australia down to a low score.

Prosper Utseya, as usual, was very frugal conceding only 43 runs in his 10 overs most of them bowled during powerplays and leg spinner Cremer gave away two less than his former captain in his ten taking Watson’s wicket as well.

Mpofu was the most successful bowler taking 2 wickets for 58 runs in his 9 overs.

Man of the Match: Shane Watson (Australia)

Tait strike adds to Zimbabwe miseries

Shaun Tait removed Sean Williams for 28 runs exactly at the halfway mark of their run chase leaving Zimbabwe in trouble with scorecard making a grim reading at 96 for six wickets.

It was Tait’s second wicket who along with his fellow fast bowlers ripped the heart out of Zimbabwe batting line up by sharing five of the six wickets to have fallen.

Spinner Jason Krejza also was amongst wickets removing Zimbabwe captain for 14 runs.

Johnson was the best bowler on the show giving away 8 runs off his five overs and taking wickets of Tatenda Taibu and Sean Ervine as well.

All three pacers, looked threatening troubling the Zimbabwe batsmen by their sheer pace and length.

Zimbabwe openers, Coventry and Taylor started the run chase steadily hitting some crisp shot with Coventry cover drive off Brett Lee standing out.

However, Coventry soon fell to Brett Lee miscuing a pull shot and was caught by the bowler himself for 14 runs. It triggered a collapse with Johnson taking wickets of Taibu and Sean Ervine while Tait disturbing stumps of Taylor thanks to a pacy delivery that batsman wanted to work through square leg.

Seamers out Australia on top !!!

Australian pace attack ripped the heart out of Zimbabwe batting line up by leaving them reeling at 57 runs at the loss of 4 wickets while chasing a victory target of 263 runs in their first group A world cup match at Motera Cricket Stadium.

All three pacers, Johnson in particular, looked threatening troubling the Zimbabwe batsmen by their sheer pace and length. Left arm fast bowler took two wickets and conceded just 8 runs in his five overs.

Zimbabwe openers, Coventry and Taylor started the run chase steadily hitting some cr © eContent.in