Australia emphatically continued their dominant form against England with an eight-wicket victory in the first one-day tri-series match.
MELBOURNE: Australia emphatically continued their dominant form against England with an eight-wicket victory in the first one-day tri-series match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
Spurred on by a compelling run-a-ball 60 from Adam Gilchrist, the Australians chased down England’s 242 for eight with 4.4 overs to spare and extended their winning run over the tourists following their 5-0 Ashes whitewash.
Pietersen top-scored with 82. England, beaten 5-0 on home soil by Sri Lanka in their last one-day series, could not contain the Australian onslaught as Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden (28) pounded their attack.
Gilchrist hammered seven fours and a six but even when both openers departed in quick succession, skipper Ricky Ponting compiled a steady unbeaten 82 and Michael Clarke a measured 57 to steer them home with an unbeaten stand of 133.
After skipper Michael Vaughan won the toss and elected to bat, England slipped to 73-3 before a fourth-wicket stand of 95 between Pietersen and Paul Collingwood (43) lifted the tourists towards a reasonable total.
England lost momentum as Paul Nixon went for a duck and Jamie Dalrymple got a poor decision, adjudged caught behind for two when the ball came off his helmet, but Andrew Flintoff (47 not out) added useful runs at the end. Nathan Bracken had made the early breakthroughs, dismissing openers Andrew Strauss (12) and Vaughan (26) both caught at first slip by Matthew Hayden.
Out of tri-series
Pietersen, England’s premier limited overs batsman, has been ruled out of the tri-series against Australia and New Zealand after damaging his ribs in the opening match at Melbourne on Friday.
The South African born Pietersen was struck in the ribs after swinging and missing at a sharply rising ball from veteran Australian paceman Glenn McGrath late in his innings on Friday.
Pietersen was taken to hospital between innings, where tests revealed he had a fractured rib.
He did not return to the field. England, which is yet to announce a replacement, next plays New Zealand on Tuesday. —
Scorecard
England: A Strauss c Hayden b Bracken 12, M Vaughan c Hayden b Bracken 26, I Bell c Hussey b Johnson 15, K Pietersen c Symonds b Clark 82, P Collingwood c Johnson b McGrath 43, A Flintoff not out 47, P Nixon lbw b Johnson 0, J Dalrymple c Gilchrist b McGrath 2, J Lewis c Ponting b Bracken 9, M Panesar not out 0
Extras: (b1 lb1 w3 nb1) 6
Total: (for eight wickets; 50 ovs) 242
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-47, 3-74, 4-168, 5-206, 6-207, 7-211, 8-232
Bowling: McGrath 10-0-40-2, Bracken 9-0-46-3, Clark 10-0-58-1, Johnson 10-0-34-2, Clarke 8-0-35-0, White 3-0-27-0
Australia: A Gilchrist c Nixon b Dalrymple 60, M Hayden st Nixon b Panesar 28, R Ponting not out 82, M Clarke not out 57
Extras: (b1 lb2 w15 nb1) 19
Total: (for two wickets; ovs 45.2) 246
Fall of wickets: 1-101, 2-118
Bowling: Flintoff 6-0-48-0, J Lewis 8.2-1-43-0, J Anderson 7-0-47-0, M Panesar 10-1-46-1, J Dalrymple 10-1-38-1, P Collingwood 4-0-21-0
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