Aussies v. Black Caps - ODI Tri series

[Donny]

Ponting goes for 12, caught behind from Tuffey. 2/90.

Australia win by 8 wickets. Hayden 51 n.o. on his birthday. His 18th. ODI 50.

Australia get the bonus point.

[tazza2000]

Great Game by the Australians

Magnificent job by Australia's second tier bowling attack to get the kiwi's out for such a low total

While it puts Australia clear in second place the most important thing about this win was the confidence it will give to the young bowlers. I think the batting didn't show much bar hayden's 50 but I suppose they didn't need to.

Highlight.....MARTYN'S CATCH! WHAT A BEAUTY!!

[commonwombat]

What has been interesting and heartening is Bracken's bowling. Had previously not rated him on basis of his prior intl performances.

Would appear to have added some greater variety in his repetoire and looks to have improved rhythm.

[Donny]

What he's added, wombat, is an inswinger to the right handers (2 wickets today) and the same ball which is an outy to the left handers (Fleming today - beautiful ball which he was forced to play but swung late and took the edge)

[Donny]

Fleming tosses it away
By Jon Pierik

NEW Zealand captain Stephen Fleming last night admitted he had made a major mistake in deciding to bat first after his Black Caps were ransacked by Australia in their first meeting of the tri-nations one-day series.

After winning the toss, Fleming opted against exploiting a green wicket and humid conditions ideal for swing bowling.

His decision virtually cost New Zealand any chance of victory as Australian quicks Brad Williams (4/22) and Nathan Bracken (3/25) couldn't believe their luck and reduced the Kiwis to 5/21 within nine overs.

The Black Caps were eventually bowled out for 97 – their third lowest score against Australia and fifth lowest of all time.

In reply, the Australians cruised to a record-equalling eight-wicket win.

"We lucked out," Fleming said. "In hindsight it would have been better to bowl first.

"You learn from these things." The Australians needed just 16.4 overs to reach their target and collect a valuable bonus point.

In what he described as a great toss to lose, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said he would have batted first had he called correctly.

"It was one of those 50-50 ones where most of the time in one-day cricket you probably back your batsmen to go out there and put a total on the board," he said.

"That was what my philosophy was going to be today."

So emphatic was Australia's victory that it equalled their best in terms of least wickets lost when chasing a New Zealand total.

"I thought the ball might swing around a little bit," Ponting said. "I didn't expect the wicket to do as much as it did off the seam." After Sunday's opening loss to India, the Aussies have seven points with four preliminary games remaining – the next against the host nation in Mumbai on Saturday.

Ponting praised the efforts of Bracken and Williams.

"It was outstanding, they both bowled very well in the last game as well," Ponting said. Missing the injured Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee, Australia's latest new-ball pairing was supposed to struggle on the slow, flat Indian wickets.

But the bustling Williams and angular Bracken had other ideas as they sliced through the Kiwis with a minimum of fuss.

Bracken's first spell reaped 3/21 from eight overs while Williams supplied 2/13 from six, of which he conceded eight wides and a no-ball.

Bracken and Williams went some way to dispelling concerns about the depth of Australia's fast bowling stocks as the Kiwis were dismissed in 33.4 overs.

In a damning indictment of the lowest ever score seen at the Nahar Singh Stadium, the extras count of 32 top scored for the Kiwis as Williams (nine wides) and Andy Bichel (seven wides) struggled, at times, for accuracy.

It could have been a lot worse had Craig McMillan (24) and Chris Harris (14) not provided a minor rescue mission. The pair put on 52 from 96 balls to ensure New Zealand at least passed its all-time lowest score of 64, against Pakistan 18 years ago.

An unbeaten half-century from Matthew Hayden and a typical knock from Adam Gilchrist (29 from 18 balls) ensured the Aussie top-order did not share the same problems as the Kiwis.

[Donny]

Swing and seam

Wisden Cricinfo staff

Nathan Bracken (3 for 25) and Brad Williams (4 for 22), grateful to have first use of the conditions, destroyed New Zealand's top order with a display of controlled swing and seam bowling.

For Bracken it was simply a case of going back to the basics. He kept the ball on the stumps and on a good length. Of his 54 deliveries, just 4 were short of a length, and none rank long hops. When he did err on length, it was on the fuller side. But with length, you need line. And Bracken seldom bowled too straight. He landed 42 of his 54 balls on or outside the off stump and did not once bowl down the leg side.

Nathan Bracken
Length Balls Line Balls
Full 10 Outside off 30
Good length 44 On the stumps 24
Short 0 Outside leg 0


A big reason for this was the fact that he was bringing the ball in to the batsmen, and it would be safer to push the ball wider and bring it in, rather than land on the stumps and slip down the leg side. Of his complement, as many as 34 deliveries moved in the air, leaving just 12 straight balls.

Williams, blessed with more pace but less swing, kept the ball shorter than Bracken, giving the batsmen nothing to drive at. Of his 59 balls, only one was really full, a yorker. Williams's outside-the-off line was also a factor. He delivered 49 balls outside off. Where Bracken was swing, Williams was seam. Almost half his deliveries (26) moved off the wicket.

Brad Williams
Length Balls Line Balls
Full 1 Outside off 49
Good length 56 On the stumps 9
Short 2 Outside leg 1


On the day, it was simply a case of two bowlers doing what they each did best, exploiting favourable conditions to the fullest.

[Donny]

Onus on New Zealand

Wisden Cricinfo staff

Before the TVS Cup began, Stephen Fleming had remarked about the difficulty of the task for New Zealand in this tournament, being pitted against the World Cup winners and the runners-up. Just four games into the tournament, New Zealand have already fallen behind, and must put in a much-improved performance against Australia at Pune to prevent this tournament from becoming a two-horse race.

Another defeat will not bundle the New Zealanders out of the tournament – though Australia will be guaranteed a place in the final if they win tomorrow – but after their embarrassing rout at Faridabad, Fleming and his men urgently need a morale-booster. In the context of how the two teams have performed so far, just running the Australians close will be a significant achievement.

New Zealand's cause has not been helped by injuries to Chris Cairns and Paul Hitchcock. Cairns strained his hamstring in the first match of the tournament at Chennai, while Hitchcock suffered a side strain at Faridabad. Both are doubtful starters for Monday's match: Lindsay Crocker, manager of the New Zealand side, indicated that a final decision on both players would only be made on the morning of the match.

Australia have few worries on their plate; their biggest grouse might well be the itinerary, which forces them to play a day game just one day after finishing a day-night fixture.

The Australian top order had been below par at Gwalior, but Damien Martyn's classy century, and Andrew Symonds's powerful strokeplay suggested that the batting line-up is slowly getting into groove. The most encouraging aspect, however, has been the outstanding display by their second-string pace attack.

In the absence of their top three fast bowlers, the inexperienced line-up of Nathan Bracken, Brad Williams and Andy Bichel were expected to struggle in subcontinental conditions. In two of the three matches, though, they have given Australia the early initiative. The conditions at Faridabad were admittedly seamer-friendly, but even on the dry surface at Mumbai, Bracken and Williams extracted bounce and movement, and had Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman playing and missing on numerous occasions.

The Nehru Stadium at Pune could well offer the seamers a fair amount of assistance as well. There was a decent sprinkling of grass on the pitch, while the downpours over the last couple of days – which forced the covers to remain on the wicket – could also work in favour of the fast bowlers. The outfield was in excellent shape, though, and with fair weather expected for Monday, a prompt 9am start was a near-certainty.

Australia (probable) 1 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Michael Bevan, 6 Andrew Symonds, 7 Michael Clarke, 8 Brad Hogg, 9 Andy Bichel, 10 Brad Williams, 11 Nathan Bracken.

New Zealand (probable) 1 Chris Nevin, 2 Stephen Fleming (capt), 3 Lou Vincent, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Craig McMillan, 6 Chris Cairns, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Chris Harris, 9 Brendon McCullum (wk), 10 Daniel Vettori, 11 Daryl Tufffey.

[Donny]

Win the toss and field

S Rajesh

Monday's Australia-New Zealand clash will be the 10th one-day international at the Nehru Stadium in Pune. Both Australia and New Zealand have played once each here, with contrasting fortunes: Australia beat India by eight wickets in 2000-01, while New Zealand suffered a five-wicket at the hands of India in 1995-96.


The past record at this venue suggests that bowling first is clearly the way to success: seven of the nine previous ODIs have been won by the team chasing a target. Winning the toss isn't necessarily a blessing here, though: only four times has the team winning the toss gone on to win the match as well.


One of the two occasions when the team batting first won was in a 1996 World Cup match, when Kenya pulled off a stunning upset against West Indies. Kenya batted first and managed just 166, but then bundled West Indies out for a mere 93 to win by a convincing 73-run margin.


Only once in nine attempts has the team batting first scored more than 250 here. India achieved that feat, making 286 against Sri Lanka in 1998-99, and ended up winning the match by a comfortable 51-run margin. In the next match played at Pune – against Australia in 2000-01 – the Indians came close again, notching up 248, with Hemang Badani scoring his maiden ODI hundred. It wasn't enough, though, as Mark Waugh struck a delightful unbeaten 133 to ease Australia to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory with 29 balls to spare.


New Zealand will hope Chris Cairns recovers in time for Monday's ODI. The only time New Zealand played here, Cairns thumped 103 off 87 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes, and then took 3 for 37 from 10 overs. He won the Man-of-the-Match award, despite New Zealand losing the game.

[Donny]

The game starts at 2.30 p.m. but according to Cricinfo, New Zealand has won the toss.

I thought the toss was always just before the game but there may be some other arrangement in this tournament.

[Donny]

No, not the case. Australia won the toss and bowled.

Wickets in the 3rd., 5th.(2) and 7th to Williams had the Black Caps in trouble but a 40 to Fleming, a quick 81 to Oram, 51 from 47 to McCullum and an extras total of 38 (new Australian record) saw a 50 over total of 9/258.

Williams took 5/53 and Symonds, 2/56.

[Donny]

Gilly goes for 25 and after 7 overs the Aussies are on 1/35.

Tuffey took the wicket.

He just got Hayden (9) as well.

[Donny]

Australia is 4/96 after 20. Tuffey has 3/25.

Clarke and Bevan steadied and now are starting to open up. They are on target, at 5 r.p.o.

[Donny]

The Clarke/Bevan 100 partnership comes up from 114 balls and Clarke celebrates with a 6.

He is 70 n.o. from 77 balls and Bevan is 35 n.o.

Tuffey comes back on and Clarke plays on. A top knock. 5/173.

[Donny]

Cairns gets Bevan for 50.

With 10 overs to go, the Aussies need 54 to win.

[i_luv_tarkyn!]

go clarkey!
he is in awesome form, thought the aussies were in trouble but they are looking good again.

luv jess