Cricket: Ponting engineers Australian great escape

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting waves at the crowd while leaving the field after completing a century during the second innings on the fifth day of the first cricket test match against Bangladesh. Picture / Reuters

FATULLAH, Bangladesh - Captain Ricky Ponting conjured one of Australia's great escapes by scoring an unbeaten century to salvage a three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first cricket test last night.

Ponting finished unbeaten on 118, nursing the tailenders on the final day to steer the world champions past a victory target of 307 and deny Bangladesh only their second win in 43 tests.
Australia, tired after their tour of South Africa, were in desperate trouble after the first two days when Bangladesh, the lowest-ranked side in test cricket, scored 427 in their first innings before dismissing the visitors for 269.

The Australian attack then tore through the Bangladesh batting in the second innings to bowl out the hosts for 148.

Resuming at 212 for four yesterday, Ponting received solid support from fast bowlers Brett Lee (29) and Jason Gillespie (seven not out) after wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who scored a century in the first innings, and Shane Warne had fallen early to give Bangladesh a scent of victory.

Ponting, who has been in superlative form since the 2005 Ashes series, batted for more than six hours, facing 253 balls and hitting 13 fours in his 31st test century.

Crucially he was dropped on 97 at fine leg by Mashrafe Mortaza after top-edging a pull shot with 24 runs still needed.

"This match is another example that the team is capable of getting out of any trouble. It was a very, very good test match," Ponting told reporters.

"They (Bangladesh) probably played better than I expected them to, they probably played better than we all expected especially on the first couple of days.

"They should be pretty happy with the way things went for them."

Spinner Mohammad Rafique was Bangladesh's most successful bowler with figures of four for 98 including the wickets of Gilchrist and Warne. Rafique took nine wickets in the match.

Bangladesh lost their two previous tests against Australia in 2003 by an innings.

"I am satisfied we could push the world champions into a fifth day and that was our moral victory," Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar said.

They had won only one of their previous 42 tests since 2000, that victory coming over a depleted Zimbabwe side.

* Scoreboard at close of play on the fifth and final day in the first test between Bangladesh and Australia.

Bangladesh 1st innings 427 (S. Nafees 138, H. Bashar 76, R. Saleh 67; S. MacGill 8-108)

Australia 1st innings 269 (A. Gilchrist 144; M. Rafique 5-62)

Bangladesh 2nd innings 148

Australia 2nd innings (Overnight: 212-4; Target: 307 runs)

M. Hayden run out 72
M. Hussey b Haque jnr 37
R. Ponting not out 118
D. Martyn b Rafique 7
M. Clarke c Mashud b Rafique 9
A. Gilchrist b Rafique 12
S. Warne lbw b Rafique 5
B. Lee c Mashud b Mortaza 29
J. Gillespie not out 7
Extras (b-4 lb-7 nb-2 w-1) 14
Total (for 7 wickets, 107 overs) 310
Fall of wickets: 1-64 2-173 3-183 4-205 5-225 6-231 7-277
Did not bat: S. MacGill, S. Clark

Bowling

M. Mortaza 22 - 7 - 54 - 1
S. Hossain 20 - 5 - 67 - 0 (w-1)
M. Rafique 38 - 6 - 98 - 4
E. Haque jnr 27 - 5 - 80 - 1 (nb-2)
Result: Australia won by 3 wickets

- REUTERS