MELBOURNE - The world's best cricketers helped raise more than $15 million for the Asian tsunami relief effort as Australian Ricky Ponting spearheaded the Rest of the World XI to victory in the historic one-day international match at the MCG last night.
The Rest of the World thumped the Asian
XI by 112 runs in the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal match, which drew the cream of the world's cricketers for a match played in a competitive, but light-hearted spirit.
Rest of the World skipper Ponting starred with the bat, top-scoring with 115.
But his innings, featuring eight fours and three sixes, was not nearly as important as the A$265,000 ($292,000) it raised for aid agency World Vision.
With phone company 3 Mobile pledging A$1000 per run scored and car maker Toyota donating A$50,000 per six, Ponting won't play a more vital captain's knock than his 102-ball anchor role in his side's 8-344 off 50 overs.
It was part of another giving spree from corporate Australia and sports fans, who added to more than A$20 million raised from the Australia Unites concert and telethon on Saturday night.
Nine Network supremo Kerry Packer chipped in A$3 million and beer giant Foster's A$1 million as a telethon held in conjunction with the cricket raised around A$9 million.
Just exactly how much will be raised won't be known for several days, with several items auctioned on website eBay, gate receipts and proceeds from food and drink sales all to go to tsunami victims.
About the only people who didn't feel the spirit of charity were the Asian XI.
Their bowlers were belted around the park by Ponting and New Zealander Chris Cairns, who made a memorable 69 off 47 balls.
They were asked to chase a biggest total ever scored in a one-day match at the MCG for victory and then they were brought undone by spin twins Shane Warne and Daniel Vettori.
Warne took 2-27 off seven overs and Vettori 3-58 off 10.
After a promising start from openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Virender Sehwag, Warne struck with his second ball of the night -- dismissing the dangerous Sehwag for a brisk 45 off 39 deliveries.
Warne and Vettori then applied the brakes to Asian XI skipper Sourav Ganguly and Yousuf Youhana -- eventually tempting them to hit out and lose their wickets as the required run rate steepened.
Only Indian batsman Rahul Dravid, with an unbeaten 75 off 71 balls, provided any real resistance as the Asian XI slumped to be all out for 232.
Retired Australian test skipper Steve Waugh made a comeback to international cricket -- albeit as a substitute fielder.
But a diving stop to his left to deny Dravid what would have been a certain boundary brought close to the biggest cheer of the night.
Earlier Ponting had spearheaded the Rest of the World run spree, sharing substantial partnerships with Adam Gilchrist, Brian Lara and Cairns.
While Cairns blitzed the attack, most notably spinner Anil Kumble and paceman Abdul Razzaq, Lara was more circumspect for his 52 in a 122-run stand with Ponting.
Asian wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara had five dismissals in the innings -- two catches and three stumpings.
Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan led the wicket-takers with three for 59 off his 10 overs.
World XI innings
A Gilchrist c Sangakkara b Zaheer Khan 24
C Gayle c Sangakkara b Zaheer Khan 1
R Ponting st Sangakkara b Kumble 115
B Lara c Vaas b Kumble 52
C Cairns st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 69
G McGrath c Yousuf b Muralitharan 0
S Fleming b Vaas 30
M Hayden st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 2
D Vettori not out 27
S Warne not out 2
Extras (3lb, 7w, 12nb) 22
Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 344
Fall of wickets: 1, 50, 172, 263, 264, 286, 292, 337
Did not bat: D Gough
Bowling: Vaas 9-1-59-1, Zaheer Khan 8-0-46-2 (3w), Abdul Razzaq 5-0-50-0 (12nb, 1w), Muttiah Muralitharan 10-0-59-3 (2w), Anil Kumble 10-0-73-2 (1w), Virender Sehwag 7-0-46-0, Sanath Jayasuriya 1-0-8-0.
Asia XI innings
S Jayasuriya c Fleming b Cairns 28
V Sehwag c Gayle b Warne 45
S Ganguly c Gough b Vettori 22
R Dravid not out 75
Y Youhana c Ponting b Warne 4
K Sangakkara c Gilchrist b Gough 24
A Razzaq st Gilchrist b Vettori 11
C Vaas c McGrath b Vettori 7
Z Khan run out 0
A Kumble b McGrath 11
M Muralitharan run out 0
Extras (2lb, 2w, 1nb) 5
Total (all out, 39.5 overs) 232
Fall of wickets: 59, 76, 107, 114, 156, 173, 197, 199, 226, 232
Bowling: McGrath 7-0-37-1, Gough 8-0-55-1, Cairns 6-0-37-1 (1nb), Warne 7-0-27-2 (2w), Vettori 10-0-58-3, Gayle 1.5-0-16-0.
Result: World 11 won by 112 runs.
Man of the match: Ricky Ponting (World 11)
- AAP, REUTERS
MELBOURNE - The world's best cricketers helped raise more than $15 million for the Asian tsunami relief effort as Australian Ricky Ponting spearheaded the Rest of the World XI to victory in the historic one-day international match at the MCG last night.
The Rest of the World thumped the Asian
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