Cricket: Impressive Australia sound cup warning

6.30am

JOHANNESBURG - Australia responded to the loss of Shane Warne like the world champions they are, crushing Pakistan by 82 runs in their opening World Cup Group A match this morning (NZ time).

Inspired by a magnificent unbeaten 143 from unlikely hero Andrew Symonds, Ricky Ponting's side recovered from a poor start to post a total of 310 for eight before bowling out the Pakistanis for 228 in a one-sided repeat of the 1999 World Cup final.

The win was an emphatic response to anyone who might have wondered if Australia could win without Warne, and if they can maintain this form it would be hard to see any other side taking their title from them.

The margin of victory made it hard to believe that Australia were in deep trouble at 86 for four before the 27-year-old Symonds, a player whose inconsistent career had barely justified his selection, took control in a 125-ball effort featuring 18 fours and two sixes.

"It was nice to get one (a century) under the belt and, hopefully, it won't be the last," the man of the match said after his first international hundred. "We were in a spot of bother so it was nice to get some runs for the team."

Ponting, who contributed a vital 53, was proud of his players.

"I couldn't have asked for better out of my first (World Cup) game (as captain)," he told reporters. "We were in early trouble, we just had to bat for a while and get the momentum going our way.

"Then when I got out Andrew Symonds played one of the best one-day innings I've seen for a long long time. "I always knew Andrew had it in him to go out and play like that. It's been a while coming and he would be the first to admit that."

Symonds and Ponting added 60 for the fifth wicket to get the innings back on track, and when the captain fell, that was the cue for Symonds to go into over-drive.

After passing 50 for only the third time in 55 one-day matches, a mark reached in 60 balls, he went to his hundred from only 32 more deliveries, driving powerfully through the off-side.

Symonds clubbed leg-spinner Shahid Afridi for four boundaries in one over, and when captain Waqar Younis reintroduced his faster bowlers, his response was to up the tempo even more.

He hammered both Wasim Akram and Waqar for sixes in the closing overs as he passed the previous highest score by an Australian in World Cup cricket, the 130 made by Mark Waugh against Kenya in 1996.

In the face of the onslaught Pakistan lost their cool and Waqar was banned from bowling by umpire David Shepherd after delivering two beamers to Symonds, in the 49th over.

Pakistan, with only 49 overs to face after being docked an one for a slow over-rate, were unable to gain any sort of momentum in the face of impressive bowling from recent injury victims Jason Gillespie (one for 28) and Glenn McGrath (one for 39).

There were some late fireworks from Rashid Latif (33) and Wasim (33) who added 54 in five overs, but as they came together with Pakistan on 147 for seven in the 35th over it was very much a case of too little too late.

Ian Harvey claimed four for 58, including a wicket with his first ball, and Warne's understudy, left-arm wrist-spinner Brad Hogg, took three for 54, as if to emphasise once again that there is life after the champion leg spinner.

Australia

A Gilchrist c Waqar b Akram 1

M Hayden b Akram 27

R Ponting c Taufeeq b Akhtar 53

D Martyn b Akram 0

J Maher c Latif b Waqar 9

A Symonds not out 143

B Hogg run out 14

I Harvey c Waqar b Akhtar 24

B Lee c Inzamam b Waqar 2

J Gillespie not out 6

Extras (1b, 9lb, 12w, 9nb) 31

Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 310

Fall: 10, 52, 52, 86, 146, 216, 270, 292

Bowling: Wasim Akram 10 overs 0 maidens 64 runs 3 wickets (2nb, 5w), Shoaib Akhtar 10-0-45-2 (3w), Waqar Younis 8.3-1-50-2 (2nb, 3w), Abdur Razzaq 6-0-42-0 (2nb), Shahid Afridi 9.3-0-63-0 (1w), Younis Khan 6-0-36-0 (1nb)

Pakistan

Taufeeq Umar c Hogg b Lee 21

Shahid Afridi c Gilchrist b Gillespie 1

Saleem Elahi c Lee b Harvey 30

Inzamam-ul-Haq c Gilchrist b McGrath 6

Yousuf Youhana c Symonds b Harvey 27

Younis Khan c Ponting b Hogg 19

Abdul Razzaq c and b Hogg 25

R.Latif b Hogg 33

W Akram c Ponting b Harvey 33

W Younis c McGrath b Harvey 6

S Akhtar not out 0

Extras (3b, 9lb, 10w, 5nb) 27

Total (all out, 44.3 overs) 228

Fall: 9, 38, 49, 81, 103, 125, 147, 201, 223, 228

Bowling: McGrath 10-2-39-1 (1w), Gillespie 8-1-28-1 (3w),

Lee 7-0-37-1 (5nb), Harvey 9.3-0-58-4 (3w), Hogg 10-0-54-3 (3w)

Note: Pakistan innings reduced to 49 overs

Result: Australia won by 82 runs

- REUTERS


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