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Classy Martyn helps Aussies
overcome England’s challenge |
October 21, 2006 (Link to
Scorecard)
The Diwali night game between Australia and
England turned out to be a one-sided contest
turning in favour of the World Champs. The
English batsmen put up a tame show after they
were put into bat first by Ricky Ponting. The
bowlers were no better who at one stage had the
Aussies shaken up at 34 for 3 but they let
Damien Martyn and Michael Hussey off the hook
and with that the match. It was England who had
started today’s game on a brighter note with the
openers putting on 83 but it was a lackluster
performance following that which saw England
crash to a six wicket defeat with Aussies
getting the 170 runs with 79 balls to spare.
With this comprehensive victory, the Aussies
have kept their hopes of progressing to the
semi-finals alive. The match had started under a
possible threat of thunderstorms and the
humidity was on the higher side at 61%. Ricky
Ponting decided to field first as he was worried
about the dew factor later in the evening. There
was one change in the Australian line up with
Brad Hogg giving way for left arm quick Mitchell
Johnson. England remained unchanged and they had
to put on something more than the 125 they had
scored in their first match against India at
this same venue to match their arch-rivals.
The Aussies started off with Brett Lee and
Nathan Bracken who found no joy as Strauss and
Bell put on a solid opening start. It was a
needless shot from Ian Bell in the third
powerplay that brought his downfall and also the
downfall of his side. Bell fell after making 43
playing a backfoot drive off Shane Watson that
carried straight to covers. Ian Bell had
actually got a let off from Damien Martyn when
he was on 23 at mid-off after Martyn had got
himself into a tangle in taking a simple catch
leaving the bowler Glenn McGrath absolutely
angry. Big man Kevin Pietersen was promoted at
no.3 instead of Freddie and he could make just a
run before edging one that angled across him
from Mitchell Johnson. The good start that
England had got was minimized with the dismissal
of Andrew Flintoff who fell playing the pull off
Watson’s short and quick one to Hussey at deep
mid wicket. Flintoff improved on his batting
performance against India by four runs, he was
out for a duck in that game.
Andrew Strauss had got his 12th ODI fifty and he
required to carry on and on if England had any
chance of putting up a fighting total. But once
he was joined by Michael Yardy, the scoring came
to a halt and with that the pressure fell on
Strauss who gave up and got out edging Symonds’s
off break to Gilchrist. Andrew Strauss had made
56 in 90 balls with 6 fours which was only half
of the score required from him. The Aussies then
made sure that there was no further partnership
in the English innings and they wrapped up the
innings in the 45th over, bowling out England
for 169. Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson had
picked up three wickets each while McGrath
chipped in with a couple. Paul Collingwood who
had come as low as no.6 was left stranded on 22
not out as he saw wickets going down in a hurry
and he could just face the 38 balls in the
innings. That was total wastage from England and
also the fact that they could not play the
remaining five regulation overs in their
innings.
The Aussies started their chase in a reasonable
fashion through Gilchrist and Watson. Play was
halted in the 4th over when one of the light
towers had turned off; it took some time before
it was restored back to normalcy. The break came
as a loss in concentration for Gilchrist as he
didn’t get back and across to a short of length
inswinger from Sajid Mahmood from round the
stumps and it resulted in getting his off stump
uprooted. It was Sajid Mahmood striking for the
second time as Ricky Ponting played a tentative
drive to edge an outswinger to Strauss at second
slip. At the same score of 34, Shane Watson was
bowled by James Anderson’s short delivery that
wasn’t short enough for the pull.
Coming in at a tricky position of 34 for 3 in
the 7th over, Damien Martyn along with Michael
Hussey badly needed to stick there in the middle
and work out a partnership. The England side
required its seamers to sustain the pressure
which they failed in doing so with Harmison,
Sajid Mahmood bowling too many loose deliveries.
There was one particular over from Harmison
which saw three rank deliveries, all of which
were dispatched to the boundary by Damien Martyn.
It was a flier of a start that Martyn had got
and he just utilized it to his advantage. Hussey
at the other end was cautious and although he
didn’t get the runs at a rate which he is used
at getting, he ensured that England never came
back in the match. Harmison struggled to bowl
consistently well and he was taken for plenty of
runs but he did return back with a consolation
wicket of Damien Martyn but not before the
stylish right hander had made 78 to take Aussies
18 short of victory. Martyn’s 78 had come in 91
balls with 12 fours. Hussey unbeaten on an
85-ball 32 and Symonds on 8 finished off the
match in the 37th over. James Anderson was the
better of all the English bowlers used and he
went for 1 for 31 in his 9 overs. Michael Yardy
who bowls or rather rolls his left arm spin at a
quick pace of around 95kmph and more was only
instrumental in delaying the English defeat with
figures of none for 18 in 10 overs. Damien
Martyn was celebrating his 35th birthday today
and he was presented with the Man of the Match
award for his match winning knock.
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