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Ashes
Tour 2006/7 - Twenty/20 - Sydney, DCG - Australia v England
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High: 23°C | Low: 13°C |
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Wind:
E at 8 km/h, Humidity: 36% |
| Match |
Australia v England |
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Date |
9th January,
2007 |
| Match Type |
Twenty/20 International |
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Umpires |
Parker, PD (AUS),
Parry, RL (AUS) |
| Toss |
Australia |
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Decision |
Bat |
| Result |
Australia
Won by 77 Runs |
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Venue |
SCG Sydney - Scorecard |
| Australia |
5/221
(Gilchrist 48) |
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England |
9/144 |
England slumped to yet another Australian
defeat today losing the one off Twenty20 by a comfortable
77 run margin in Sydney. England were outclassed, out
thought and out gunned as Australia hit out from the very
first over.
Ponting, who has never been a fan of the shorter form
of the game, won the toss and immediately chose to bat
before the floodlights kicked in and dominated the evening
skyline. Michael Vaughan returned for England with Andrew
Flintoff standing down after leading England in the unsuccessful
Ashes campaign. Australia had made six changes for this
fun exhibition style game and despite both teams claiming
it was just for fun, both wanted desperately to win the
game; England for their first of the tour and Australia
to knock the nail even deeper into the coffin.
Adam Gilchrist wasted no time in kicking off but it was
Hayden at the other end that destroyed Anderson with three
boundaries in the second over. Anderson did avenge the
onslaught by taking Hayden's wicket in his next over but
by that time the rot had well and truly set in with a
run rate in excess of 10 an over. With a little over an
hour to complete the entire innings, a Twenty20 game moves
along at a frenetic pace and with Gilchrist in this rich
vein of form it promised to be an extra special occasion
for the home crowd.
Gilchrist hit five sixes in his 48 before he played on
to Monty Panesar, it was a cruel blow to a magnificent
innings. Hussey wasted no time in his short but classy
innings, Panesar and Nixon combining for his second wicket
of the game. Ponting was caught at fine leg three runs
short of his half century by Lewis, making amends for
dropping the Australian captain then on 16 earlier in
the innings. The dropped catch made a huge difference
in the game as it allowed Australia to push the game further
away from England and despite Lewis claiming the catch
second time round the damage had been done.
Michael Clarke was run out for five runs and it was left
to Cameron White and Andrew Symonds to see Australia home
with a significant fast paced sixth wicket partnership
setting up the highest total scored in a Twenty20 international.
Both fielding and bowling were poor with Anderson suffering
heavily primarily to Hayden and Gilchrist went for 64
in his four allotted overs. England required a record
222 for the unlikely win at over 11 an over.
England struggled and were never in the game but with
the fall of Joyce after four balls and Flintoff who had
been promoted to number three in the second, both to attacking
shots, it was nigh on impossible to reach the big total.
Pietersen was run out by debutant Shane Harwood with a
direct hit from third man and despite the decision appearing
on the big screen Pietersen couldn't believe the decision
until he saw the replay. he hung around as much as possible
until television replays clearly showed he was a foot
short and with it he jogged off to the safety of the change
rooms.
England captain Vaughan who was playing in his first senior
game of the tour gifted Andrew Symonds with a leg before
decision when he decided to reverse sweep a straight delivery.
Vaughan looked comfortable in his first England game since
December 2005 with no visible sign of any discomfort from
his troublesome knee injury. Hilfenhaus, another debutant,
was the pick of the bowlers returning figures of 2 for
16 in a magnificent middle innings spell.
A stand of 49 between Nixon and Dalrymple saved England's
blushes and gave a little respectability to the score.
Michael Vaughan who was interviewed at the conclusion
of the game commented "Sometimes you have to hold
your hand up and say their batting was very impressive,
very destructive and very powerful". |
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