Champions Trophy

[gabriel]

wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=869861

Australia win last-ball thriller
JOHANNESBURG16:23 AEST Thu Oct 1 2009

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Australia booked their place in the final four with a last-ball, two-wicket win over Pakistan in Centurion on Wednesday, which earned them top spot in their group after the pool games.

Australia were in control at 4-174 chasing Pakistan's 6-205, but lost 4-13 across six overs, which left them in danger of losing the game.

A defeat would have opened the door for India - who were playing the West Indies - to overtake Australia on run-rate.

But Australia tailenders Brett Lee (12 not out) and Nathan Hauritz (nine not out) got their side home when they added 19 for the ninth wicket and scrambled through for a bye off the final delivery of the match, which won the game.

The victory booked a semi-final against England at SuperSport Park on Friday, while Pakistan will play New Zealand in the other semi-final, at the Wanderers on Saturday.

Australia's 6-1 series trouncing of England in the recent one-day series which concluded the Ashes tour gives Ponting's side confidence entering the sudden-death game.

But Ponting expected the match to be a close one given the impressive form England displayed at the start of this tournament, when they beat Sri Lanka and South Africa.

"We snuck across the line and we're through to the next stage now with the semi-final on Friday, so we're at the stage we wanted to be at it," he said.

"We've played well against England in the last few weeks and England have played well at the start of the tournament, so I think it will be another good game of one-day cricket between pretty good sides."

A win over England would give Australia the chance to become the first side to win back-to-back Champions Trophy tournaments.

The final will be played in Centurion on Monday.

Meanwhile, Australia have called on Victoria batsman David Hussey to come to South Africa to replace vice-captain Michael Clarke, who arrived home on Wednesday to rest his troublesome back.

Hussey's brother Mike was the man of the match against Pakistan for his 64, which had Australia comfortably placed until Pakistan's bowlers rallied late.


There will be another Ashes. And we'll be back. But let's see how both teams go in this one day final. Australia to win?

Oh yeah.

[Big Lin]

Nice to find a fellow cricket fan, Gabriel.

Are you an Aussie by any chance?

[gabriel]

An Australian supporter for sure.

[gabriel]

Told you Australia would win. England all out for 258, Australia 1 for 259. The scores might be a little off I only had a quick look at the screen. Ponting scored a century, Watson somewhere around 130.

Australia just wasn't good enough to win the Ashes. A good spinner wouldn't go astray or a decent fast bowler. I see Mitch Johnson has just been named ICC player of the year but he just wasn't good enough during the tests. All my opinion. As for Mike Hussey, well sure, a century in the last test but c'mon, they were carrying him for all the previous ones.

Ponting scored reasonably well at No 3 but you need a solid middle order to follow up. I guess it's just the wheel going around. Australia dominated for so long it was bound to happen but it shows that the one day strength is still there. But you know, the English really had the Australians sorted out in the tests. This match the Poms didn't even seem to get into.

[gabriel]

Australia wins Champions Trophy by 6 wickets. The side defeated New Zealand in the final. Oh yeah. Now for the one day season to really start.

[gabriel]

The scoreboard for Aust V NZ.


wwos.ninemsn.com.au/cricket/scorecard.aspx?matchid=15&seriesid=2454&livematch=true&comment=true&livematch=true

Hussey bombed again. I think he needs to be sidelined for a while. Watson scored well. Now the big time punting begins. That's one aspect of cricket today that I don't enjoy. The sub-continent and the bets. It is affecting all international cricket as far as I can determine. Look at Hanje Cronje, dead for about a decade now, but he was on the fix. I do not want to watch a match with the knowledge in the back of my head that it's been fixed by an Indian bookie.

[gabriel]

wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=872811

Watson admits he has to keep performing
By Greg Buckle 06:31 AEST Thu Oct 8 2009
Shane Watson says he knows he must keep performing to ensure a place on the Australian cricket team.



Despite consecutive hundreds for Australia, Shane Watson admits he's never too far away from scrutiny and knows he has to keep performing to hold his place in the side.

Watson returned to Sydney airport on Wednesday night with skipper Ricky Ponting, who held the Champions Trophy in his hands following Australia's win over New Zealand in South Africa earlier this week.

Watson, who hit centuries in the semi-final and final, is on a high after replacing Phillip Hughes for the third Ashes Test and scoring 240 runs at 48.00 including three half-centuries in three Tests.

The strongly-built Watson, who is crossing from Queensland to join the NSW Blues this summer, continued to impress in the one-day series in England and in the Champions Trophy, where Australia claimed back-to-back titles.

"I knew my game was in a really good place. For it to come together in the last two games especially is very rewarding," Watson told reporters at Sydney airport.

"It has definitely gone beyond my expectations to be able to open the batting in a few Ashes Tests and on the back of winning the Champions Trophy and performing in the last couple of games.

"You've got to be performing all the time. You can't rest on (your laurels) and expect to be picked.

"You've got to score runs consistently. There's no doubt that's what I have to do to be able to play."

Watson is expected to retain the Test opening role with his NSW teammate Simon Katich against the West Indies in Australia in November, with fellow NSW opener Hughes keen to return to Test ranks quickly.

Watson will be a key player for Australia in their one-day tour of India later this month.

"I think he has grown in stature a lot through the past few months," Ponting said on Wednesday.

"He showed everybody then how adaptable he is in the Test game.

"To have him back at full fitness and bowling very well for us through the one-dayers in England ... then to have his batting blossom right at the end of the Champions Trophy when we absolutely most needed it, to get a hundred in the semi-final and a hundred in the final is something very special.

"I think he knows the enormity of what he has achieved over the last few months and he's really setting his career up very well for the future.

"Someone like Shane who has been on the outer for a while with niggling injuries, to have him come back in and play somewhere near his absolute best is great for the whole team.

"I guess it takes a little bit (of the pain) away but I think that will always remain with me and Shane, not getting over that last hurdle at The Oval," Ponting added of Australia's failed Ashes campaign.
"After five months on the road, to come home with a big event like this, it's very satisfying."

Not just for you 2, Ponting.

[gabriel]

wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=872737

Too right it doesn't make losing the Ashes any better to swallow.


Trophy doesn't ease Ashes pain: Johnson
By Justin Chadwick 19:12 AEST Wed Oct 7 2009
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson admits he'd trade the Champions Trophy for an Ashes win.


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While Australia are still treasuring their Champions Trophy success, paceman Mitchell Johnson would trade it away in a heartbeat for a different result in their doomed Ashes campaign.

Australia were humbled 2-1 by their arch enemy in England earlier this year and Johnson said the pain of that defeat still burnt strongly among the team.

"Yeah, I probably would (trade the Champions Trophy win for a different result in the Ashes)," Johnson said after touching down in Perth on Wednesday.

"The big event for us was the Ashes but you've got to take each tournament as you go.

"We can't dwell on it too much.

"We've won this trophy and we're very happy.

"I guess sitting at the end of the game (against New Zealand in the final) we felt pretty good about ourselves.

"Obviously we did lose the Ashes so it was very fulfilling for us to win this tournament."

Johnson, who was named ICC cricketer of the year last week, felt his early struggles during the Ashes series had made him a better cricketer.

"I think I built it up a bit too much and probably just got a bit too excited about it all," he said.

"I guess I didn't take into account their home crowd was pretty much right behind them the whole way,

"I wasn't used to that feeling.

"And obviously taking on the role of the leader of the attack (was another factor).

"It all sort of got to me a little bit and I'm glad I recovered from it.

"I think it's definitely helped.

"It's something I think you need to go through. It's a learning experience for me."

Batsman Mike Hussey, another who struggled during the Ashes, agreed Australia's recent success in the one-day format hadn't made up for their Test failings in England.

"I don't think it will ever make up for it," Hussey said.

"That's going to hurt for a long time but we've tried to put it behind us and I guess the only way we could do it is by getting back on the horse really.

"I think what we were able to do in South Africa was amazing.

"To win that tournament ... I don't know whether a lot of good judges would have given us a great chance of winning the whole thing."

Australia's players will now enjoy a well-deserved - albeit short - rest before regrouping for the seven-match one-day series against India, which kicks off in Jaipur on October 25.

"It's been close to five months I think (since I've been home)," Johnson said.

"So I'm looking forward to having a bit of a rest and just being at home with friends and family.

"I think I've got 12 days at home so I'll be chilling out as much as I can and getting as much rest as I can.

"Physically I feel fine, it's probably more of a mental drain than anything so the 12 days off will be good."

Nothing is as important as the Ashes. But it's not the end of the world (you don't know how much I hate to say that). England will have to defend them. I see the match schedule for 10/11 has already been drawn up. Nothing like being prepared.

[Big Lin]

Australia, like England, are a side in transition.

Watson doesn't look a Test class opener at all and Hussey's obvious talent isn't as consistent as it ought to be.

On the other hand, Michael Clark is outstanding, Ricky Ponting one of the game's greats and Marcus North looks pretty much on the way to becoming a world class batsman.

Mitchell Johnson is maddeningly inconsistent; so is Peter Siddall; Nathan Hauritz is a very poor spinner; and only Ben Hilfenhaus is a reliable wicket-taker.

We have an even more inconsistent team with huge batting problems and an attack that is still way off being settled. Only Jimmy Anderson and Graham Swan are automatic picks in the bowling department.

It's going to be tough for us against South Africa.

[gabriel]

Oh absolutely. The problem Australia has is that guys like Ponting and Clarke can't keep going on forever. Australia needs new blood, consistent new blood as you pointed out. Think you've got problems against the S Africans? Australia's up against India in one dayer's in India!

Just the thought of all those Indian bookies with their big money is enough to make me cautious about deciding before the match.