The Hindu : Sport : Another annihilation by Australia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 22, 2007
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Another annihilation by Australia

Only New Zealand opener Peter Fulton offered any resistance

THE HEROES: Brad Hogg (left) picked up four wickets and Matthew Hayden scored a century as Australia thrashed New Zealand by 215 runs. — Photo: AFP

ST. GEORGE'S: Australia bowled out New Zealand for 133 on Friday to win its final Super Eight match by 215 runs and give an ominous demonstration of its form ahead of the World Cup semifinals.

Matthew Hayden hit 103 off 100 balls to lead Australia to 348 for six at the Grenada National Stadium before Brad Hogg took four for 29 to seal the Aussies' 21st straight World Cup win.

``Right at the moment we're very confident,'' Australia captain Ricky Ponting said. ``We're playing some excellent cricket. It's going to take a lot to beat us in our semifinal (against South Africa).''

Biggest loss

It was New Zealand's biggest one-day loss by runs, worse than the 189-run defeat to Sri Lanka in Auckland in January.

``It's probably one of our worst performances and may have been a little bit to do with the dead nature of the game,'' said New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, whose team has also made it to the semifinals.

``We've had one eye on the game against Sri Lanka anyway. We know Australia's going to be a tough game and you've got to be up for it to compete with them. We were a little bit off today.''

Australia won the toss and batted aggressively despite both teams already having reached the semifinals and New Zealand supposedly being one of its leading rivals for the title.

A record

Ponting hit 66 and Shane Watson 65 off 32 balls as the only unbeaten team in the competition recorded the biggest World Cup win by runs by one Test nation over another.

The previous best was England's 202-run win over India in 1975, although that came in a 60 overs-a-side game.

New Zealand appeared to be keeping pace with Australia, reaching 75 for two off the first 10 overs. However, wickets kept tumbling and there was to be no repeat of those famous wins over Australia in February's Chappell-Hadlee series.

Only opener Peter Fulton, with 62, offered any resistance as the Black Caps were all out with 24.1 overs still left.

Australia finished on top of the Super Eight table with a maximum of 14 points to New Zealand's 10 and will play fourth-placed South Africa in the semifinals in St. Lucia on Wednesday.

New Zealand, in third place, will be up against Sri Lanka in Jamaica on Tuesday, with the winners meeting in the April 28 final in Barbados.

Missing fast bowler Shane Bond because of a stomach complaint and Jacob Oram with a bruised heel, New Zealand struggled to make an impact on Australia's top order. Bond, who has taken 12 wickets in the tournament, did not travel to the stadium and was treated by doctors after vomiting on Thursday night. — AP

THE WORLD CUP BIG ONES
257 _ India bt Bermuda, Trinidad, 2007.
256 _ Australia bt Namibia, South Africa, 2003.
243 _ Sri Lanka bt Bermuda, Trinidad, 2007.
229 _ Australia bt Netherlands, St. Kitts, 2007.
221 _ South Africa bt Netherlands, St. Kitts, 2007.
215 _ Australia bt New Zealand, St. George's, 2007.
203 _ Australia bt Scotland, St. Kitts, 2007.
202 _ England bt India, London, 1975.

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