Australia bounce back

14 September 2007

Matthew Hayden pulls with considerable force in his unbeaten 67 © Getty Images

England missed the chance to remove one of their biggest rivals for the ICC World Twenty20 title after Australia bounced back to claim a convincing win at Newlands.

Knowing victory would secure their passage to the next stage and also eliminate Australia, England had a golden chance to open up the tournament by dismissing the World Cup holders.

But, just 48 hours after they suffered a shock five-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe, Australia were stung into a performance and completed an eight-wicket victory.

However, the relativley narrow margin of England's defeat was sufficient to see them through to the Super Eights section of the tournament after Thursday's victory over Zimbabwe.

Australia dismissed England for 135, which Australia chased down with relative ease as Matthew Hayden hammered an unbeaten 67 off 43 balls, including 11 fours and a six.

England’s openers Darren Maddy and Matt Prior made a solid start but struggled to hit boundaries during the early overs.

Restricted by the accuracy of Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee with the new ball, England were forced to take increasing risks, which provoked a mini top-order collapse as three wickets fell in three overs.

Prior hit 17 off as many balls before becoming the first casualty, trying to drive Mitchell Johnson over the top and being caught at mid-on in the fifth over.

Luke Wright edged Johnson behind two overs later and Maddy, who made 20, mistimed an attempted drive off Stuart Clark to mid-off.

Andrew Flintoff top-scored for England with 31 and bowled economically © Getty Images

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Paul Collingwood fell for 19 - lbw to a Lee full toss - immediately after hitting a free hit for six over mid-wicket.
Kevin Pietersen was out three overs later, bowled by a quicker delivery from Bracken for 20, bringing Andrew Flintoff and Owais Shah to the crease.

Flintoff blasted 31 off 19 balls and shared a 30-run stand with Shah but, attempting to steer a short ball from Johnson over the slips, Flintoff mistimed the shot and was caught by Clarke.

Shah followed in the next over when he was caught in the deep off Bracken, who finished with impressive figures of 3-16.

During Australia’s reply Flintoff battled bravely with the ball to claim 1-25 despite his injured left ankle.

However, Stuart Broad proved expensive - his three overs went for 23 as Hayden and Adam Gilchrist forged a 78-run stand in 8.2 overs without giving a hint of a chance.

James Kirtley, replacing James Anderson in the only change to the side that beat Zimbabwe, went for 17 runs in his only over.

England struck when Gilchrist drove Chris Schofield’s second ball to Flintoff at long-on and Ponting later gave the Surrey all-rounder a sharp return catch.

However, Hayden and Andrew Symonds saw Australia home with 31 balls to spare.