Australia v Cricket Web XI
at Brabourne Stadium
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
Despite conceding a massive 320 for seven, including 37 extras, and falling to 38 for two, Australia somehow came out on top yet again against neighbouring Cricket Web XI. Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey were the grandest players in a brutal game of cricket, which included 66 boundaries and 641 runs.
It started beautifully for the Webheads, as they won the toss and chose to bat on a glorious morning. The Webheads had their fair share of luck, with Cloete dropped by Bracken on 0, then bowled by a no-ball on four; he obviously saw he was not in good nick, and slashed Bracken for three fours in a 16-run fourth over, before inside edging Tait for 18 in the fifth. It was to be Tait's only wicket in a long day's work. Goff and Markus were helped by a generous serving of wides and half-volleys, and kept the runs flowing at more than seven an over for the first thirteen. Any setbacks were of a temporary nature - Goff hooking to Tait for 47, Markus caught by Hogg on 52, Butler caught by Hussey in the powerplay on 38 - and boundaries came with ease, even off the spinners, who struggled with choice of length on a wicket very conducive to batsmen.
Liam Camps slowed down the effort somewhat, hogging up 47 balls for his 24, and probably had the team in mind as he contrived to drag a Johnson long-hop onto his pad, then middle stump off the pad. Alex Crampton, Rob Dauth and Tom Halsey all slogged out, ensuring that 74 runs came off the final ten overs, though they were helped by Shaun Tait's nine-ball 42nd over yielding 15 runs including three wides and a desperate appeal for lbw. Johnson and Bracken closed off reasonably well, strangling Dauth to a just short of run-a-ball rate, but with the help of 27 wides the total looked imposing.
So did it during the opening spell of Watt and Gough. Gough had Hayden caught in the realms of Markus, and when Watt had Gilchrist caught by Cloete at second slip, Australia were 38 for two with seven an over required for the rest of the match. Both seemed to be kept on for a little too long due to the lack of seamer alternatives, but Camps rallied to remove Hodge, and the target seemed even more hopeless.
Enter Clarke. With Ponting already in prime hitting form (four boundaries and a strike rate well above 100) Clarke knew that playing his natural game against the Webhead bowlers would work. Camps' next over went for 15; seven of them coming from Ponting, then a brace of fours between Markus and Dauth in the deep. Camps was taken off for Halsey, as Goff turned his spinners for the usual choke and a couple of wickets, but Clarke and Ponting were simply too good for those kinds of tactics. They added 75 for the fourth wicket, before a stunning return catch from Halsey brought balance again.
Or so they thought. But taking the powerplay took some pressure off Australia, neither Camps, Halsey nor Pickup found bite or control in the late middle overs, and with ten overs to go Australia found themselves favourites; they only needed 78 to win off 60, with well-settled Clarke (74) and Hussey (51) in to face the music. Hussey had just brought up his fifty; now he had to look on in horror as Clarke smashed Pickup into the Markus expanses again, before Symonds charged off a tip-and-run and was run out by the bowler in the follow-through. 76 was needed off 54, with four wickets in hand.
Pickup's next over couldn't have been more contrasting. After his fourth ball, Australia required 67 off 44, and he had beaten Hussey twice. Two thunderous slogs for six followed, and to make matters worse Pickup committed a no-ball with what should have been his sixth; a trickle down past fine-leg gave four more, and parity. Watt was brought on, and gave up another no-ball, and Australia were ahead again.
Camps had not enjoyed his day with the ball; his figures read 8-0-62-1, as Hussey, Clarke and Ponting had feasted on his medium-pace. He now set up for his ninth over - and the first ball snorted outside Hogg's off stump. The second was similar, but a bottom edge and a stunning forward dive resulted in the seventh wicket falling. Johnson rotated the strike to Hussey, who attempted the booming hoik again, only to stare down at a shattered middle stump after a completely mistimed effort. Australia needed 32 off 25 with two wickets in hand.
Bracken took on the challenge. The first ball he thumped past a diving mid off fielder, only to see it beautifully stopped by Gough on the boundary to prevent a four. Bracken kept the strike for the next over, and hit Watt for a four and a six. Just 16 needed to win. Camps steamed in again, and yorked Johnson, leaving Tait to survive and help Bracken score 14 runs. The over ended with singles, and Camps' final two overs had yielded nine runs and three wickets, a remarkable comeback.
Still Australia needed only a run a ball. The first ball from Watt beat Tait, the second a single, the third a single. Watt charged in for his fourth...but overstepped, provided a full toss, and Tait's across the line heave somehow made perfect contact. The shot of Tait's life flew over a leaping Markus, and the game was effectively over, with only three required for the win.
A miracle was required by Halsey, as Australia only wanted two off the final over. Tait tied the scores with another wild heave that was stopped by Goff at midwicket. And when he bowled a fullish ball on leg stump that spun back into Bracken and hit him on the knee, every Webhead in the crowd thought he'd provided it. Umpire Dar respectfully disagreed, and replays proved him right. The next ball went past a diving Crampton and down to fine leg; Australia had won, as Bracken and Tait jogged through and embraced after the glorious one-wicket victory. Cricket Web XI now face the tough task of defeating Sri Lanka and India in order to make it through to the semi-finals.
Cricket Web XI 320 for seven (50 overs)
RJ Dauth 66 (68), I Markus 52 (66), BJ Goff 47 (45)
NW Bracken 4/63 [10]
Australia 321 for nine (49.3 overs)
MEK Hussey 78 (63), MJ Clarke 74 (71), RT Ponting 61 (49), NW Bracken 18* (12, 1x4, 1x6), SW Tait 11* (7, 1x6)
LA Camps 4/71 [10]