Australia set a new record Twenty20 international score as England began
the limited-overs section of their tour down under.
Ricky Ponting's Australians, looking to inflict further misery after the Ashes
whitewash, surpassed their previous best by seven runs to post 221 for five
at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
In an emphatic display of hitting the Aussies shared 14 sixes, five of them
from Adam Gilchrist, who top-scored with 48.
It was a far cry from the previous meeting between the teams at this form of
the game, which ended in a thumping 100-run win for England at the Rose Bowl
in 2005.
Matthew Hayden set the tone when he smashed his first delivery from
James Anderson back down the ground for four.
Hayden's power hitting included three further boundaries in quick time, including
the first six of the contest over midwicket off Anderson, before spiralling
a catch to mid-off next ball.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who won the toss, wasted no time in
finding the stands himself as he rocked back to pull a short ball from Andrew
Flintoff over square leg.
Flintoff thought he had his man in the same over when, moments after Australia's
50 had arrived, when Ponting skied to mid-on only for Jon Lewis to fluff
the chance.
If Gilchrist was slow out of the blocks, it did not take long for him to catch
up as three consecutive sixes off Anderson gave the scoring rate an injection.
Michael Vaughan, returning for the first time in 13 months to inherit
the captaincy from Andrew Flintoff, turned to left-arm spinner Monty Panesar,
wearing England's coloured clothing for the first time, to stem the scoring
rate.
Although Gilchrist lofted him for the fourth of his five sixes, Panesar was
soon producing his customary celebration jig.
Going for another huge hit which would have brought up his half-century, Gilchrist
was defeated as the ball crashed into the off stump.
Mike Hussey's reverse sweep to the boundary next ball brought up three figures
in just the ninth over.
Panesar finished with figures of two for 40, his second success coming when
Hussey was lured out of his ground and 36-year-old wicketkeeper Paul Nixon,
who became the oldest England debutant since John Childs in 1988, completed
a neat stumping.
When Ponting offered Lewis a second chance, flicking a delivery from Paul Collingwood
to deep square leg having made 47 from only 26 deliveries, Australia's impetus
stalled.
Michael Clarke was run out in the next over, the 15th, and England managed
a few rare dot balls prior to some more beef from Andrew Symonds and Cameron
White.
Twice in the final over by James Anderson, White located the stands, either
side of being dropped by Kevin Pietersen at long on.
|
