Cow Corner Blog

Watson wellies Australia to Trophy triumph

Mon Oct 05 10:47PM

Shane Watson's second successive century gave Australia back-to-back victories in the Champions Trophy as the burly all-rounder bludgeoned two huge sixes to finish with a flourish.

It would be easy to be flippant and describe Australia's victory in the Champions Trophy as irrelevant, but there was a faint slice of importance attached to their comprehensive victory over New Zealand at Centurion.

In regaining the Trophy, Ricky Ponting's side have demonstrated that having two of the leading runscorers in a competition (Ponting and Watson) can be helpful, and that a few potent bowlers do not do any hurt either (Brett Lee, Peter Siddle and Nathan Hauritz).

Ponting and his side looked like a bizarre cross between the Blazin' Squad and Boyzone as they went up to collect the Trophy all sporting their yellow caps and strides with resplendent white suit jackets. If John Barnes and Steve McManaman had popped up in their 1996 FA Cup suits they would have looked well at home.

As James Hopes buttoned his blazer and pretended to drink from the trophy, the image of the squad hitting the Aqua Lounge in Centurion in their newly-acquired gear was seared upon the mind.

How much of the record two-million-dollar first prize Hopes and Co would have seen on the bar tab is anyone's guess, but you can be sure that Jesse Ryder would have popped out to congratulate the Aussies on their victory.

The Kiwis were cruelly hampered by injuries as they did their best impersonation of an England touring side with their jinx including the loss of Jacob Oram, Daryl Tuffey, Ryder, and even the crocked captain Daniel Vettori.

The typically piercing renditions of the national anthems were rattled through at a pleasantly swift pace after the news had filtered through of Vettori's hamstring strain, and he would be most sorely missed at the coin toss.

Brendon McCullum surprisingly elected to bat first in overcast conditions reminiscent of a dank Durham morning as Australia's bowlers thrived in restricting the Black Caps to an under-par 200.

The New Zealand stand-in skipper said at the coin toss that his side have "immense belief" - not exactly a Tony Greig statement of intent, but the Australia players were no doubt revved up by his bullish attitude. He was dismissed for a 14-ball duck.

Hauritz took three wickets, while ICC World Cricketer of the Year Mitchell Johnson (yes, the one who bowled like Allan Mullally with the yips over the summer), mustered one.

The same awards had Peter Siddle as the 'Emerging Player of the Year' - if Lee had only been awarded the 'Most Improved Player' accolade, it would have been a clean sweep for Troy Cooley's enigmatic bowling attack.

Lee had a hugely optimistic appeal for LBW rejected disdainfully by umpire Ian Gould as McCullum glanced the ball onto his pads about a foot outside his crease, but the skipper did not last long.

Siddle had a rather sickly smile on his face as he steamed in from the Hennops River End and, after taking the early wicket of McCullum, he suffered rampant diarrhoea later in the innings. Despite this the seamer ended with an economy rate of a miserly three runs per over.

Aaron Redmond, who resembled a rusty gate in his painfully slow innings, was bowled through it in fitting fashion by Hauritz after he charged down the track like a deranged pitch-invader and missed his slog by a country mile.

Siddle pulled up with discomfort on three or four occasions as Ponting sadistically instructed him to polish off his 10 overs before he was finally allowed to make a swift departure to the pavilion.

Neil Broom, who recorded his highest ODI score of 37, received an atrocious full-bunger from Watson before 'doing a Shah' and dallying mid-pitch with the bowler left to whip off the bails as the Black Caps went six down.

James Franklin got a vicious yorker from Lee, to which he could only look mournfully behind at his scattered timber, before Jeetan Patel proceeded to take evasive action from two short deliveries as his team-mates held their heads in despair.

A sea of flying ants caused havoc as Australia's run-chase was delayed with the groundstaff having to sweep them off the pitch before play could resume, and when it did New Zealand made a flying start.

Ross Taylor, who is perhaps the Derek Randall of slip catching, snaffled a stonker to send Tim Paine packing for one as Shane Bond's floppy side-parting bounced in jubilation.

"Respect every ball," Ponting warned his team-mates, before he reacted to a straight delivery from Mills as if he thought he was allowed to trap the ball with his pads before hitting it - he wasn't, and he was out plumb LBW.

Kyle Mills bowled immaculately while Shane Bond looked much more aggressive than his haircut would have you believe, but Watson and Cameron White put on 128 to steer their side to victory.

White eventually fell for 62 after he had mullered Ian Butler and Franklin around the park with disdain, but Watson was left to pound successive maximums over Cow Corner to seal victory and his 100.

Hopes threatened to deny his partner his century with four boundaries, but a very contrived single at the death ensured him a glass of Doug Bollinger in the aftermath as Australia retained their title.

SHOT OF THE DAY: White spanked a full delivery from Butler over the bowler's head for a six as straight as Ryder's yard-of-ale glass to bring up his 50 and allow him to point his bat in the direction of the seamer to compound his misery!

STAT OF THE DAY: FIVE - The number of successive finals Australia have won in multi-team tournaments - they have triumphed in the last three World Cups, and the last two Champions Trophies. The last time they lost such a final was the 1996 World Cup.

USER COMMENT OF THE DAY: This tournament has been the biggest load of Mickey Mouse rubbish I have ever had the dubious pleasure of following! That is, until England triumph in the competition when it will become an under-rated mini-World Cup and I will be pinning my flag on the front door and drinking Bombadier! (Perfectparfit)

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