Australia thrash sorry England
Matthew Hayden's knock of 67 eased Australia home
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Kevin Pietersen has warned his England team-mates not to take Australia lightly in tomorrow's World Twenty20 encounter at Cape Town. |  |
Friday, 14, Sep 2007 04:41
Australia outclassed England by eight wickets in the teams' second match of the World Twenty20 in South Africa, but the result means both sides qualify for the super eight stage of the competition.
A rampant opening partnership of 78 between Adam Gilchrist (45) and Matthew Hayden (67 not out), and a further 20 off 16 balls from captain Ricky Ponting easily saw Australia past a meager England total of 135 all out.
None of England's players excelled on the day, especially with the bat where the highest scorer was all-rounder Andrew Flintoff (31 off 19 balls) before he was caught by Stuart Clark off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson.
Openers Darren Maddy (20) and Matt Prior (17) both scored at a run a ball, as did star middle-order man Kevin Pietersen (21), but in the fast-paced atmosphere of Twenty20 cricket a run-rate of six an over is below-par.
England captain Paul Collingwood made a spirited 18 off 11 balls, but the consistent fall of wickets for Peter Moores' men meant there was little opportunity to gain any momentum.
Some impressive bowling at the death from Clark (2-24) and Nathan Bracken (3-16) ensured Hayden, Gilchrist and Ponting were primed perfectly to set about England's largely unimpressive bowling.
The result ensures a healthy Australian recovery from Wednesday's humiliating defeat to minnows Zimbabwe and earns them a berth in the last eight as group winners, alongside England.