It was a pretty tight game: Ponting

"It was a pretty tight game right the way through - Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell played beautifully after we got a couple of early breakthroughs," Ponting said after the win at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium here Sunday.

"But I think the difference today was our intensity when the game wasn't going for us in the middle of their innings. And our fielding was great. We kept the pressure on and our bowlers did a terrific job at the end," BBC quoted the Australian captain as saying.

Ponting also stood by his decision to delay the third power play and said: "We kept it back as Kevin and Ian were going pretty well at that stage, and when you take a power play early on with set batsmen, it's pretty hard work for bowlers.

"I decided to hold it off to see if we could get the ball to reverse, and Shaun Tait was terrific in that spell.

"I think when the power plays first came in, captains were trying to get them out of the way right at the start.

"But with varying conditions around the world, there are going to be times when it's going to be in your favour to take them later in the innings, and today was one of those days."

Ponting, who scored a match winning 86, said: "Today wasn't very pretty, but we're getting a few runs.

"Our openers have got us off to good starts throughout the tournament, Michael Clarke looked terrific and Andrew Symonds got a bit of time out in the middle. Hopefully we can keep improving as the tournament goes on."

Tait, who scalped three for 41, added: "I was quite happy with the way I bowled with the new ball, which was a change from the previous games.

"Today I bashed them in a bit more, and I feel I'm a bit smarter about my bowling."

(IANS)

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