Australia are indisputable champs of world cricket

Riding on a brilliant century by Adam Gilchrist, Australia Saturday became the first country to win the cricket World Cup an unprecedented fourth time - and also complete a hat-trick of wins - when they beat Sri Lanka by 53 runs in a rain-hit final here.

After first winning the World Cup in 1987 under Allan Border, Steve Waugh led Australia to the title in 1999 and then Ricky Ponting lifted the trophy in 2003 and 2007, the first skipper to do it twice.

They added the World Cup to the Champions Trophy they won last year in India.

Man-of-the-Match Gilchrist played a dream knock (149, 104 balls, 13x4s, 8x6s) to propel the defending champions Australia to a massive 281 for four wickets in 38 overs. After delaying the start of the match, rains again interrupted Sri Lanka's reply before they finished at 215 for eight in 36 overs at Kensington Oval.

Ponting's side deservedly won, but not before some drama as rains and poor visibility created huge confusion towards the end -- so much so that the Australians started celebrating when the umpires offered the light to the Sri Lankan batsmen, assuming the match was over.

The batsmen accepted the light offer and went inside the dressing room, though the Australians did not. But apparently the light improved and the batsmen came out to bat for three overs to complete the formalities.

The win culminated Australia's 11-match winning streak at the 16-nation tournament that lasted seven weeks across nine island Caribbean nations. Australia have now remained unbeaten in 29 matches in World Cup tournaments.

Ponting, who has now played in four finals, also emulated West Indies' Clive Lloyd by winning the second World Cup as captain. Lloyd won the trophy in its inaugural year in 1975 and 1979.

Australia and Sri Lanka reached the final here by beating South Africa and New Zealand respectively.

Gilchrist, who has not been in his usual batting form until the final, rose to the occasion and duly registered his 15th century after heavy morning rains delayed the start of the match. The match was reduced to 38 over per side due to the delayed start.

Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden gave Australia a whirlwind start after Ponting won the toss and decided to bat first amid humid conditions.

The two batsmen went after the Sri Lankan attack that was the same that helped beat New Zealand in the semi-final. They gave little respect to all six bowlers pressed into service and played their strokes with gusto.

The left-hander-right-hander combination also played a part in unsettling the bowlers. They raised 172 for the opening wicket inside 23 overs to take the wind out of the Sri Lankan sails. Under their savage onslaught, the Sri Lankans' fielding also fell apart.

Gilchrist finally got out when he top edged a pull shot off pacer Dilhara Fernando and Chamara Silva took the skier at mid wicket. His knock was the highest score at a World Cup final. The left-hander hammered 13 boundaries and eight gigantic sixes.

Hayden was the second best Australian batsman with 38 while Ponting scored 37. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga took two wickets to be the most successful bowler.

Sri Lanka started their reply by losing an early wicket. Nathan Bracken induced an edge from Upul Tharanga to wicket-keeper Gilchrist to make it seven for one.

Kumar Sangakkara joined opener Sanath Jayasuriya and the two started the repair work, though the Australian bowlers dominated the proceedings with their impeccable line and length and sharp fielding.

At 25 for one, however, Shane Watson, fielding in the deep, made a mistake as he dropped Sangakkara off Shaun Tait. The batsman was on eight in the sixth over of the innings, and went on to score 54.

Jayasuriya rubbed the salt in Tait's wound by hitting fours off the next two balls. Soon the two batsmen completed their 50-run partnership, off 61 balls.

Later, in one Watson over, part of the second five-over Power Play, Jayasuriya smashed three fours to unshackle himself. In that over, 13th of the innings, Sri Lanka scored 13 runs.

In the next over, Sangakkara hammered a six and followed it up with two boundaries off the usually accurate Glenn McGrath, who later named Man of the Tournament. Sixteen runs came off that over.

Eleven runs came off the next over, bowled by Bracken. At this stage, the left-hander-right-hander combination was beginning to gain confidence, taking advantage of the field restrictions during the Power Play.

Sri Lanka had scored their first 50 off 67 balls when the bowlers kept a check on them. But their second 50 came off just 27 balls!

Jayasuriya duly completed his career's 64th half-century, off 51 balls and containing eight boundaries.

He and Sangakkara also completed their 100-run second-wicket partnership off 91 balls as soon as Ponting introduced spin in the form of Chinaman bowler Brad Hogg.

Sangakkara notched up his 40th half-century off 50 balls (5x4s, 1x6). But in the same Hogg over he was out, his pull shot caught by Ponting at short midwicket for 54 (52 balls, 6x4s, 1x6).

Sangakkara and Jayasuriya added 116 runs for the second wicket in 17.4 overs.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene, who had scored a century in the semi-finals, joined Jayasuriya. But Sri Lanka's next stand was worth just 22, as Jayasuriya was soon bowled trying to attempt an ambitious shot off the change bowler Michael Clarke even as the dark clouds threatened to disrupt the match again. He made 63 (67 balls, 9x4s).

When Sri Lanka were 149 for three in 24.5 overs, rains came down again and their target was reset as per Duckworth and Lewis method for interrupted matches.

The Emerald Islanders, who needed 133 runs off 79 balls at 10.1 runs per over when the rains came, now needed 269 runs off 36 overs. It meant that 13 runs and two overs were deducted from the original target of 282 in 38 overs.

Soon after resumption, Watson had Jayawardene leg before the wicket for 19 to reduce Sri Lanka to 156 for four.

Now, it all depended on the Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan take their team ashore as the target was getting stiffer by the over.

Silva managed 21 and Dilshan 14 and the tailenders just did not have the stomach to put up the fight as the required run rate climbed beyond their reach.

Michael Clarke, with two wickets, was surprisingly Australia's best bowler.

SCOREBOARD

Final, Australia vs. Sri Lanka, World Cup, Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados

Australia: Adam Gilchrist c Silva b Fernando 149 Matthew Hayden c Jayawardene b Malinga 38Ricky Ponting run out (Jayawardene) 37Andrew Symonds not out 23Shane Watson b Malinga 3Michael Clarke not out 8Extras: (leg byes 4, wides 16, no balls 3) 23Total: (for four wickets in 38 overs) 281

Fall of wickets: 1-172 (Hayden, 22.5 overs), 2-224 (Gilchrist, 30.3), 3-261 (Ponting, 35.4), 4-266 (Watson, 36.2)

Bowling: Chaminda Vaas 8 0 54 0 (2nb, 1w) Lasith Malinga 8 1 49 2Dilhara Fernando 8 0 74 1 (1nb, 4w) Muttiah Muralitharan 7 0 44 0 (2w) Tillakaratne Dilshan 2 0 23 0 (1w) Sanath Jayasuriya 5 0 33 0

Sri Lanka:Upul Tharanga c Gilchrist b Bracken 6Sanath Jayasuriya b Clarke 63Kumar Sangakkara c Ponting b Hogg 54Mahela Jayawardene lbw b Watson 19Chamara Silva b Clarke 21Tillakaratne Dilshan run out (Clarke/McGrath) 14Russel Arnold c Gilchrist b McGrath 1Chaminda Vaas not out 11Lasith Malinga st Gilchrist b Symonds 10Dilhara Fernando not out 1 Extras: (lb 1, w 14) 15Total: (for eight wickets in 36 overs) 215

Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Tharanga, 2.1 overs), 2-123 (Sangakkara, 19.5), 3-145 (Jayasuriya, 22.6), 4-156 (Jayawardene, 25.5), 5-188 (Dilshan, 29.6), 6-190 (Silva, 30.1), 7-194 (Arnold, 31.5), 8-211 (Malinga, 33.6)

Bowling: Nathan Bracken 6 1 34 1 (1w) Shaun Tait 6 0 42 0 (2w) Glenn McGrath 7 0 31 1 (1w) Shane Watson 7 0 49 1 (3w) Brad Hogg 3 0 19 1Michael Clarke 5 0 33 2 (2w) Andrew Symonds 2 0 6 1

Result: Australia won by 53 runs (Duckworth & Lewis method)Man of the Match: Adam Gilchrist (Australia)Man of the Tournament: Glenn McGrath (Australia)Toss: Australia (decided to bat)Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan)TV umpire: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) Reserve umpire: Brent Bowden (New Zealand)Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)

(IANS)

Viewer's Comment

Comments Not Available

More Stories