Clinical England thrash Aussies to win T20 crown

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

A clinical England thrashed favourites Australia by seven wickets yesterday to clinch the World Twenty20 title and end their 35-year wait for a global cricket trophy.

After winning the toss and opting to field first, their bowlers sent Australia crashing to eight for three in the third over of the Championship final before they recovered to make 147 for six off their 20 overs.

Chasing a moderate target, England's batsmen then dominated, making light work of the run-chase to reach 148 for three with three overs to spare at Kensington Oval.

They were led by the aggressive opener Craig Kieswetter, who smashed 63 from 49 balls to earn himself Man-of-the-Match honours, and Kevin Pietersen, who carved out a carefree 47 from 31 balls.

The duo staged a dashing 111-run stand for the second wicket off just 68 balls, which erased any chance Australia had of winning after they claimed Michael Lumb for two with the score on seven in the second over of the run-chase.

Earlier, Australia's recovery was made possible by David Hussey, who cracked 59 from 54 balls with two fours and two sixes, and Cameron White, whose 30 came from 19 balls and included four fours and a six.

They posted 50 for the fourth wicket before David Hussey was joined by his elder brother, Michael, in a partnership that yielded 47 runs for the sixth wicket. Mike Hussey finished on 17 not out from 10 balls.

The loss was Australia's first of the tournament after they played unbeaten throughout the preliminary phase and the Super Eights, second round.

Australia started disastrously when the prolific Shane Watson (2) was caught at slip off the third ball of the innings with the score on two. The right-hander top-edged a slash off left-armer Ryan Sidebottom to wicketkeeper Kieswetter, who parried the catch to Graeme Swann at slips.

In the next over, a costly misjudgement cost David Warner (2) his wicket as captain Michael Clarke called for a sharp single to cover, only for Michael Lumb's throw to find Warner short of his ground at the striker's end.

Unfortunate circumstances

Two balls later in the next over, Brad Haddin perished in unfortunate circumstances when he was given out caught down the leg-side off Sidebottom for one, to leave the Australians languishing at eight for three in the third over.

Subsequent replays showed the ball had come from the right-hander's thigh on its way through to Kieswetter.

Clarke, who battled hard for a run-a-ball 27, steadied the innings with 37-run stand for the fourth wicket with David Hussey, as Australia tried to fight back.

They seemed to be finding their stride when Clarke was brilliantly taken at short midwicket by his opposite number, Paul Collingwood, at 45 for four in the 10th over, diving to his left as the batsman tried to whip off-spinner Swann through the on-side.

David Hussey and White then staged the first of two rearguard partnerships to haul Australia out of trouble. They started slowly, gathering a mere 10 runs from the 11th and 12th overs before exploding to take 21 from the 13th.

Turning point

It was not the turning point Australia hoped it would be as England's bowlers remained disciplined, prising out White at 95 for five in the 16th over, with Broad running around from point to take a fine catch after he had floored a skier off David Hussey an over earlier.

It was left up to the Hussey brothers to provide the late flourish to get Australia up to a respectable total.

England started circumspectly and when Lumb punched fast bowler Shaun Tait to David Hussey at mid-on off the fifth ball of the second over, the game was wide open.

But Pietersen joined Kieswetter in a partnership to turn the match irrevocably England's way. Both batsmen played with lavish gay abandon, striking the ball cleanly and fearlessly and attacking the Aussie bowlers at will.

The right-handed Kieswetter clobbered seven fours and two sixes and Pietersen added four more boundaries and a six, as they dominated a hapless Australian attack.

Collingwood (12 not out) smashed a six and a four off the 17th over bowled by Watson to end England's protracted wait for an ICC limited overs title.

AUSTRALIA

S Watson c Swann b Sidebottom 2D Warner run out 2M Clarke c Collingwood b Swann 27+B Haddin c wkpr Kieswetter b Sidebottom 1D Hussey run out 59C White c Broad b Wright 30M Hussey not out 17S Smith not out 1Extras: (b1, lb2, w4, nb1) 8TOTAL: (6 wkts, 20 overs) 147

Did not bat: M Johnson, D Nannes, S Tait.

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Watson, 0.3 overs), 2-7 (Warner, 1.5), 3-8 (Haddin, 2.1), 4-45 (Clarke, 9.2), 5-95 (White, 15.4), 6-142 (D Hussey, 19.2).

Bowling: Sidebottom 4-0-26-2, Bresnan 4-0-35-0, Broad 4-0-27-0, Swann 4-0-17-1, Yardy 3-0-34-0, Wright 1-0-5-1.

ENGLAND

M Lumb c D Hussey b Tait 2+C Kieswetter b Johnson 63K Pietersen c Warner b Smith 47P Collingwood not out 12E Morgan not out 15Extras: (lb1, w8) 9TOTAL: (3 wkts, 17 overs) 148

Did not bat: L Wright, T Bresnan, G Swann, M Yardy, S Broad, R Sidebottom.

Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Lumb, 1.5 overs), 2-118 (Pietersen, 13.1), 3-121 (Kieswetter, 14.1).

Bowling: Nannes 4-0-29-0, Tait 3-0-28-1, Johnson 4-0-27-1, Smith 3-0-21-1, Watson 3-0-42-0.

Result: England win by seven wickets.

Man-of-the-Match: Craig Kieswetter.

Man-of-the-Series: Kevin Pietersen.

Umpires: Aleem Dar, Billy Doctrove; TV - Billy Bowden.

Matchreferee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Aussie women top T20

BRIDGETOWN,

Barbados (CMC):

Australia compensated for their men's demise by producing a resilient display to turn back New Zealand by three runs and win the Women's World Twenty20 Championship in a low-scoring final here yesterday.

Choosing to bat first, Australia's batting flopped and they could only eke out a paltry 106 for eight off their 20 overs at Kensington Oval.

With victory expected to be a mere formality, New Zealand spectacularly came apart at the seams and could only muster 103 for six from their allotted overs to suffer their second loss in as many years in a World T20 final.

They required 14 off the last over but could only manage 10 as Sophie Devine's last ditch unbeaten 38 failed to get them over the line.

The women's victory made up for their male counterparts' disappointing loss to England in the preceding final and left their fans with at least something to celebrate.

A positive outcome seemed farfetched when Australia crashed to 51 for five in the 13th over after fast bowler Nicola Browne struck early telling blows.

Staring at a total of perhaps under 100, Australia were then helped by two key small partnerships as they got past three figures.

Sarah Elliott, who was busy in scoring 19 form 20 balls, partnered with Alicia Healy, who scored a run-a-ball 10, to post 21 for the sixth wicket before Elliott and Lisa Sthalekar (18) added a further 27 for the seventh wicket.

What should have been an uncomplicated run-chase quickly turned into a quagmire for the Kiwis.