Australia win easily after Patel assault

BANGALORE, India (AP):

Shane Watson and Brad Haddin put on a commanding opening stand of 183 to lead Australia to a seven-wicket win over Canada yesterday, lifting the defending World Cup champion atop Group A with one league game remaining.

After failing to bowl out Kenya on Sunday, Australia's high-profile attack endured an early batting onslaught from fearless teenager Hiral Patel, who bludgeoned a dazzling 37-ball half-century that helped Canada reach 50 faster than any team in the tournament.

But Brett Lee took 4-46 to lead the Australian recovery, as Canada were bowled out for 211 in 45.4 overs.

Best opening partnership

Watson (94) and Haddin (88) recorded Australia's best opening partnership at a World Cup as the three-time defending champions reached their target in the 35th over, finishing on 212-3.

Australia took their unbeaten World Cup run to 34 matches and remain the only side without defeat at the tournament. Ricky Ponting's squad can finish atop Group A with a win over Pakistan at Colombo on Saturday.

"I don't think we're far away from playing our best cricket," Ponting said. "It's always a great challenge playing against Pakistan because you're just never really sure what they're going to turn up and do on the day.

"I think our guys are really excited now that we're getting towards the bigger end of the tournament. We've got a big game coming up and then quarter-finals after that, so we're really excited about what the next week has in store for us."

Canada exit the tournament with one win and five losses but, just like Kenya, the associate nation can at least depart having given the four-time World Cup winners some uncomfortable moments.

Experience important

"We had a really good start from young Patel, built a decent foundation at 150-2," captain Ashish Bagai said. "I was very, very disappointed with the collapse towards the end. That shows the lack of experience."

But experience is what counts, Bagai conceded, particularly for the younger players.

"The experience has definitely been a good one for us. Hopefully, we can use this experience to make Canada a lot stronger in the next three to five years."

After Bagai won the toss and opted to bat, attention turned initially to 40-year-old John Davison as he walked out for his final international appearance, but it was his junior opening partner who stole the show.

Patel refused to be intimidated by the pace of Shaun Tait and Lee and delighted a sparse crowd by plundering the attack, including 16 runs off Lee's first over and a brutal six-over extra cover in Tait's second.

Davison briefly participated in the onslaught, hitting Lee for consecutive boundaries in the fourth over before edging the next ball to Haddin, his final international innings ending on 14.

Canada scored at more than 10 runs per over in the first four overs, and raced to 77-1 after 10.

SCOREBOARD

CANADA (maximum 50 overs)

H. Patel c Johnson b Watson 54J. Davison c wkpr Haddin b Lee 14Z. Surkari b Tait 34A. Bagai c wkpr Haddin b Tait 39A. Hansra c Lee b Krejza 3Rizwan Cheema b Lee 2N. Kumar c Tait b Johnson 7K. Whatham b Lee 18H. Baidwan cPonting b Krejza 17W. Balaji Rao b Lee 5H. Osinde not out 2Extras (lb4, w11, nb1) 16TOTAL (all out, 45.4 overs) 211

Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-82, 3-150, 4-157, 5-157, 6-161, 7-169, 8-195, 9-204

Bowling: Tait 8-1-34-2 (nb1, w4); Lee 8.4-0-46-4 (w2); Johnson 10-0-43-1 (w3); Watson 6-0-22-1; Krejza 10-0-44-2 (w2); Smith 3-0-18-0

AUSTRALIA (target: 212 off 50 overs)

S. Watson c Osinde b Baidwan 94+B. Haddin c wkprBagai b Davison 88R. Ponting c Davison b Osinde 7M. Clarke not out 16C. White not out 4Extras (lb1, w2) 3TOTAL (3 wkts, 34.5 overs) 212

M. Hussey, S. Smith, M. Johnson, B. Lee, J. Krejza, S. Tait did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-183, 2-185, 3-207

Bowling: Osinde 9.5-0-53-1 (w2); Baidwan 10-1-41-1; Balaji Rao 7-0-46-0; Rizwan Cheema 3-0-23-0; Davison 4-0-29-1; Patel 1-0-19-0

Result: Australia won by seven wickets (91 balls remaining)

Points: Australia 2, Canada 0

Man-of-the-Match: S. Watson (Australia)

Umpires: B. Bowden, A. Saheba

TV umpire: R. Kettleborough

Match referee: A. Pycroft

Reserve umpire: Asad Rauf