Australia have now won 22 of their last 23 matches in World Cup competitions dating back to 1999 – a run that has been interrupted only by that famous tieat Edgbaston
Andrew Miller in Antigua28-Mar-2007
Brian Lara’s fighting 77 was not enough as West Indies dropped to 219 © Getty Images
It’s fair to say that a two-day one-day game was not what Brian Larahad in mind when he won the toss and chose to bowl under heavy cloudcover yesterday morning. With a tricky tussle against New Zealand fastapproaching on Thursday, it was with some dejection that he faced themedia at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua this afternoon.His personal success, a fine back-to-the-wall 77, couldn’t mask acollective team failure. Australia’s eventual margin of 103 runs wasby no means flattering.”They look like a team that have come here for one purpose,” Lara said, breathing a quiet sigh of relief that his players would not haveto face them again in their bid for a semi-final slot. Australia havenow won 22 of their last 23 matches in World Cup competitions datingback to 1999 – a run that has been interrupted only by that famous tieat Edgbaston. That blip against England and New Zealand at thetail-end of the Australian summer now looks like a greater anomalythan ever.”Two weeks ago everyone said we weren’t frightening, now all of asudden we are again – it’s a funny game,” Ricky Ponting said in a gleefulattack on his team’s critics. “Our squad hasn’t changed in that time.You hear about other sides saying they don’t fear us, and don’t fearanything we have to offer. Well, it’s all right saying that, but youhave to go out there and play a certain brand of cricket to back thatup. So far they haven’t done that.”West Indies were never in the contest today. Realistically there wasonly one man in the side with both the batting position and the rangeof strokes to mount an assault on Australia’s towering target – ChrisGayle, whose booming left-handed strokeplay has the potential to cutany new ball to ribbons. But, as if to underline what a superlativeinnings Matthew Hayden had played in the first innings of this match,Gayle emulated only the very start of that performance. After grindinghis way to 2 from 16 balls, he lost his rag and his wicket, and holedout to cover the moment Glenn McGrath entered the attack.
Matthew Hayden: “I’ve had to show a lot of commitment and passion” © Getty Images
“We are a very good chasing team, but the most important thing about300-plus totals is that one of the top batters has to bat through,” Lara said. “To lose three wickets in under ten overs was a majorsetback. Myself and [Ramnaresh] Sarwan had to consolidate and rebuildand that used up a lot of balls. If Australia had made 50-60 runsless, or if there’d been a proper start from the West Indies, it couldhave been a different game.”Hayden, by comparison, had taken 18 balls to get off the mark, buthaving done so, he cut loose in a manner that led Lara, perhapsunfairly, to castigate the pitch for being far too flat forinternational cricket. Hayden and Gayle’s early travails against thenew ball suggested otherwise. “I think I was guessing where my nextrun was going to come from,” Hayden said afterwards, “becauseit was a pretty vast difference between the conditions in St Kitts and here.”If they do bowl well you’re not willing to take a risk. Iwas just trying to stay calm and make sure when I did take a risk it was going to bein my favour. I’ve had to show a lot of commitment and passion, firstto get back into the one-day side – and in particular, to representAustralia at the World Cup.”Australia have now posted 300-plus totals in each of their last sixone-day internationals, and Hayden, whose one-day career seemed to beover when he was axed after the 2005 tour of England, has played amassive part in that achievement, scoring three hundreds and a 60 inthose games, including a career-best 181 not out at Hamilton.”It took a lot to get [back] into this position – and I’m just verypleased for thesupporters, selectors and Ricky that it is paying off,” he said. “Isaid when I got dropped a couple of years back that I didn’t feel Iwas ready to let the game go – that world-class players play bothforms of the game. I’m just very happy that it’s coming off right now.It’s a special side to be a part of – and it’s never meant to be aneasy thing to play for Australia.”It certainly seems easier to play for them than against them atpresent. Witness the success of Brad Hogg, an unorthodox andunder-rated spinner, who has been widely perceived as the weakest linkin Australia’s attack. He was actively targeted by South Africa in StKitts last week, but has emerged not only unscathed but at the verysummit of the wicket-taker’s list, with 11 victims in four matches.
Brad Hogg: “I reckon I was bowling better before the tournament started than I amnow, but it’s just funny how the wickets drop for you” © Getty Images
“I reckon I was bowling better before the tournament started than I amnow, but it’s just funny how the wickets drop for you,” Hogg said,whose haul of 3 for 56 today included the big wicket of Lara,who yorked himself as he went for a big charge down the pitch. Hisposition in the side owes plenty to the arm injury that has hinderedAndrew Symonds as a spin option, but on current form he is going totake plenty to budge.Ponting was adamant too that his team contained men for all occasions.The nagging doubts about the bowling (all of which stem from thosegargantuan run-chases in New Zealand last month) are assuaged withevery crushing victory that the team delivers, but he felt certainthat, come the crunch situation, he had the players in whom he couldtrust.”We’ve been able to beat teams pretty comfortably over the years, butone thing about us is that when the close games have come aroundthat is when we’ve been at our absolute best,” Ponting said. “Thereare a lot of champion players in this side who are at their best whenit gets tight.”Going back a year ago, we had some sort of record that sides chasing 220 orso against us didn’t get them. We’re bowling well againstgood batting sides, so you have to hang in there for an opportunity topresent itself – or create an opportunity. That is what we have donewell in the last couple of games.”Australia, freed from the surreal environment in St Kitts where theyplayed like great white sharks in a paddling pool, are lookingfrighteningly efficient and focussed. “They were impressive but wedidn’t put them under pressure at all,” Lara said. “I wouldn’t saythat they were tested.” More to the point, Australia didn’t permitthemselves to be tested. They were simply too dominant in all facets.