Australia's Damien Martyn plays a shot during their match against England in the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Jaipur yesterday. Martyn made 78 as Australia won by six wickets. - Reuters
JAIPUR, India (AP):
WORLD CHAMPIONS Australia overcame early batting hiccups yesterday to defeat Ashes rivals England by six wickets in a crucial Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy tournament.
Led by fast bowlers Shane Watson (3-16) and Mitchell Johnson (3-40), Australia bowled England out for 169 in 45 overs. The Australians initially wobbled in their run chase before Damien Martyn (78 off 91 balls) celebrated his 35th birthday with a blistering half century, leading Australia to 170 for four in 36.5 overs.
The victory kept Australia in the hunt for a semi-final spot, while England cannot progress to that stage after suffering defeats in their first two matches. Australia have two points from two games after the West Indies recorded a stunning 10-run win in Mumbai on Wednesday.
"Watson and Johnson were outstanding in the middle overs and then Damien (Martyn) played a super knock," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said. "In the end it was a resounding victory for us."
Three quick wickets
England claimed three quick wickets after players went off the field due to a power failure with Australia racing along to 30 without loss in the first four overs under lights.
Fast bowler Sajid Mahmood knocked Adam Gilchrist (10) off stump off the very first ball when play resumed after a 10-minute break and Andrew Strauss clung on to a catch in the second slip to dismiss Ponting (one). James Anderson then hit the top of the bails to remove Watson (21) as Australia slipped to 34 for three.
Martyn then took charge and plundered 26 runs off paceman Steve Harmison's two overs, which included five boundaries, as noisy fireworks to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali cracked outside the stadium in the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur.
Martyn hammered 12 boundaries and shared a match-winning 118-run partnership off 169 balls with Michael Hussey (32 not out) before he edged Harmison with Australia just 18 runs away from victory.
"We came here wanting to perform and play for pride. Obviously we have to learn from today's game and improve," England captain Andrew Flintoff said.
"We knew it was going to be tough. We got a good start and hoped to pull it off but in the end it was not enough."
Off track
England completely went off track after a sound opening stand of 83 runs between Strauss (56) and Ian Bell (43) as they lost 10 wickets for only 86 runs.
None of the middle-order England batsmen could cope with the slow-paced wicket of the Sawai Man Singh Stadium with only Paul Collingwood putting up a grim fight with an unbeaten 22.
Watson and Johnson were well supported by wicketkeeper Gilchrist who made five catches.
Ponting's decision to bowl first after he won the toss seemed to have backfired in the first hour as Strauss and Bell kept the four-man Aussie attack at bay.
Strauss greeted Glenn McGrath with successive boundaries - a pull shot and a ferocious square cut. Bell also profited from a let off on 23 when Martyn failed to judge an easy catch at mid-off from McGrath's slower ball.
Much needed breakthrough
Watson got the much needed breakthrough in the 19th over when Bell casually drove the fast bowler's second delivery to Hussey at cover to begin England's slide.
Hard-hitting batsman Kevin Pietersen (one) gave Gilchrist his 350th catch in the limited-overs games when Johnson found the edge in the next over.
Strauss completed his 12th half century off 78 balls and hit six boundaries before Watson dealt a crucial blow when Flintoff struggled to score four runs off 15 deliveries and holed out to a diving Hussey at deep mid-wicket.
Strauss departed in the 29th over to a sharp Gilchrist catch off Andrew Symonds' delivery that turned sharply away from the left-hander.
England play their last group game against the defending champions the West Indies at Ahmadabad on Saturday, while Australia meet India at Mohali on Sunday.
