Australia beat Pakistan and set up Semi-finals

Article Published: Thursday 1 October 2009
Written by: admin
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Australia climbed to the top of Group A on Wednesday with a nailbiting two-wicket win off the last ball against Pakistan in what was ultimately the ICC Champions Trophy playoff decider in Centurion.

The Australians face England in Centurion in the first semifinal on Friday and Pakistan face group A leaders New Zealand in the second semifinal at the Wanderers on Saturday.

Pakistan, who had already qualified for the playoffs, looked like they would have preferred a day off as they inched their way to 205/6 after Australian skipper Ricky Ponting won the toss and sent them in to bat.

In reply, Australia were coasting early, and despite a flurry of wickets in the last few overs, they reached 206/8 to win off the last ball.

Pakistan were given a handful of lives in their innings, with Australia spilling three catches, but the fortunate batsmen – skipper Younus Khan, opener Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal – added only eight runs combined after they were dropped, making little use of valuable opportunities.

Kamran made 44 off 63, Mohammad Yousuf added 45 from 69 and Misbah-ul-Haq hit 41 off 53 as the entire order settled into what almost seemed a pre-determined snail's pace on a decent batting track.

India, meanwhile, would have been cursing in their dressing room at the Wanderers as they watched their semifinal hopes drift slowly out the window with each of Pakistan's lacklustre shots. Mike Hussey played a solid innings as he led the chase with Australia showing no real urgency in closing down a modest target.

The 34-year-old compiled his 24th career one-day international half-century with 64 runs from 87 balls, including six fours and a six, before he was removed by a Rana Naved-ul-Hasan yorker in the 41st over.

And while the game had produced little excitement to that point, Pakistan gave Australia a scare late in the innings when they dismantled their middle order, combining to bag four wickets in the space of five overs.

But Australia's top order had done enough and the tail absorbed the pressure well as the defending champions reached their fourth straight Champions Trophy semifinal.

Younus gave credit to his bowling attack afterwards for the way they fought back and placed their side in a position to win after victory had seemed unlikely.

“I knew if we took wickets at the right times it would be close,” Younus said, “and suddenly we were very close.”

Not close enough, however, and Ponting said they were delighted to sneak through after losing control in spectacular fashion.

“I thought we might get by easier than we did,” he said, “but we snuck across the line and we're through to the next stage, which is where we wanted to be.”

Scoreboard in Champions Trophy match between Australia and
Pakistan at SuperSport Park Wednesday:

Pakistan
Kamran Akmal c Watson 44
Shahid Afridi c Hopes b Johnson 15
Younus Khan c Johnson b Hopes 18
Shoaib Malik c Ponting b Johnson 27
Mohammad Yousuf c White b Lee 45
Misbah-ul-Haq hit wicket b Watson 41
Umar Akmal not out 2
Naved-ul-Hasan not out 7
Extras (w6) 6
Total (6 wkts, 50 overs) 205
Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Afridi), 2-75 (Kamran), 3-89 (Younus),
4-123 (Shoaib), 5-186 (Yousuf), 6-198 (Misbah)
Did not bat: Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Saeed Ajmal
Bowling: Lee 10-0-30-1 (2w), Siddle 5-0-24-0, Johnson 10-0-45-2
(2w), Watson 8-0-32-2 (2w), Hopes 10-0-50-1, Hauritz 7-1-24-0

Australia
S. Watson c Kamran b Gul 24
T. Paine lbw b Afridi 29
R. Ponting c Gul b Shoaib 32
M. Hussey b Rana Naved 64
C. Ferguson b Ajmal 7
C. White b Asif 5
J. Hopes c Younus b Asif 1
M.Johnson b Ajmal 9
B. Lee not out 12
N.Hauritz not out 9
Extras (b1, w12, nb1) 14
Total (8 wkts, 50 overs) 206
Fall of wickets: 1-44 (Watson), 2-59 (Paine), 3-140 (Ponting), 4-157 (Ferguson), 6-175 (Hopes), 7-176 (White), 8-187 (Johnson)
Did not bat: Peter Siddle
Bowling: Gul 9-1-38-1, Asif 8-0-34-2, Afridi 10-0-47-1, Rana Naved 9-2-39-1, Ajmal 10-1-31-2, Shoaib 4-0-16-1

Australia win by two wickets

Man of the match: Michael Hussey (AUS)

Toss: Australia
Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL) and Tony Hill (NZL)
TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
Reserve umpire: Asad Rauf (PAK)