Cant beat Cricket
Wonder whos on top of the cricket world cup?
[quote]Different class - can anyone stop Australia ?
Any faint hopes that a side still existed in the World Cup to extend Australia were blown away on Tuesday night by a typhoon called Brett Lee.
Lee's burning pace scythed through the New Zealand lower order and a Super Six match that seemed beyond Australia at 7 for 84 turned into an easy 96-run victory.
Of equal significance was an innings of 64 by Andy Bichel to rescue the defending champions.
Compared to the glamorous Lee, Bichel is a honest toiler. But he has the ability to raise his game when it matters and, for the second time in the tournament, he combined with Michael Bevan to rescue Australia.
Australia was only once extended in the first round, collapsing to 8 for 135 against England before Bevan and Bichel saw their side to victory with two balls to spare through an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 73.
On Tuesday, New Zealand's Shane Bond bowled with express pace to take 6 for 23. It was the best analysis recorded in an one-day international by a New Zealander and in normal circumstances would have seen his side to victory.
Perfect record
But Australia is not a normal side. Bevan (56) and Bichel added 97 for the eighth wicket and, after Glenn McGrath had sliced off the top of the New Zealand innings, Lee took 5 for 11 in 4.1 overs in his second spell as New Zealand was dismissed for a World Cup low of 112.
"Glenn got the usual break with the new ball then Brett just came back and finished them off with yorker bowling," said Australian captain Ricky Ponting.
The Australians, without Shane Warne who tested positive for a banned drug before the tournament had even begun, opened with an 82-run win over Pakistan after recovering from 4 for 86.
They then bowled India out for a World Cup low of 125 en route to a nine-wicket victory.
The Dutch went down by 75 runs, Zimbabwe by seven wickets, Namibia by a World Cup record 256 runs, then, finally, England by a narrow 4 runs.
In the second phase, Sri Lanka was brushed aside by 183 runs. Now the Australians, who have already won a world record 14 consecutive one-day internationals, have just Kenya left before the semi-finals.
Ponting agreed that it seemed the Australians could win from any position.
"We back ourselves to get out of trouble in any situation," he said. "But we don't want to get ourselves in too many of those situations again."
[/quote]
[quote]Victory over England outshone defeat of Kiwis: Ponting
Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his side's comeback against New Zealand was special but could not match the recovery to beat England.
Unbeaten Australia fought back from 7 for 84 to beat New Zealand by 96 runs at Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.
Earlier at the same venue the world champions had overhauled England's 8 for 204 after slumping to 8 for 135.
"England was the better win," Ponting told reporters. "To get to 208 (against New Zealand) was not a bad total really, and by doing that we gave ourselves a chance.
"But the England game involved chasing and we were under a lot more pressure doing that."
Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel were the main architects of both victories.
The eighth wicket pair added 97 against Stephen Fleming's side, an Australian record in World Cups and against New Zealand. Against the English they had put on an unbroken 73.
Ponting said their sensible approach on Tuesday gave the bowlers something to defend.
"Bevan and Bichel played beautifully after we had been 7 for 84," he said. "To get over 200 was a great effort.
"We gave ourselves a chance and the bowlers finished the job. It was another great win."
One of those bowlers was Brett Lee, who produced an explosive second spell of five wickets for three runs in 15 balls to rout the New Zealand lower order.
Lee exploited an older ball that began to reverse-swing and, by bowling a full length, was simply too fast for the batsmen.
That was in sharp contrast to his opening spell of five overs for 31 runs as Fleming repeatedly picked him off through the off-side.
Despite Lee's wayward beginning, Ponting said he would resist the temptation to use him as a first-change bowler against Kenya in Durban on Saturday in Australia's last match before their semi-final in Port Elizabeth next Tuesday.
"Brett is a strike bowler and I think he is more likely to strike with the new ball," he said.
"That hasn't been the case in the last couple of games but he has done that for us fairly recently in a couple of games and has taken wickets with the new ball and the old ball.
"I still think he is a great proposition opening the bowling and I think we will see that in Durban.
"It usually swings there and the pitch is a bit quicker and bouncier so I am pretty sure you will see him do the job with the new ball."
Australia travelled from Port Elizabeth to Durban on Wednesday.
Kenya's victory over Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein means both sides in Saturday's match have now qualified for the semi-finals.
But for Kenya the match will be a valuable rehearsal at the venue at which they will face India on 20 March.
[/quote]
Probably boring most of you americans but I love it.