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Shane Watson came to the party for the second straight match. He stamped his authority with a magnificent innings of 105 not out as Australia beat New Zealand by six wickets in the final to successfully defend their ICC Champions Trophy crown, at SuperSport Park in Centurion, on Monday.
Chasing a modest 201 for victory, Australia stuttered at the start, losing the wickets of Tim Paine and Ricky Ponting in successive overs, and were reduced to 2 for 6 by the third over. However, Watson, who slammed his second consecutive century, put the defending champions back on track, adding 128 runs from 195 deliveries for the third wicket with Cameron White, who made 62.
The burly all-rounder, who started the tournament with two ducks, ended the match in grand style, slamming Jeetan Patel for back-to-back sixes through the midwicket region to bring up his century and give Australia their second Champions Trophy title. He finished the tournament with a total of 11 sixes and 25 boundaries.
Ricky Ponting, who fell for 1, won the Golden Bat for finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 288 runs in five matches, while South Africa's Wayne Parnell took home the Golden Ball for the most number of wickets -- 11 wickets in three matches.
Earlier, off-spinner Nathan Hauritz took three for 37 in ten overs to restrict New Zealand for a modest 200 for nine in their 50 overs.
NEW ZEALAND:
The Kiwis, who elected to bat, suffered a huge blow before the start of the match when Daniel Vettori was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Australia pacers Brett Lee and Peter Siddle started off well, resorting to a tight line and length and were successful in keeping the Kiwi openers quiet. The first three overs fetched just five runs, McCullum unable to open his account after 12 deliveries.
The frustration eventually brought about his downfall. The right-hander tried to play the cut shot against Peter Siddle but ended up edging behind to wicketkeeper Paine and was out for a 14-ball duck. (5-1, 3.2)
The first five overs went according to script for Australia as the Kiwis could only manage only seven runs, while losing the big wicket of McCullum.
Aaron Redmond seemed all at sea against the swing of Lee and managed just three from 18 deliveries. It was Martin Guptill, who brought some temporary relief, when he drove Lee through mid-off for the first boundary of the innings in the seventh over.
Redmond, somehow, managed to survive before hitting his first boundary off the 26 delivery he faced, taking the Kiwis to 22 for one in 10 overs.
Siddle impressed with figures one for eight in five overs in his first spell, allowing Australia to gain some early advantage.
Things seemed to be drifting away from the Kiwis as even singles became a rarity. Guptill broke the shackles somewhat, slamming Mitchell Johnson for a couple of boundaries to take New Zealand past the 50-run mark in the 15th over.
The first 16 overs had gone completely against plan for the Kiwis as they registered 67 dot balls, scoring only 19 singles and hitting five boundaries.
Redmond looked to hit his way out of trouble, but even that didn't work out for him. He stepped down the wicket to Nathan Hauritz, who spotted it early and bowled it a bit wide to have Redmond stumped for 26 from 45 deliveries. (66-2, 18.3)
Things got worse for New Zealand as they lost their two most dependable batsmen within the space of five deliveries.
New Zealand's hopes rested on the in-form Martin Guptill, but even he lost his wicket when looking good for a big knock. The right-hander, who made 40 from 64 deliveries, pushed one straight back to the bowler and was caught and bowled by Hauritz. (77-2, 22.2)
New Zealand's best batsman, Ross Taylor, also failed to deliver on the big occasion. Taylor (6) tried to drive Johnson through the off-side but ended up lofting the ball towards point, where Michael Hussey completed a good, sharp catch over on his right side. (81-4, 23.1)
Realising that New Zealand's main batsmen were back in the hut, Ricky Ponting went in for the kill by bringing his strike bowler Brett Lee back into the attack. Lee struck in the second over of his second spell, trapping Grant Elliott plumb leg before wicket with a fast in-swinging yorker. (94-5, 26.4)
The New Zealand innings was not heading anywhere as eight 26 runs came off eight overs before they decided to take the Batting Powerplay after the 38th over. The move seemed to have given Neil Broom a boost as he charged down the wicket and lofted Shane Watson over the off-side for a boundary, the first in nearly eight overs.
James Franklin followed it up with two more boundaries in the next over by Siddle to take New Zealand to 151 for five after 40 overs.
Broom looked to make maximum use of the fielding restrictions as he thumped Watson for a couple of boundaries. Just when it looked as if New Zealand were gaining momentum, Broom lost his wicket, run-out for 37 from 62 deliveries after a misunderstanding with James Franklin. (159-5, 40.5)
Kyle Mills tried the risky uppercut against Lee to get off the mark with a boundary, but three deliveries later the fast bowler had the last laugh. Franklin, who contributed a valuable 33 from 43 deliveries, was beaten all ends up by a fast, unplayable yorker that sent his stumps crashing. (166-7, 42)
Ian Butler became Hauritz's third victim of the innings when he was trapped leg before wicket for six while attempting to play him on the leg side. (174-8, 43.4)
Ricky Ponting proved why he is regarded one of the best fielders in world cricket when his direct hit from point caught Mills (12) short of his crease at the non-striker's end. (187-9, 46.4)
Just 21 runs came off the last five overs as New Zealand just about got to the 200-run mark when Jeetan Patel hit Lee's final delivery for a boundary.
AUSTRALIA:
The start of play was again delayed by hordes of flying insects. The groundsmen though did a good job and got rid of them to have play restarted just 15 minutes late.
With such a low total to defend, New Zealand were off to a flying start, claiming two wickets in the first three overs. New Zealand's premier bowler Shane Bond answered his team's call of duty with the wicket of Tim Paine (1) off the second delivery he bowled, getting the right-hander to edge one to Ross Taylor at first slip. (2-1, 1.2)
To the Kiwis' delight, the in-form and tournament's highest scorer Ponting lasted just four deliveries. He was trapped leg before wicket by Kyle Mills for 1 in the third over. (6-2, 2.2)
With Australia choked for runs in the early overs, Watson brought some relief with the first boundary of the innings against Mills to take the score to 11 for two after five overs.
Australia found the going tough against Mills and Bond as just one run came from four overs, including three maidens as the scoreboard read 18 for two after ten overs.
Both pacers were very impressive with the new ball as they bowled a couple of maidens each, as Bond and Mills registered magnificent figures of one for nine and one for seven respectively in their first five overs.
It was tough going for Australia with the bat as they managed just four boundaries in the first 15 overs with Watson struggling to 14 from 37 deliveries and Cameron White on 15 from 43 deliveries.
New Zealand could have further tightened the screws on Australia's run chase but captain McCullum failed to hold on to a difficult catch while running backwards. White, on a painstaking 15 from 47 deliveries, tried to play the pull shot against Butler in the 18th over but could only get the top edge. McCullum messed up the catch after appearing to have it well-judged.
Off-spinner Jeetan Patel was introduced in the 19th over and immediately Watson hit his second ball for a boundary through the off-side. The bulky Aussie all-rounder, fresh from a century in the previous match, was looking at his best as he slammed Ian Butler over midwicket for the first six of the innings. Watson then repeated the dose in Patel's next over when he slog swept the spinner for a huge six in the 23rd over.
White was starting to find his feet as he hit boundaries in consecutive overs by Bond and Elliott as Australia reached 86 for two at the halfway stage, needing 115 from the last 25 overs.
Watson completed a hard-earned half-century from 74 deliveries, inclusive of five boundaries and two sixes, in the 26th over. Meanwhile, White also started to lift his scoring rate as he hit Bond for back-to-back boundaries in the 28th over.
The Aussie all-rounder completed his half-century in 81 deliveries when he lofted Butler straight down the ground for a six to take Australia to 112 for two after 30 overs.
New Zealand were offered a glimmer of a hope when White played on to his stumps and was dismissed after a solid innings of 62 from 102 deliveries. He added 128 runs from 195 deliveries for the third wicket with Watson to rescue Australia after the early jitters and set them on their way to a second Champions Trophy title. (134-3, 34.5)
Michael Hussey got off to a positive start, slamming Bond over midwicket for a boundary. But the veteran left-hander did not last long. He lofted Mills straight to Patel at point and was out for 11. (156-4, 38.3)
That wicket gave New Zealand a ray of hope, but Watson and James Hopes were intent on finishing it off. They bagged a boundary each in Butler's next over.
Watson was unbeaten on 82 from 113 deliveries as Australia reached a comfortable 165 for four after 40 overs, needing just 36 from the last ten.
What was interesting was to see whether Watson could get to his hundred. He slapped Patel for a cracking boundary through midwicket to move into the 90s. But Hopes made his task a bit difficult by scoring a boundary off Franklin in the next over.
Watson made sure he did not waste this wonderful opportunity of getting to a century and slog-swept Patel for a huge six over midwicket to move to 99 and followed it up with another maximum off the next delivery to bring up his second hundred in a row, off 129 deliveries, having hit 10 boundaries and four sixes.
Hopes also had a good outing in the middle, hitting 22 in as many deliveries to add unbeaten 50 runs in 37 deliveries for the fifth wicket with Watson.
After the early jitters, Australia showed great spirit to reach 206 for four in 45.2 and win by a convincing six-wicket margin to successfully add another title to their 2007 World Cup victory.
Mills and Bond, who took three for 27 and one for 34 in their ten overs gave Australia a lot of problems early one, but got little support from the rest of the bowlers.