Australia complete World Cup hat-trick

BRIDGETOWN (Barbados), Apr 29: Australia completed an unprecedented hat-trick of World Cup titles with a 53-run win over a brave Sri Lanka in a rain-marred summit clash that ended in a tragi-comedy here on Saturday.

Adam Gilchrist’s record-breaking century of 149, the highest individual score in a final, formed the bedrock of Australia’s intimidating total of 281 for four in a 38 overs a side match.

Sri Lanka made a spirited attempt of the monstrous target through Sanath Jayasuriya (63) and Kumara Sangakkara (54) and their 116-run second wicket stand off 106 balls before another spell of rain took the wind out of their sails.

But the Aussies could lay their hands on the coveted trophy only after a bizarre and farcical conclusion to what has been a disastrous tournament.

Set a revised target of 269 from 36 overs, the Lankans were limping at 206 for seven in the 33rd over when the umpires - Steve Bucknor and Aleem Dar - decided to offer the batsmen light.

As Chamara Silva and Russel Arnold walked off the pitch, the champions began to celebrate - Glenn McGrath, in his last match for Australia, even grabbed one stump - only to be told by the umpires that the match was not over yet and might have to be continued on the reserve day.

But Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene intervened and the remaining overs were played out in utter darkness.

The win gave Australia their fourth title overall, following their triumphs in 1987, 1999 and 2003, and stretched their unbeaten streak in the quadrennial event to 29.

Gilchrist produced a display of magnificent stroke play to slam his maiden World Cup hundred.

The swashbuckling opener hit eight sixes and 13 fours to pummel into submission the Sri Lankan bowling which was considered the only attack in the tournament with the firepower to rein in the Aussie juggernaut.

The Lankans had the right start when they checked the marauding openers, Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, to only 46 from the first 10 overs.

But two fours and one six from Gilchrist in the following over by Dilhara Fernando opened the floodgates.

Gilchrist, who was reprieved a return catch by Fernando in that crucial 11th over, bettered his captain Ricky Ponting’s 140 not out against India in the 2003 final.

It was also the left-hander’s third 50-plus score in successive World Cup finals.

Lanka had the moment of the match to themselves when Gilchrist drove one uppishly back at Fernando but the low and difficult chance was spilled by the fast bowler in his follow through.

Gilchrist was then on 31 and the team’s score read 46 for no loss in the 10th over.

Gilchrist then flicked the next delivery for a four, straight drove the next ball for another boundary and then hoisted the tall fast bowler deep into the long off stands to rub further salt into his wounds.

Gilchrist pushed off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan into cover for a single to complete his half century from 43 balls with five fours and two sixes.

Tillekaratne Dilshan was brought on from the other end and Gilchrist seized his moment with two straight sixes off the part-time bowler.

Another six, this time rather flat and wide off the long-off fielder, off Fernando rushed the left-hander to his 15th one-day hundred, having faced just 72 deliveries and hit eight fours and six sixes.

Hayden, who had rather laboured to 38 runs from 55 balls with three fours and a six, flicked Malinga into the hands of midwicket fielder Mahela Jayawardene.

Score Board

AUSTRALIA:

Adam Gilchrist c Silva b Fernando 149

Matthew Hayden c Jayawardene b Malinga 38

Ricky Ponting run out 37

Andrew Symonds not out 23

Shane Watson b Malinga 3

Michael Clarke not out 8

Extras (lb4, w16, nb3) 23

Total (for four wkts, 50 overs) 281

Fall of Wickets: 1-172, 2-224, 3-261, 4-266.

SRI LANKA:

Upul Tharanga c Gilchrist b Bracken 6

Sanath Jayasuriya b Clarke 63

Kumara Sangakkara c Ponting b Hogg 54

Mahela Jayawardene lbw b Watson 19

Chamara Silva b Clarke 21

Tillekaratne Dilshan run out 14

Russel Arnold c Gilchrist b McGrath 1

Chaminda Vaas not out 11

Lasith Malinga st Gilchrist b Symonds 10

Dilhara Fernando not out 1

Extras (lb1, w14) 15

Total (for 8 wkts, 36 overs) 215

Fall of Wickets: 1-7, 2-123, 3-145, 4-156, 5-188, 6-190, 7-194, 8-211. (PTI)

There is a gulf between us and rest: Ponting

BRIDGETOWN (Barbados), Apr 29: Australian captain Ricky Ponting said his team’s fourth World Cup triumph and third on the trot showed the chasm between the four-time champions and the rest of the cricketing teams.

"We played unbelievable cricket all through and did not have a close game in the competition," Ponting said after the side’s 53-run win over Sri Lanka in the final here on Saturday.

"We are never happy and satisfied with our performance and levels and continue to challenge ourselves to improve.

"Winning it for a third straight time is an amazing feeling. Playing with this group of players is very special."

His opposite number Mahela Jayawardene acknowledged Australia’s supremacy and said Adam Gilchrist’s innings of 149 in just 104 balls made the difference.

"It was a special innings and so brilliant that it took the game away from us," the Sri Lankan skipper said.

"We chased quite well and were in a very good position at one time but could not keep up with the asking rate.

"They (Australia) were too good for us today."

Glenn McGrath had a fairytale end to his international career. He was adjudged the player of the tournament with 26 wickets, which was the highest tally in a single World Cup, and his overall count of 70 scalps made him the leading wicket-taker in the history of the competition.

"I am happy with the way things went. I couldn’t have hoped for more and had great fun," he said. McGrath also pointed out that the Australian team was in strong shape despite his exit from the scene. (PTI)

Squash ball in glove is secret behind Gilchrist’s ton

BRIDGETOWN (Barbados), Apr 29: If Adam Gilchrist is to be believed, the secret behind his blistering 149-run knock in the World Cup final against Sri Lanka is an innocuous Squash ball in his batting glove.

Gilchrist’s breathtaking knock powered Australia to a 53-run win against the Islanders and the 104-ball knock was studded with 13 fours and eight sixes.

Every time Gilchrist hit a six, he gestured towards a point on his gloves the reason for which he was prepared to share with the media at the end of the day.

"Before the World Cup, I actually practised indoors and tried to improve my grip with half of the squash ball inside my gloves. It was a friend of mine, Bob Mueleman (former Western Australia player), who said that if I felt okay with it, I should gesture that I had got it right which is what I actually did in the middle."

The ploy clearly paid off with the 35-year-old stumper-batsman hitting the highest knock in a World Cup final, bettering his captain Ricky Ponting’s 140 not out against India four years ago.

The dashing left-hander confessed that he had been pretty "frustrated" by his performance in the World Cup in the run-up to the final.

"It was frustrating for me. I had made a few low scores and couple of 40s without quite nailing a big one. So high are the standards set by guys in the dressing room that if you don’t do that well, you actually start putting pressure on yourself and wondering if you really belong there. So in that sense it was a relief," remarked Gilchrist.

Subsequently, tributes flowed for Gilchrist from all quarters and not just from his own dressing room.

"It was a brilliant, stunning innings. He did the same to us in the VB series finals in Brisbane. It was some very solid hitting and when Gilly is in that mood, it becomes difficult to chase down a target," complimented Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene.

"I don’t think he has played any better knock than this one. He hardly missed anything and everything came off the middle of his bat. It could be the best innings we would ever see.

"He made Matthew Hayden, who has done some serious hitting himself in this competition, look shaky in comparison," Jayawardene said.

Gilchrist, whose eight sixes equalled a World Cup record, thanked retiring fast bowler Glenn McGrath and coach John Buchanan for their contributions and not the least his partner Matthew Hayden with whom he shared a 172-run stand in the final. (PTI)

McGrath wins ‘Player of the Tournament’ award

BRIDGETOWN, (Barbados), Apr 29: Glenn McGrath was officially named the ‘player of the tournament’ at the cricket World Cup 2007 after Australia clinched the title in the West Indies on Saturday.

The 37-year-old fast bowler, who made his last international appearance in the final game, secured 15 points during the course of the tournament, including three player of the match performances.

McGrath’s closest rival for the tournament award was Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene who secured 11 points, while McGrath’s team-mate, opener Matthew Hayden and New Zealand all-rounder Scot Styris finished on nine points each.

The points were allocated by members of the television commentary team at each match with those commentators awarding three points for their choice as the man of the match, second choice getting two points and the third pick receiving one.

Those points were then added up to produce the player of the tournament. All matches, including the final, were included in the process.

McGrath claimed 26 wickets to emerge as the most successful bowler in a single ICC cricket World Cup.

Throughout his career he picked up 71 World Cup wickets in 39 matches to earn the distinction of being the most successful bowler in the history of the tournament.

McGrath’s team-mate Shaun Tait and Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan came into the match jointly placed second at 23 wickets apiece, trailing McGrath by two. But Muralidaran went wicketless while Tait bagged one wicket in Australia’s 53-run victory over Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Jayawardene finished as the second leading run-getter, 111 runs behind Matthew Hayden, with 659 runs.

Hayden, who scored the fastest cricket World Cup century off 66 balls century against South Africa in the first round at St Kitts finished the tournament with 659 runs from 11 games - 14 runs short of Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most runs in a single World Cup of 683.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting was the third leading run-getter with 539 while Scott Styris finished fourth with 499 runs from 10 matches.

World Cup player of the tournament

Name Team Points

Glenn McGrath Aus 15

Mahela Jayawardene SL 11

Matthew Hayden Aus 9

Scott Styris NZ 9

Shaun Tait Aus 8

Jacques Kallis SA 7

Muttiah Muralitharan SL 7

Sanath Jayasuriya SL 7

Mohammad ashraful Bang 6

Shane Bond NZ 6

Paul Collingwood Eng 6 9

Ab De Villiers SA 6.

(PTI)