Australia rise from Ashes with opening ODI win
Sunday, 6 September 2009
LONDON, Sept 5 (AFP): Australia captain Michael Clarke praised two of the newcomers to the tour of England as his side put their Ashes defeat behind them with a tense four-run win in the first one-day international.
Callum Ferguson won the man-of-the-match award for an unbeaten 71 here at the Oval on Friday and Cameron White weighed in with 53 as Australia, returning to the scene of their 197-run fifth-Test Ashes losing defeat, went 1-0 up in this seven-match series.
Ferguson's innings was the centrepiece of Australia's 260 for five, a total that just proved too much for England to overhaul as they finished on 256 for eight.
The 24-year-old South Australian's score was his best in 15 matches at this level and took just 75 balls.
"We've got a lot of new players in our squad that didn't take part in the Ashes," Clarke, deputising for the resting Ricky Ponting, told reporters.
"One-day cricket is a lot different to Test cricket, I'm taking a lot of positives out of tonight.
"Callum Ferguson played beautifully," Clarke added ahead of Sunday's second match at Lord's.
"But for Cameron Wright get an opportunity at No 3 and play the way he did was fantastic. It shows he's a good all-round player and can bat in any position."
Clarke, whose 45 was subdued by his normally fluent standards, admitted: "I thought we were maybe 15, 20 runs short but that was mainly down to my batting. I took too many balls to score the runs I did.
However, things ought not to have been so tight. Ravi Bopara, who was dropped for the Ashes finale after averaging just 15 in the first four Tests, made 49 but took 88 balls and hit only three fours before he was stumped after off- spinner Nathan Hauritz beat his forward defensive stroke.
SCOREBOARD
Australia
S. Watson c and b Collingwood 46
T. Paine run out (Collingwood) 0
C. White run out (Swann/Prior) 53
M. Clarke c Shah b Collingwood 45
C. Ferguson not out 71
M. Hussey b Sidebottom 20
J. Hopes not out 18
Extras (lb3, w4) 7
Total (5 wkts, 50 overs) 260
England
A. Strauss c White b Lee 12
R. Bopara st Paine b Hauritz 49
M. Prior c Johnson b Hauritz 28
O. Shah hit wicket b Johnson 40
P. Collingwood c Watson b Johnson 23
L. Wright run out (Paine) 38
S. Broad c Clarke b Johnson 2
A. Rashid not out 31
G. Swann c Paine b Watson 4
R. Sidebottom not out 13
Extras (b3, w10, nb3) 16
Total: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 256
Result: Australia won by four runs
Man-of-the-match: Callum Ferguson (AUS)
Series: Australia lead seven-match series 1-0
Callum Ferguson won the man-of-the-match award for an unbeaten 71 here at the Oval on Friday and Cameron White weighed in with 53 as Australia, returning to the scene of their 197-run fifth-Test Ashes losing defeat, went 1-0 up in this seven-match series.
Ferguson's innings was the centrepiece of Australia's 260 for five, a total that just proved too much for England to overhaul as they finished on 256 for eight.
The 24-year-old South Australian's score was his best in 15 matches at this level and took just 75 balls.
"We've got a lot of new players in our squad that didn't take part in the Ashes," Clarke, deputising for the resting Ricky Ponting, told reporters.
"One-day cricket is a lot different to Test cricket, I'm taking a lot of positives out of tonight.
"Callum Ferguson played beautifully," Clarke added ahead of Sunday's second match at Lord's.
"But for Cameron Wright get an opportunity at No 3 and play the way he did was fantastic. It shows he's a good all-round player and can bat in any position."
Clarke, whose 45 was subdued by his normally fluent standards, admitted: "I thought we were maybe 15, 20 runs short but that was mainly down to my batting. I took too many balls to score the runs I did.
However, things ought not to have been so tight. Ravi Bopara, who was dropped for the Ashes finale after averaging just 15 in the first four Tests, made 49 but took 88 balls and hit only three fours before he was stumped after off- spinner Nathan Hauritz beat his forward defensive stroke.
SCOREBOARD
Australia
S. Watson c and b Collingwood 46
T. Paine run out (Collingwood) 0
C. White run out (Swann/Prior) 53
M. Clarke c Shah b Collingwood 45
C. Ferguson not out 71
M. Hussey b Sidebottom 20
J. Hopes not out 18
Extras (lb3, w4) 7
Total (5 wkts, 50 overs) 260
England
A. Strauss c White b Lee 12
R. Bopara st Paine b Hauritz 49
M. Prior c Johnson b Hauritz 28
O. Shah hit wicket b Johnson 40
P. Collingwood c Watson b Johnson 23
L. Wright run out (Paine) 38
S. Broad c Clarke b Johnson 2
A. Rashid not out 31
G. Swann c Paine b Watson 4
R. Sidebottom not out 13
Extras (b3, w10, nb3) 16
Total: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 256
Result: Australia won by four runs
Man-of-the-match: Callum Ferguson (AUS)
Series: Australia lead seven-match series 1-0