Watson's ton seals Trophy win for Australia

Published on Tuesday 6 October 2009 00:28

SHANE Watson's second hundred in a week sealed Champions Trophy glory for Australia as they clinched a six-wicket win over New Zealand at Centurion.

Watson hit an unbeaten 105, getting to his landmark and securing victory and a successful title defence with consecutive sixes off Jeetan Patel, following his man-of-the-match performance against England three days ago.

Ricky Ponting's Australians, who have been in imperious one-day form since losing the Ashes, were rocked by the fall of two early wickets in pursuit of a 201-run target. But they got home in the 46th over thanks largely to Watson's 128-run stand with Cameron White.

Watson crashed seven sixes in his 136 not out against Andrew Strauss' team and showed the advantage of being able to clear the rope once again, doing so four times on the same surface used for Friday's semi-final.

Australia crawled along at under three runs per over until Watson pulled Ian Butler into the advertising boards at mid-wicket and followed up with a slog-sweep on to the grassed bank in the next over, the 23rd of the innings, sent down by Patel.

White was the second of the pair to celebrate 50, doing so in style with a six of his own, straight down the ground off Butler. That blow in the 30th over also brought up three figures for their partnership. When White departed five overs later, redirecting a Kyle Mills delivery into his stumps for 61, the destiny of the trophy had all but been confirmed.

Mills' final spell also reaped the wicket of Michael Hussey, taking him past Sir Richard Hadlee's 158 career victims and placing him fourth in New Zealand's most prolific one- day bowlers.

The ease with which Australia eventually broke down their opponents, however, was not apparent during the initial stages of their innings when Tim Paine and Ponting were dismissed inside the first three overs, caught at slip off Shane Bond, and leg before to Mills respectively.

With Australia still behind the clock in their rebuilding phase on 41 for two in the 18th over, wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum's failure to cling on to a skier from White arguably proved the pivotal moment.

The Black Caps received the first blow to their hopes of a shock before a ball was bowled, with captain Daniel Vettori ruled out through a hamstring strain. That meant they were taking on their Trans-Tasman rivals without four of their first-choice XI – after Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder and Daryl Tuffey succumbed to injury earlier in the tournament.

Those that were left for injury-hit New Zealand struggled to assert themselves on the sluggish surface, which restricted strokeplay and promoted hard graft.

In the end, it was left to Australia to seal their fourth 50-over crown in the last five global tournaments.