cricket20 :: Wireless Edition

cricket20

Wireless Edition

Top Stories

Ponting shrugs off Twenty20 rout

Australia captain Ricky Ponting played down the impact of England's 100-run Twenty20 win against Australia this last night at the Rose Bowl.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting played down the impact of England's 100-run Twenty20 win against Australia this last night at the Rose Bowl.

Ponting insisted a different Australia side would take the field for its triangular series openers against Bangladesh and England this weekend in Cardiff and Bristol respectively.

"I think it's that sort of game, Twenty20. So much happens that wouldn't normally happen in a 50-over game so I don't think the result of today's game will do them any good and probably won't do us any harm," Ponting told reporters after the Rose Bowl rout.

Australia, chasing 180 to win, were bowled out for 79 in just 14.3 overs with only Jason Gillespie (24), Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee (both 15) making it into double figures.

All-rounder Paul Collingwood led England to a total of 8 for 179 with 46 off 26 balls before taking 2 for 8 with his medium-pacers.

Gloucestershire seamer Jon Lewis, on his senior international debut, took 4 for 24 while veteran quick Darren Gough, who took two wickets in two balls, finished with 3 for 16.

It was a dramatic start to Twenty20 international cricket for England, now ranked number two in the world Test rankings behind their oldest foes.

It was also their second successive one-day win against Australia after a six-wicket success in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston in September.

England also beat Australia in the last Test match played between the two sides, the series-ending dead rubber in Sydney at the start of 2003.

"It's not the ideal start for us," added Ponting, whose side came into the game, played in front of a 15,000 capacity crowd, on the back of a 95-run thrashing of Leicestershire.

"Not much went right. We got behind in our overs so we had to rush everything through from there.

"And the batting was very ordinary," said the Tasmanian, one of three Australian batsman out for nought.

"Every time it went in the air it went straight to a fielder and there were some poor shots mixed in there as well for us. It was a pretty ordinary day for us. England just outplayed us everywhere."

Ponting, whose team now have a chance to regroup against Somerset in Taunton on Wednesday (local time), insisted the only long-term impact of the Twenty20 would be a positive one for Australia.

"It will hopefully make us a bit more determined the next time we play against them (England).

"It was just one of those games. We are not going to worry too much about it. It was obviously a very ordinary start for us.

"But we've got a few more days now to give ourselves the best chance of playing well on Saturday. That's all we're focusing on.

"There's nothing as good as time in middle so hopefully (Michael) Hussey and (Michael) Clarke and even me and Damien Martyn will be able to get some more time in the middle in the Taunton game.

"We had two months off leading into this tour but by the time Saturday and Sunday's games come around there won't be any excuses as far as preparation goes from us."

England, for whom victory at Edgbaston ended a run of 14 successive one-day defeats against Australia, have lost the last eight Ashes Test series.

"It's nice to win, nice to beat Australia, but I wouldn't read too much into a Twenty20 victory," said Vaughan whose team open the triangular against Bangladesh at The Oval on Thursday (local time).

"When we batted we maintained momentum and when we bowled everything seemed to go to hand.

"We're delighted to have won but we realise a 50-over contest is totally different to a Twenty20 contest and five-day contest is totally different to one-day cricket.

"They are going to have stages when they are on top of us this summer and that will be the real test for the team."

Wireless Edition Home

Cricket | Champions League Cricket | IPL | ICL | Twenty20 World Cup