01-31-2010, 06:12 PM
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[center]Australia has rounded out a perfect summer against Pakistan, battering the tourists in three Tests and five one-day internationals, after scraping home to win the final 50-over match in Perth on Sunday[/center]
Strong bowling from Clint McKay and Ryan Harris restricted Pakistan to 212 from 49.3 overs but the home side took the difficult route to victory, struggling to a two-wicket win with four balls to spare.
Mike Hussey took on the familiar role of middle-order saviour, made famous by predecessor Michael Bevan, and helped Australia avoid an embarrassing final-match defeat with a coolly struck 40 not out.
The plumb lbw of Nathan Hauritz (18) on the first ball of the final over added a late twist to the tale, but Australia pulled off one of its trademark one-day escapes.
Harris confidently struck his first delivery for two runs to tie the match, before an anti-climactic finish robbed Pakistan of a ninth wicket when a no-ball voided Shahid Afridi's catch and confirmed Australia's win.
After claiming 4 for 35 at the WACA ground today, McKay finished the series as the leading wicket-taker with 14 while Harris's stunning form netted 13 in just three matches.
Harris, 30, twice recorded five-wicket hauls with stunning displays that earned him successive man-of-the-match awards, and he finished the fifth match with 3 for 44.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was the star of the home innings with his 74th ODI half-century worth 55 runs, but counterpart Afridi thrust himself into bizarre controversy.
Inexplicably Afridi appeared to bite the ball late in Australia's innings, an act that was caught clearly on television and which prompted the field umpires to change the ball.
[color="#FF0000"]Pakistan's stand-in skipper will now almost certainly face consequences for what appears to be a blatant case of ball tampering.[/color] <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
More to follow.
Cheers![[Image: beer.gif]](http://www.skyscrapercity.com/images/smilies/beer.gif)
[center]Australia has rounded out a perfect summer against Pakistan, battering the tourists in three Tests and five one-day internationals, after scraping home to win the final 50-over match in Perth on Sunday[/center]
Strong bowling from Clint McKay and Ryan Harris restricted Pakistan to 212 from 49.3 overs but the home side took the difficult route to victory, struggling to a two-wicket win with four balls to spare.
Mike Hussey took on the familiar role of middle-order saviour, made famous by predecessor Michael Bevan, and helped Australia avoid an embarrassing final-match defeat with a coolly struck 40 not out.
The plumb lbw of Nathan Hauritz (18) on the first ball of the final over added a late twist to the tale, but Australia pulled off one of its trademark one-day escapes.
Harris confidently struck his first delivery for two runs to tie the match, before an anti-climactic finish robbed Pakistan of a ninth wicket when a no-ball voided Shahid Afridi's catch and confirmed Australia's win.
After claiming 4 for 35 at the WACA ground today, McKay finished the series as the leading wicket-taker with 14 while Harris's stunning form netted 13 in just three matches.
Harris, 30, twice recorded five-wicket hauls with stunning displays that earned him successive man-of-the-match awards, and he finished the fifth match with 3 for 44.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was the star of the home innings with his 74th ODI half-century worth 55 runs, but counterpart Afridi thrust himself into bizarre controversy.
Inexplicably Afridi appeared to bite the ball late in Australia's innings, an act that was caught clearly on television and which prompted the field umpires to change the ball.
[color="#FF0000"]Pakistan's stand-in skipper will now almost certainly face consequences for what appears to be a blatant case of ball tampering.[/color] <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> More to follow.
Cheers