Shane Watson wallops http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 seals series win
BAN 229/7 in 50 overs AUS 232/1 26 overs
Shane Watson pulverized the hapless Bangladeshi bowlers, as he smashed a world record 15 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 185 run knock that sank the hosts in the 2nd One Day International (ODI) of the three match series played at Mirpur in Dhaka.
Watson was all power, as he mowed down the local spinners, who had hoped to stifle the former World Champions after posting a decent total on a spin friendly attack at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
However, the brutal assault by the Aussie vice-captain and opening batsman meant that the chase was over at the half way stage of the Aussie innings. Watson shared an unbroken stand with former captain, Ricky Ponting, for the second wicket with the partnership
worth 170 runs.
The two took the team home in style with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 unleashing one big hit after another in a dominant innings that would have left bad scars on the bowlers, who had hoped for some rewards in front of their home fans.
Watson struck 15 sixes and 15 fours in his innings, which was compiled off 96 balls. He reached his century off 69 balls, while his last 85 runs came off 27 balls, as he launched into an astonishing assault.
He broke the former record of most sixes in an innings, which was jointly held by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, and, Sanath Jaysuria, who both hit 11 sixes each.
Meanwhile, the hosts stuttered with the bat in their innings, batting first they were tottering at 28/3 as the top order was wiped out by the Australian opening bowlers, who gained control over the opposition, from the outset.
The innings was stabilized by the pair of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahriar-Nafees-c2486, and, Mushfiqur Rehman, the two scored a fifty each with the diminutive wicket-keeper taking the bowling apart in the last few overs. Rehman scored an unbeaten 81 off 80 balls, hitting two fours and
a six in one Brett Lee over.
The third and last ODI between the two teams is set to take place on April 14, 2011. The man of the match award was, unsurprisingly, handed over to Watson for his belligerent knock.
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