Zimbabwe bowl well to restrict Australia to 262 in World Cup 2011
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in their opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Considering the batting strength of Australia, they were expected to score in excess of 300 runs. However, the Kangaroos were restricted
to just 262 in their allotted 50 overs.
The wicket at Ahmedabad was exceptional for batting and former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell expected plenty of runs to be scored on it during his pitch analysis.
Ricky Ponting won the toss and decided to bat first without any hesitation. However, openers Shane Watson and Brad Haddin struggled to get going. Although the openers gave the defending champions a 61-run partnership for the first wicket, it took them 113
balls to do so. Watson was able to rotate the strike, while Haddin struggled to put bat on ball throughout his innings.
The veteran wicketkeeper was out after scoring 29 runs off 66 balls. His innings was below par and it certainly wasn’t his day today. However, his dismissal brought Ponting to the middle and the veteran player looked much more comfortable compared to Haddin
and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326.
Watson also started to find the middle of his bat and started scoring runs fluently. The star all-rounder was dismissed in the 32nd over, after he had amassed 79 runs off 92 balls. He struck eight 4’s and a towering 6 in his innings. Just nine
balls later, Ponting was run-out courtesy a direct hit from Chris Mpofu from deep mid-wicket. He was furious after losing his wicket since he was playing well on 28 from 36 balls.
Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 then steadied the innings along with Cameron White. The pair took their team’s total beyond 200 with a 63-run partnership for the fourth wicket. White was also not comfortable in the middle and was out after scoring 22 off 36 balls. Clarke
however, didn’t lose his focus at all and carried onto the start he got. Ponting’s deputy scored an unbeaten 58 from 55 balls to help his team post a decent total in the end. He was helped by some hefty blows in the death overs from David Hussey, Steve Smith
and Mitchell Johnson.
Mpofu took two wickets for his team, but it was the spinners who didn’t allow Australia to get to a big total. Ray http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Prosper-Utseya-c82728 and Graeme Cremer took one wicket each and didn’t give away too many runs.
The bowlers have done their job for Zimbabwe and it will now be up to the batsmen to chase down the runs. The total is within their reach and if they get off to a good start, they might end up pulling off the first upset of the tournament.
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