Ponting Hails Awesome Aussies

E-mail this Article

Print this Article

Subscribe to RSS Feed

Ponting - impressed with his team.

Ricky Ponting hailed a hugely-accomplished performance from his Australia

team in their 103-run World Cup Super Eight win over the West Indies today.

The tournament favourites and cup holders are the first country to put four points on the board, by following up their Group A success against South Africa with a victory which has ended the hosts' 100% record.

West Indies never threatened, on a sunny reserve day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, to approach an Australia total of 322 for six - built on Matthew Hayden's second successive cup hundred, before rain prevented a home reply on Tuesday.

Ponting recalled not just the runs down to Hayden (158) but an impressive display from his whole team - which relegated his opposite number Brian Lara's best efforts, in an admirable 77, to secondary status in a Windies innings which mustered only 219 all out.

"After the first half-hour, you probably would have thought 320 was out of the question,'' said Ponting.

"But Matty obviously then played a terrific innings.

"The other guys chipped in around him, and our new-ball bowling today was excellent as well.

"We didn't give them any boundaries or let them get away to a flying start.''

Hayden himself could reflect with some satisfaction on his highly successful Cup campaign so far, having missed a half-century only once in four innings so far as Australia have racked up 300-plus in each attempt.

For the Queensland opener, it is a case of hard work well rewarded in a comeback made necessary when he was dropped from the one-day team following Australia's shock 2005 Ashes series defeat.

"I've had a lot of commitment and passion, first to get back into the one-day side - and in particular, to represent Australia at the World Cup is an enormous privilege and honour,'' said Hayden.

"It took a lot to get into this position - and I'm just very pleased for the supporters, selectors and Ricky that it is paying off.''

Windies captain Lara was disappointed by the fact his team failed throughout to make Australia work for their superiority on a pitch he described as a "batting paradise".

After the Windies' lacklustre debut on one of their newest grounds, Lara said: "Australia were impressive - but we didn't put them under pressure at all.

"It was very difficult after the first 10 overs today when we were going at two an over and we were asked to score in excess of a run a ball from the very beginning.

"I wouldn't say that they were tested. But they are a professional unit and have scored in excess of 300 runs each and every single time."

Lara gave today's opponents due credit, before turning his attention to what the West Indies must do now - starting against New Zealand in their second match tomorrow.

"They look like a team that came here for one purpose," he said.

"Congratulations to them. But we have to move on as a team; we won't meet them again unless we get to a semi-final, so we must concentrate on the five games we've got remaining."

Lara was left having to do much of West Indies' batting on his own, after three early wickets fell. He said: "Of course, we're not satisfied.

"The most important thing about chasing 300 plus is that one of the top batters has to bat through, and to lose three wickets in under 10 overs was a major setback.

"Myself and (Ramnaresh) Sarwan had to consolidate and rebuild - and that used up a lot of balls.

"No-one went out to play rash shots - they just didn't come off. "We've got to go back and rethink our situation."

Hayden, meanwhile, needs to do no such thing - and has much to be satisfied about over the past 12 months.

"I said when I got dropped a couple of years back that I didn't feel I was ready to let the game go - that world-class players play both forms of the game," he said.

"I'm just very happy that it's coming off right now.

"I've had to be a very determined person to get back into this side.

"It's a special side to be a part of - it's never meant to be an easy thing to play for Australia."