Punter wins it for Aussies by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Scorecard:	Australia v New Zealand
Player:	RT Ponting, MJ Clarke, MG Johnson, B Lee, PD McGlashan, SB Styris
Event:	ICC World Twenty20 2009

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DateLine: 3rd June 2009

 

Captain Ricky Ponting led from the front as Australia beat New Zealand by seven wickets in their World Twenty20 warm-up game at the Brit Oval.

 

Ponting hit 56, orchestrating an Australian recovery after the loss of two early wickets had dented their chase.

 

Left-arm medium-pacer James Franklin's double-wicket maiden in the fifth over evened up the contest after New Zealand were earlier dismissed for a modest 147.

 

But then Ponting, who brought up his 50 in only 34 deliveries, combined with vice-captain Michael Clarke in a match-turning century stand.

 

Australia wanted 88 off the final 10 overs but Ponting and Clarke paced the chase perfectly from that point. Ponting's six over long-off just after the halfway stage of the innings altering the momentum in his side's favour.

 

He launched another huge one, off Scott Styris in the 13th over. This meant Australia only required eight-an-over from the final seven.

 

Clarke finished unbeaten on 49 while Andrew Symonds clipped the winning runs through the leg side in the final over, as Australia finish on 151 for three.

 

The New Zealand score was under par but early dismissals of Shane Watson and David Warner, both trying to hit Franklin, altered the tempo of the match.

 

Earlier Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson combined to stun Vettori's man with the new ball as the Kiwis who defeated India, slumped to 21 for five.

 

Lee removed Brendon McCullum with the third ball of the innings and only conceded seven runs from his first three overs. Left-armer Johnson, meanwhile, claimed two wickets in his opening over as his pace unsettled the Kiwis.

 

When Johnson’s direct hit from mid-off ran out Jacob Oram, who had not faced a ball, the New Zealanders had lost half their side and their eventual total was a long way off.

 

They got there thanks to a thrilling stand of 71 for the sixth wicket between Styris and Peter McGlashan.

 

The duo got separated by the return of Johnson into the attack when Styris' spree of 24 runs from eight balls was followed by an edge behind from a wide delivery.

 

McGlashan, the reserve wicketkeeper, staked his claim for the number seven spot when the tournament proper begins, with 49 from just 35 deliveries. His most impressive stroke among seven boundaries was a powerfully hooked six off a Peter Siddle bouncer.