Australia are lucky Glenn McGrath never tires of hauling them from danger
The Bulletin by Peter English19-Feb-2005
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
Glenn McGrath not only gave Australia a great start but came back to finish the job as well© Getty Images
Australia are lucky that Glenn McGrath never tires of hauling them from danger. McGrath pushed New Zealand back at the start of their innings, and knocked them off in the second-last over of a thrilling first one-day international at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington.While his team-mates felt the pressure and spilled no-balls and overthrows, McGrath grabbed the ball for his final act and wrapped up Hamish Marshall, who was a No. 1 haircut away from a Michael Bevan-esque escape, and Daryl Tuffey to end a pulsating match. They should have lost, but won by 10 runs thanks to experience.Marshall’s bird’s-nest hair became an iconic symbol of Twenty20 on Thursday, and he proved he was more than a hirsute gimmick with a cool 76 from 69 balls on a tricky pitch that glued up most batsmen’s strokeplay. His only mistake was to challenge convention by an extra half-metre, as he pushed across to McGrath and leg-glanced on to his stumps (224 for 9).The giggles of Twenty20 were shaved away like the New Zealanders’ facial hair, and teams that had bonded over a novelty were again onfield enemies in the fight between the world’s top two one-day sides. Both outfits recovered from batting mistakes that appeared deadly at the time to fulfil expectations for a roaring start to the series.New Zealand were crushed by McGrath and Brett Lee as they took 22 runs and lost two wickets in the first ten overs. Drifting aimlessly at 113 for 5 in the 34th over, Marshall strengthened his position with the big-hitting Craig McMillan after losing Chris Cairns to a horrible run-out and Nathan Astle, whose 65 stabilised the innings when it wanted to flat-line.McMillan lifted the pace – and Andrew Symonds over the grandstand – with a massive slog that lost the ball. The run carried along Marshall, happier to place his shots and scurry between the wickets, and when McMillan fell to Adam Gilchrist’s fabulous stumping off McGrath – he was standing up to him – the momentum was maintained. Gilchrist walked up to take McGrath and Michael Kasprowicz in a brave display, and the ball which picked up McMillan was timed at 136kph.
Scott Styris brought New Zealand back into the contest with four vital wickets as Australia were kept down to 236© Getty Images
The target of 77 from the final 10 overs was cut to 32 from four and 13 from two. Australia were flustered, and held more conferences than a five-star hotel. Lee walked up for his second over of the spell and took care of Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori, before McGrath closed the show with 4 for 16. He did show that he wasn’t perfect, though, by dropping a catch.Batting against the medium-pacers had been a struggle for Australia; it was even harder against the quicker men. McGrath’s opening was unrelenting, giving away only seven runs in as many overs. The accuracy did for Mathew Sinclair, who pushed forward and away from his body, for Gilchrist to take an easy catch (16 for 2). By then Stephen Fleming had fallen to a questionable Aleem Dar lbw decision as Lee came around the wicket (13 for 1). Lee was fast, but Fleming was closer to furious.Fleming’s mood was much better when his side bowled, despite a closing half-century from Symonds that boosted Australia’s competitiveness. At the toss Fleming asked his bowlers to take the pace off the ball, and Styris followed the orders with a stunning display.Australia lost a dreadful 5 for 20 – they faced similar setbacks in the two Chappell-Hadlee Series games in December – to fall from the comfort of 140 for 1 to severe trauma after Styris became involved. He had already cheered the important wickets of Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting, who both made half-centuries, before he burst in with the scalps of Damien Martyn and Michael Clarke in his eighth over (158 for 5). Medium-pace at best, Styris ran his fingers over the seam in a way that would have impressed the absent Chris Harris, and collected 4 for 40.Playing himself in as wickets fell, Symonds was repaid for his patience with 53 from 44 balls, and lifted Australia in a necessary late spree, adding 69 with the help of Brad Hogg (25 not out). Australia will point fingers at the middle order for blowing a large total after they failed to adapt once Hayden and Ponting combined for 133.Reinstated at the top of the order after being dropped for the VB Series finals, Hayden scored 71 from 109 balls in a scratchy but confidence-boosting display that included favourable lbw and caught-behind decisions from Billy Bowden. Ponting was also below his most fluent as he played his side’s finest innings. He deserved to be disappointed with his batsmen, and in awe of his bowling leader.