Australia captain Ricky Ponting displayed dazzling footwork against Scotland on Wednesday to strike a fourth World Cup century and lead the world champions to a 203-run win in their opening Group A match.
Ponting lofted five sixes in his 113 from 93 balls, breaking Indian Saurav Ganguly's previous World Cup record of 23. He also became the sixth person to score 1,000 World Cup runs with his opening boundary, a sweetly timed on drive. By the end of his innings he had scored a total of 1,111 World Cup runs, second only to another Indian, Sachin Tendulkar.
Glenn McGrath, who needed 11 wickets before the match to overtake Wasim Akram's World Cup record tally off 55, then took three for 14 on a pitch freshened by rain as Scotland succumbed for 131 for nine in reply to Australia's 334 for six.
Opening bowler John Blain did not bat after leaving the field during the Australia innings. Scotland captain Craig Wright told a news conference Blain had strained a calf muscle and was also suffering from a viral condition. Wright won the toss and decided to field on a steamy, overcast day, a decision which suited Ponting.
"I was going to bat anyway so losing the toss was fine," he said. Australia openers Adam Gilchrist (46) and Matthew Hayden (60) reunited following the latter's return after breaking his right toe in New Zealand last month to put on 91 for the first wicket.
Relishing a good pitch and the short boundaries at Warner Park, Hayden marched down the pitch to on-drive Paul Hoffman for six in the seventh over. He also hit six fours before he was lbw pushing forward in off-spinner Majid Haq's first over.
Gilchrist had already departed for 46 from 55 balls with seven boundaries, a typically entertaining if somewhat streaky innings. Ponting survived a chance at 23 when wicketkeeper Colin Smith, standing up to former England one-day all-rounder Dougie Brown, failed to gather a thick edge.
He danced down the pitch to drive Haq and left-arm spinner Glenn Rogers for six in consecutive overs and there were further sixes in consecutive overs from the two spinners as the Australian skipper raced to a century from 85 balls. Brad Hogg slogged an unbeaten 40 from 15 balls at the end of the innings to help Australia to their imposing tally.
SCOREBOARD
AUSTRALIA:
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A. Gilchrist lbw b Brown 46
M. Hayden lbw b Haq 60
R. Ponting b Wright 113
M. Clarke b Haq 15
B. Hodge c Hoffman b Rogers 29
M. Hussey st Smith b Hoffman 4
S. Watson not out 18
B. Hogg not out 40
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Extras: (b1, lb2, nb1, w5) 9
Total: (six wkts) 334
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Fall of wickets: 1-91 (Gilchrist); 2-139 (Hayden); 3-193 (Clarke); 4-256 (Hodge); 5-274 (Ponting); 6-276 (Hussey)
Bowling: Hoffmann 10-0-57-1 (2w); Blain 4-0-29-0 (1nb, 1w); Wright 10-0-58-1; Brown 9-0-86-1 (2w); Rogers 10-0-52-1; Haq 7-0-49-2
Overs: 50
Scotland: (target 335 off 50 overs)
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F. Watts b McGrath 9
M. Haq run out 16
N. Poonia b Tait 1
R. Watson c Bracken b McGrath 6
G. Hamilton c Gilchrist b McGrath 3
D. Brown c Watson b Hodge 19
C. Smith b Hogg 51
C. Wright lbw b Tait 4
G. Rogers run out 6
P. Hoffman not out 0
T. Blain did not bat - hurt 0
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Extras: (lb9, nb1, w6) 16
Total: 131
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Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Haq); 2-27 (Poonia); 3-32 (Watts); 4-37 (Watson); 5-42 (Hamilton); 6-89 (Brown); 7-104 (Wright), 8-131 (Rogers), 9-131 (Smith)
Bowling: Bracken 6-1-12-0; Tait 8-0-45-2 (3w), McGrath 6-1-14-3 (1nb); Watson 7-1-18-0 (1w); Hogg 7.1-1-16-1; Hodge 6-0-17-1
Overs: 40.1
Result: Australia won by 203 runs
Point: Australia 2, Scotland 0
Toss: Scotland
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WIS) and A. de Silva (SRI)
TV umpire: T. Hill (NZL)
Reserve: M. Benson (ENG)
Match referee: J. Srinath (IND).
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