AUSTRALIA HOLDS OFF ZIMBABWE, MAINTAINS UNBEATEN RECORD

After electing to bat first and riding a superb Damien Martyn (144*) century to reach a massive 5/302, Australia reduced Zimbabwe to 3/91 from nineteen overs before the tourists charged back behind a record-breaking fourth wicket partnership of 187 between Stuart Carlisle (119) and Grant Flower (85).

Needing fifteen runs from the last Glenn McGrath over, however, the Zimbabweans fell an agonising one run short. This was despite the production of two audaciously leg glanced boundaries from Douglas Marillier (12*) which handed them a golden opportunity.

The final margin was even more cruel in view of the fact that Carlisle had earlier run one short while batting with Flower - potentially a match-equalling run.

Australian captain Steve Waugh said that, while Zimbabwe deserved a win, his side had expected to come up trumps after posting such a big target.

"We dropped a couple of catches and missed a few run outs, which probably cost us," Waugh said.

Meanwhile, Martyn said it was fantastic to open the batting in his home town instead of coming in down the order, adding that he simply tried to capitalise on the flat pitch and remain unbeaten during the innings.

"I think it was special just being at home - it's a big crowd in and all of your friends and family are here, so it's good to do well," Martyn said.

Pushed to the top of the order to partner vice captain Adam Gilchrist after returning to the side, man of the match Martyn carried his bat in Australia's innings to help establish the huge target. In turn, he was brilliantly assisted late in the innings by a flurry of hitting from Ian Harvey (37).

Martyn's 149-ball knock generated the fourth highest one-day score ever by an Australian and a record for matches played at the WACA, eclipsing Mark Waugh's 130 against Sri Lanka in 1995-96. Australia's total fell just seven runs short of the ground record (309), posted by West Indies in 1984-85.

In his three chances as a one-day international opener, Martyn has now made two centuries and one half-century - all unbeaten.

Zimbabwe's valiant charge was chiefly due to Carlisle and Flower's record partnership, the 187-run stand eclipsing the country's previous fourth wicket best set by the latter and his brother Andy last year.

As it was, the partnership might never have been allowed to flourish at all. Carlisle was dropped by Steve Waugh in the gully during the fourth over amid a spate of early fielding errors. Brett Lee, who endured a horror afternoon, also let slip a golden opportunity to run out the Zimbabwean number three when - with his back to the batsmen - he somehow threw the ball past the stumps from only the shortest of distances away and with Carlisle completely stranded in the middle of the pitch.

Carlisle survived all that and, together with Flower, was soon scoring runs at a comfortable pace, despite the fact that the required rate of scoring swelled to more than nine runs per over at one stage during the middle of the innings.

Needing twenty-six runs from the last three overs, the tourists ran into trouble when McGrath had Carlisle caught at mid on by Mark Waugh. Flower and Heath Streak (9) then fell in consecutive balls, the former run out pushing for a second run and the captain caught and bowled by Harvey (1/49 off nine overs), developments which set the scene for the dramatic last over.

The daring Marillier, playing his first game of the series, stepped away outside the line of off stump to lift shots to the unattended fine leg fence and help Zimbabwe reach the last ball needing two to tie and three to win.

But McGrath (2/46 from ten overs) produced a full pitched delivery to limit the scoring to a single.

Zimbabwean captain Streak said it was a pity that the rejuvenated batting effort did not occur on Friday, when a win over West Indies would have almost certainly assured his side of a spot in the finals.

"It's just hard to put our thumb on why we didn't bat like that against the West Indies," he said.

Streak observed that, in spite of the notion that it fell short by the barest of margins, the result showed the side has the ability and spirit to compete with the best outfits - provided it can find some consistency.

"To do that against the best side in the world at the moment is no mean feat," Streak said.

Carlisle said he considered his innings the most satisfying performance he has given Zimbabwe, especially as it came against the potent Australian bowling attack.

He added the short run, which reduced a pair to a single, was ultimately something on which it was not worth dwelling.

"There's a lot of ifs and buts in cricket, but it was very unfortunate," he said.

While the game marked the end of Zimbabwe's national tour - the team is due to return home tomorrow - it also proved there is never any such thing as a certain victor.

It may well provide West Indies with some much-needed confidence in the lead-up to the first of the best-of-three finals series, in Sydney next Wednesday. Conversely, it may also shake any complacency from the Australian camp.

Waugh said that, while the close call was "probably good" approaching the finals after Australia had cruised through the earlier matches, the side had been focusing on next week's games for some time now.

"We didn't play very well today, so we have to make sure our game is there come the first final," Waugh said.

"It's been a long haul. We haven't lost any games this season so, at some stage, you are going to expect the opposition to play well."

CARLISLE, FLOWER WORK HARD TO DEFY AUSTRALIA

The pair have added eighty-five runs since being joined in the middle. But, while seven wickets remain in hand for Zimbabwe, it still requires another 127 runs for victory at a rate of more than eight per over.

Australian captain Steve Waugh turned to his third line of bowling attack in the twenty-first over, following his use of Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming through the opening ten overs and the combination of Brett Lee (1/41) and Nathen Bracken (1/19) during the next ten.

Waugh shifted away from pace with left arm wrist spinner Michael Bevan and medium pacer Ian Harvey (0/24), but the move brought no wickets while at the same time allowing Zimbabwe a looser reign.

Carlisle, at the crease since the second over, must have felt relief at the slower pace of the deliveries coming at him after surviving a barrage of quick bowling and accordingly registered his half-century in the twenty-fourth over.

But life was still not easy. Together with the demanding run rate, the Australians' sudden use of a more evenly spread field left the batsmen with little option than to ease shots into the outfield and to work hard between the wickets.

Carlisle soon attempted to lift the pace, making amends for a bottom edge which evaded Gilchrist's gloves in the twenty-eighth over by cracking a Bevan (0/30) delivery sweetly through mid wicket to the leg side fence shortly after.

Waugh then stayed true to earlier form and returned to McGrath (1/27) and Fleming (0/31) three overs later in order to force the issue with pace.

AUSTRALIA OVERCOMES POOR FIELDING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL

The tourists have reached 3/105 after twenty overs in reply to Australia's 5/302, opener Stuart Carlisle (37*) and Grant Flower (3*) trying to maintain a lengthy vigil at the crease and peg back the mammoth target.

Carlisle and Andy Flower (24) came together in the twelfth over and compiled thirty-seven runs together at a healthy rate, forcing Australia to work hard for the breakthrough.

But Nathan Bracken (1/18) snared his first scalp in the nineteenth over when Flower gained a bottom edge playing across his body, wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist diving to his left to glove the low ball brilliantly and leave Zimbabwe in serious trouble at 3/91.

Australia's intentions were clear from the start of the innings, strike bowlers Glenn McGrath (1/15) and Damien Fleming (0/28) handed a packed slips cordon and gully area by captain Steve Waugh in an effort to make life very uncomfortable for the batsmen.

McGrath made good of the situation in a matter of minutes, removing opener Gavin Rennie (0) after angling a delivery away from the left hander and extracting an edge which carried to second slip and found Mark Waugh.

While it was certainly a bad start for Zimbabwe given the enormous target, things could have been far worse. Three slips and two gully fielders left little to the imagination as to where Steve Waugh wanted the ball pitched. But, although Fleming obliged with a full-pitched swinging delivery outside off stump in the fourth over, getting Carlisle to slash away his body, the captain could not hold up his end of the bargain and put down a sharp chance at gully which would have left Zimbabwe 2/11.

Within moments it was McGrath's turn to be disappointed; hometown batting hero Damien Martyn dropping a catch at first slip to remove Alistair Campbell (27) in the very next over.

Eager to make the most of the near-misses, both batsmen set about building a lengthy partnership in order to make a contest of the run chase. McGrath had other ideas and was no balled after a rising delivery struck Campbell on the helmet, forcing the batsmen to call for a less-damaged stackhat.

In an effort to break the bowling shackles Carlisle then struck out at Fleming in the tenth over, smashing a half-volley straight over the bowler's head and into the second row of seats as the score reached 1/43.

Waugh sensed a shift in momentum and began to even out his field placement as the batsmen grew more comfortable, also introducing fellow quicks Bracken and Brett Lee (1/41) following Carlisle's show of aggression.

The move had the desired effect as Lee drew Campbell's edge and handed wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist the easy catch, but not before the bowler muffed the simplest of run out opportunities following a good return from the deep by McGrath.

With Carlisle metres from his crease after unwisely looking for a second run, Lee gathered and in the one motion - with his back to the batsmen - threw the ball down past the stumps to the ground. It may have left him feeling foolish but, after the next ball, no-one seemed to mind.

With that dismissal behind his team, Waugh returned to pack a heavy field behind the batsmen's off stumps as the twenty over mark approached.

Flower seemed to accept the challenge and hit a tardy Lee to the fence square of the wicket between the slips and gully. The next over he struck a Bracken delivery cheekily over the top of slips as the run rate moved towards five per over.

While Flower played some powerful strokes before his fortune ran out, Carlisle has scored in steady albeit unspectacular fashion. Captain Heath Streak will be hoping the twenty-eight year old can anchor the innings in the same fashion as Martyn did earlier for Australia.

MARTYN BLITZ HAS ZIMBABWE SEARCHING FOR RELIEF

Stricken from finals contention after their loss against West Indies on Friday, Zimbabwe's fifty overs with the ball this morning seemingly featured as much spectating as they did playing - so easily did the Australians (5/302), and Martyn in particular, score.

The Western Australian's score was compiled from just 149 balls, and was the highest individual score in a one-day international at the WACA Ground, eclipsing Mark Waugh's 130 in 1995-96. The innings total fell just seven runs short of the WACA record set by West Indies in 1984-85.

Martyn was sent to the top of the order to open with vice captain Adam Gilchrist (30) and responded by carrying his bat, his knock featuring lovely strokeplay to all parts of the wicket.

While Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting (33), Michael Bevan (44) and Ian Harvey (37 from twenty balls) could not remain at the crease after starting well, Martyn worked with each of them to continue pushing the score - apparently out of Zimbabwe's reach. The only glitch in his innings came with Australia cruising at 1/110 in the twenty-first over, when a confused decision over a quick single resulted in Ponting being run out by Stuart Carlisle.

The bungle was quickly forgotten, Martyn and Bevan pushing Australia past the two hundred mark in the thirty-eighth over and looking to help post a mammoth target with smart placement rather than unnecessary risks.

But, only moments after the double century had been posted, Bevan's innings was over. He was trapped lbw by Brian Murphy (1/50) by a ball which pitched on off stump, turned marginally back in and trapped him on the knee-roll.

Martyn registered his century in the forty-first over when he pushed a Murphy full toss through mid on. The twenty-nine year old then stepped on the accelerator, dancing down the pitch the very next over to smash a Murphy half-volley straight to the fence and then cutting for another boundary.

Another swashbuckling Martyn square cut in the forty-fifth over pushed the score towards 250, a target Harvey soon obliterated. With the first three balls of Dirk Viljoen's (1/63) eighth over, Harvey opened up to pull three sixes over mid wicket and register the half-century partnership from just thirty-seven balls.

But, after he was dropped on the rope once (to gain another boundary), Harvey pushed his luck too far and was caught by Carlisle trying to slog-sweep over square leg.

Brett Lee (2) made a cameo appearance in the middle before Streak (2/63) invaded his defence and disturbed the stumps, reducing Australia to 5/283 with just two overs remaining.

While Streak continued to bowl straight, Martyn and Damien Fleming (6*) worked hard to lift the score even further.

With knocks of 42, 21* and 69* in the series before today, Martyn's century - the fourth-highest by an Australian batsmen ever in one-day internationals - took his season average to an eye-popping 276.

Such a record is cold comfort for Zimbabwe, which must front an Australian attack featuring four fast bowlers - Fleming, Lee, Glenn McGrath and Nathen Bracken - and post its highest total ever against Australia to win.

AUSTRALIA HEADS TOWARD DAUNTING TOTAL

Australia has recovered from the clumsy loss of Ricky Ponting (32) in the twenty-first over, run out by Stuart Carlisle while attempting a suicidal single with Martyn, to reach 2/183 after thirty-five overs. Michael Bevan (31*) has since joined Martyn (89*) at the crease.

With the crowd in good spirits and serially reverting to the generation of full Mexican waves, Western Australian Martyn is looking increasingly settled on his home deck. Zimbabwe, by contrast, is struggling and is in need of some quick wickets in order to limit its evening run chase.

After Australia made a quick start to the match courtesy of a brutal sixty-six run opening stand between Martyn and Adam Gilchrist (30), Zimbabwean captain Heath Streak looked to slow the run rate and introduced the spin bowling of Brian Murphy (0/36) as well as returning to the pace of Angus Mackay (0/36).

Ponting replaced Gilchrist at the wicket in the twelfth over and immediately looked to score, his knock coming at a run-per-ball as the team reached the century mark seven overs later.

But only twelve balls later, Ponting was walking when Martyn played a shot into the off side and complete confusion ensued between the batsmen.

Streak watched Martyn put the debacle behind him and register his half-century (from sixty-four balls), before introducing left arm orthodox spinner Dirk Viljoen (0/27) to add badly needed variety to the attack.

The extra breakthrough was not forthcoming, however, and Bevan and Martyn simply played shots through the field rather than trying to smash the cover off the ball to head to the innings' halfway point with 130 runs on the board. Bevan was particularly patient, scoring his runs without the use of a single boundary.

Streak continued to shuffle his attack in hope of snaring an Australian scalp or two. Murphy was replaced and Viljoen partnered with another left arm spinner in Grant Flower (0/27), while pace bowler Mluleki Nkala (0/30) returned in the thirty-fourth over.

QUICKFIRE OPENING STAND PUTS AUSTRALIA ON COURSE

Australian openers Adam Gilchrist (30) and Damien Martyn (47*) engaged in a bout of 'whatever you can do, I can do better' as they looked to set up a big chase for Zimbabwe and maintain their side's unbeaten series record.

While Gilchrist was deceived by Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak and edged a simple catch to wicketkeeper Andy Flower in the twelfth over, Martyn and Ricky Ponting (27*) remain unbeaten and look ominous with both wickets and overs in hand.

Australia was off the mark quickly when Gilchrist hit a Streak (1/37) delivery into the off side, fellow Western Australian Martyn scampering through easily as the Zimbabwe captain gathered and threw underarm at the stumps.

Martyn also looked for early runs in his second match of the series as opener, getting two from a leg glance square of the wicket in Streak's second over and a boundary the very next ball from a poke off his hip down to fine leg.

Zimbabwe showed early endeavour in the field as it attempted to end its Australian tour on a high note, but errors slowly crept into the effort - beginning with a loose overthrow from Brian Murphy after he made a fine stop at point in the fourth over.

Gilchrist soon looked to capitalise on Zimbabwe's seeming despair at losing Friday's match against West Indies and missing the coming finals series, smashing Angus Mackay down the ground high over mid off to the gutter.

Martyn followed suit and took Streak for two square cut boundaries in the seventh over, and when Gilchrist struck two consecutive fours from Mackay (0/19) minutes later, Australia had posted forty runs from the innings' first forty-five balls.

Sensing the increasing urgency of the batsmen, Streak moved to change the bowling attack after that over and introduced paceman Mluleki Nkala (0/24). Martyn responded with a beautiful cover drive, a prime early contender for shot of the day.

Streak then changed ends to replace Mackay at the Members End, but suffered accordingly as the batsmen tried hard to top one another - Gilchrist edging Australia past the half-century and towards six runs per over.

The Australian vice captain was soon sent packing however, his typically whirlwind innings ending when the thirty-third ball that he faced grazed his bat outside the line of off stump.

It merely signalled more strife for Zimbabwe, though, as Ponting smacked three boundaries with his stint barely minutes old, his efforts in finding the fence a sure-fire method for maintaining a run-a-ball scoring rate.

Nkala and leg spinner Murphy (0/20) tightened the screws a little after Ponting's initial flurry, holding the batsmen down until the century was reached in the nineteenth over.

But both Australians look dangerous at the crease, with Martyn nearing his fifty and establishing a platform upon which a match-winning knock could well be produced.

AUSTRALIA WINS TOSS AND HANDS RESHUFFLED ORDER FIRST DUTIES

Australian captain Steve Waugh won the toss and wasted little time deciding to bat on a flat pitch seemingly full of runs, although minimal cracking on the deck may provide some seam for the fast bowlers throughout the day.

The final match before next week's finals series will offer a continuation of the rotation system which has seen Australia share playing time amongst its entire squad.

Australia has chosen to rest Shane Warne, Darren Lehmann and Andrew Symonds this time around, the latter getting the nod for twelfth man duties most likely because of his fine fielding skills.

Meanwhile Zimbabwe has elected to give Angus MacKay, Douglas Marrillier and Gavin Rennie a run in the side's last game before it returns home, resting Guy Whittall, Bryan Strang (twelfth man)and Trevor Madondo from Friday's loss to the Windies.

Australia's realignment means the Zimbabwean batting line-up is faced with a four-pronged pace attack of Glenn McGrath, Nathan Bracken, Brett Lee and Damien Fleming - a quartet which has not taken the field together in the one match so far.

But the tourists will first be forced to bowl out a side featuring a new opening partnership of Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn, with Mark Waugh moved down the order to six.

Steve Waugh has said, that despite the constant substitutions, the team was equally tough with any line-up configuration.

"I believe we're at full strength no matter what side we put on the park," Waugh said yesterday. "It doesn't matter which players are missing out - I still consider it full strength."

Today's chosen players are subsequently certain to want to impress in order to assure themselves of a spot in the Australian side for the finals, not to mention maintaining the team's unbeaten record in the competition to date.

"I guess it is a bit of a dress rehearsal - whoever does really well in this game will obviously put their name up to play in the finals," Waugh said.

A healthy crowd is on hand to witness the start of Zimbabwe's last match on tour, and with splendid warm conditions expected throughout the day, a sell-out is not out of the question.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 04 Feb2001 - 18:24