England vs Australia: Australia innings report

As expected Australia hit their total with relative ease and won the game by 5 wickets, but the victory was far more assured than this scoreline suggests.  Whilst England managed to reach their total without actually looking like they deserved to, the Australians set about their task with a quiet confidence that put to bed all the recent press nonsense about their demise.

Australia adopted their now familiar approach of bludgeoning the first 20 overs and then nurdling the rest. Openers Adam Gilchrist and Shane Watson reached 140 before the first wicket fell, with Watson holing out to Pietersen at point off the bowling of Panesar after a fabulous 55 off 68 balls.  The rest of the innings moved relatively slowly but by then it didn't matter - the Aussies could have been batting peg-leg and still won this.

England's bowling was about on a par with their batting, except for one MS Panesar who was exceptional under the circumstances with figures of 6-0-16-1, and he had Clarke dropped as well.  Hopefully Fletcher will wise up about him sometime before he gets the sack.   
[lee calvert]