16/01Result
1st ODI (D/N), England tour of Australia at Melbourne, Jan 16 2011
Australia won by 6 wkts (5b rem)
Player of the Match
Shane Watson
Shane WatsonAustralia
16/01Result
1st ODI (D/N), England tour of Australia at Melbourne, Jan 16 2011
Australia won by 6 wkts (5b rem)
Player of the Match
Shane Watson
Shane WatsonAustralia

Australia win by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the one-day series, and Shane Watson has been their hero tonight. What an innings it was from him, one of the best one-day innings in recent memory. It was almost a chanceless knock, perfectly-paced and calm under pressure. There was always the feeling that if Australia could get someone to bat through the innings they'd finish on top. England were aggressive with the bat, but didn't use the last two balls of their innings and how much of a difference could that have made? It's been a riveting summer of cricket between these two teams in the Test matches, and the limited-overs games look like they're going to be just as enthralling. And Australia have a reason to smile at last.

"It was a nice night tonight," says Watson. "It's always nice when things go your way. I was struggling for a while there and started cramping up. It would've been nice if I'd got a big score like this in the Ashes, but this is some consolation. It's nice to go 1-0 up but we're going to have to play some good cricket all through this series to win it."

"An outstanding effort from Shane Watson, one of the great one-day innings," concedes Strauss. "We didn't take early wickets, if we had done we would've been right ahead of the game. They needed someone to anchor the innings and Watson did so. We had a platform to get 310 at least there, but we lost too many wickets too softly. Watson showed how destructive he can be. Losing Anderson and Broad, our two bankers on one-day cricket, you put a lot of the onus on the guys coming in. It's hard to swallow this one, but we'll come back hard in Hobart."

And that is all from your commentary team today. We hope you've enjoyed our coverage, and if you've missed any of the action do have a look at Andrew McGlashan's bulletin. The second game is in Hobart on Friday, see you then!

49.1
6
Shahzad to Watson, SIX, Watson roars Australia's victory! What a way to do it, a full toss is cracked baseball-style into the crowd behind long-on!

Shahzad to bowl the last over. Third man, cover sweeper, long-on out. Fine leg up.

END OF OVER:
49 | 6 Runs | AUS: 291/4 (4 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 5.93, RRR: 4.00)

  • Shane Watson155 (149b)
  • Cameron White25 (23b)
  • Tim Bresnan10-0-71-2
  • Ajmal Shahzad7-0-45-1

Four runs needed from the last over ... this isn't over yet, but one hit will do it

48.6
1
Bresnan to Watson, 1 run, very full, Watson meets it on the full and powers the ball down to long-on
48.5
0
Bresnan to Watson, no run, perfect yorker from Bresnan, you simply can't put that away and Watson digs it out to midwicket
48.4
1
Bresnan to White, 1 run, another full toss, this time White can't capitalise and picks up just one out to deep square
48.3
0
Bresnan to White, no run, another great yorker, White digs it out to cover
48.2
4
Bresnan to White, FOUR, the attempted yorker slips out as a low full toss, and White lifts it to the wide long-on boundary! Is that the blow that puts Australia definitively ahead?
48.1
0
Bresnan to White, no run, full, right in the blockhole. White slams down on it but mid-on charges round

Bresnan to bowl the penultimate over. Australia want 10 from 12. Fine leg is on the boundary, mid-off and mid-on up.

END OF OVER:
48 | 5 Runs | AUS: 285/4 (10 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 5.93, RRR: 5.00)

  • Shane Watson154 (147b)
  • Cameron White20 (19b)
  • Ajmal Shahzad7-0-45-1
  • Chris Tremlett10-0-67-0
47.6
2
Shahzad to Watson, 2 runs, slower ball, full outside off and Watson swings it into the leg side ... it won't be the boundary though, Pietersen sprints across to cut it off

12 from 13 needed. What would a wicket now do?

47.5
0
Shahzad to Watson, no run, full toss, Watson whips into the leg side but hits Strauss at midwicket
47.4
0
Shahzad to Watson, no run, pinpoint yorker from Shahzad, and Watson can only dig it out back to the bowler.
47.3
0
Shahzad to Watson, no run, short, Watson ducks underneath it ... and that's one for the over
47.2
1
Shahzad to White, 1 run, White lays bat on ball, tapping towards mid-off and setting off straight away for a scampered single

Australia are so close now, but is there a final twist?

47.1
2
Shahzad to White, 2 runs, full, fast and swinging. The ball takes the inside half of the bat and rolls out on the leg side, and they're back for the second run

Change in the attack, Shahzad comes back

END OF OVER:
47 | 13 Runs | AUS: 280/4 (15 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 5.95, RRR: 5.00)

  • Cameron White17 (17b)
  • Shane Watson152 (143b)
  • Chris Tremlett10-0-67-0
  • Tim Bresnan9-0-65-2
46.6
1
Tremlett to White, 1 run, short yet again, outside off but White hooks across into the leg side
46.5
1
Tremlett to Watson, 1 run, again Watson targets midwicket with the lofted shot, this time he doesn't get the best connection but the ball falls short of the fielder out there
46.4
4
Tremlett to Watson, FOUR, full, swiped powerfully out to deep midwicket and there's 150 for Watto! His arms are aloft, the crowd cheer their approval and Australia are closing in on the win now
46.3
1
Tremlett to White, 1 run, the plan may just be misfiring now, White knows it's going to be short every ball and is waiting for it, pulling out to deep square leg
46.2
4
Tremlett to White, FOUR, short again, hoicked wildly out to wide long-on, and that's four
46.1
2
Tremlett to White, 2 runs, short, rising on White and he hooks ... the top edge goes miles up, Trott charges in and falls forward, he gets both hands to it but the ball bobbles out!

END OF OVER:
46 | 11 Runs | AUS: 267/4 (28 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 5.80, RRR: 7.00)

  • Shane Watson147 (141b)
  • Cameron White9 (13b)
  • Tim Bresnan9-0-65-2
  • Chris Tremlett9-0-54-0
45.6
2
Bresnan to Watson, 2 runs, full, straight, clipped and two runs! Good over for Australia
45.6
2nb
Bresnan to White, (no ball) 1 run, no surprises, short again and pulled out into the deep ... and actually Bresnan's been no-balled for this bouncer! It won't be a Free Hit - his front foot was fine - but Bresnan's not happy. He says he wasn't told one for the over
45.6
1w
Bresnan to White, 1 wide, wide! Short again from Bresnan, the quick one this time but ballooning over the batsman and down the leg side
45.5
2
Bresnan to White, 2 runs, slower ball, really quite short and White pulls out into the deep ... they charge back for the second!

England have clear plans for these two - back of a length to White, full and straight to Watto. Required rate above eight now

45.4
0
Bresnan to White, no run, back of a length, White tries to run it down to third man but can't beat the fielder in close.

England tour of Australia 2010-11 News

Australia 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st110BJ HaddinSR Watson
2nd103MJ ClarkeSR Watson
3rd7SR WatsonSPD Smith
4th24MEK HusseySR Watson
5th53SR WatsonCL White