Gilchrist blitz seals the series

Australia 328 for 4 (Gilchrist 103, Ponting 66, Martyn 54) beat World XI 273 (Sangakkara 61, Gayle 54) by 55 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

Adam Gilchrist rocked the Telstra Dome with an innings of scintillating brilliance as Australia gained an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match one-day series with a 55-run win in Melbourne. After a tepid opening match, there were plenty of fireworks on display in the second game: 601 runs were scored in 95.3 overs, but in the end, Gilchrist's blistering 103 off 79 balls - the fastest century by an Australian in a one-day international - was the difference between the two sides.

Gilchrist's tour de force helped Australia power themselves to a seemingly unassailable 328 for 4, but even that score seemed under threat during the first half of the World XI's reply, as Chris Gayle and Kumar Sangakkara decided to administer some power-hitting of their own. However, a flurry of wickets - the result of tight bowling, super fielding, and some panic-stricken running between the wickets - meant that the run-chase fizzled out much before the last ball was bowled.

Gilchrist was well supported in his destruction by the rest of the Australian batting cast - Simon Katich played second fiddle to perfection in making 47 and adding 110 for the first wicket, while Ricky Ponting (66), Damien Martyn (54) and Andrew Symonds (31 off 14 balls) ensured that the outstanding start wasn't frittered away.

The afternoon show, though, belonged to Gilchrist. Shoaib Akhtar troubled him occasionally early on with a few that reared disconcertingly on a pitch which offered pace and bounce, but once Gilchrist and Katich saw off that early storm, it was fair weather all the way through. Pace and spin came alike to Gilchrist, who was especially severe on Andrew Flintoff, getting sweet revenge for all the torment he had endured during the Ashes. Square-cuts and drives down the ground flowed as Flintoff leaked 20 from the ten balls he bowled to Gilchrist.

It also helped that this surface was far more unforgiving for the slow bowlers than the one on which the first match was played. That meant the spinners couldn't do the choking act like they had on Wednesday. Neither Muttiah Muralitharan - easily the best bowler for World XI - nor Daniel Vettori got much turn from this pitch, and Gilchrist, especially, made merry, twice slog-sweeping Murali over midwicket for sixes. Shaun Pollock shuffled his bowling around, held back his final Power Play, but he was clutching at straws.

Even when Gilchrist did finally perish, there wasn't much respite as Ponting and Martyn took over smoothly. For Martyn, especially, it was a pleasing return to form after all the flak he has copped post-Ashes. This innings was laced with typically sumptuous and effortless strokeplay, with the lofted flick, inside-out cover-drive and delectable square-cuts all thrown in for good measure. Ponting, on the other hand, was characteristically ruthless on any errors in length, playing a couple of stunning front-foot pulls off Shoaib and Pollock. And Symonds's final charge ensured a final total which was always likely to be too steep a target even for some of the best batsmen in the game.

If Gilchrist set the stands alight with his furious onslaught, then Gayle and Sangakkara offered the perfect riposte when World XI began their run-chase. Their batting styles were different - Gayle preferred the audacious, clunky blows down the ground and square of the wicket, while Sangakkara's approach was more cultured and orthodox, but no less exhilarating. After a cameo from Virender Sehwag (21 from 15 balls), Gayle, who replaced Shahid Afridi in the team, regaled the crowd with some stunning strokes - including a tonk over cover for six off Brett Lee - in a 98-run stand with Sangakkara which came in just 12 overs.

After a relatively sedate start, Sangakkara joined in the act too, creaming Watson for three fours through the off side in an over. Now it was Ponting's turn to hold back the Power Plays, as World XI blazed to 118 in 15 overs.

Then, it all began to unravel, as four top-order wickets went down in the next 7.2 overs, tilting the balance Australia's way. Gayle perished while attempting a heave through the off side, while Brian Lara fell as tamely as he had in the first match, driving a catch to cover. The run-out syndrome took effect too, as Sangakkara spoiled a magnificent innings by going for a non-existent single, and Jacques Kallis fell to a marginal third-umpire decision.

Andrew Flintoff kept the fight going with a valiant 42 with typically powerful hits to the fence, but Australia continued to chip away at the wickets - Rahul Dravid and Pietersen, who came out to bat with a runner after suffering from severe cramps in the field, both got starts but couldn't carry on. Meanwhile, the spiralling asking rate allowed Stuart Clark, the debutant for Australia, to get a couple of wickets as batsman after batsman perished while attempting the big hits. In the end, Australia clinched it with plenty to spare, ensuring that only personal pride will be at stake for the third match, on Sunday.

Simon Katich b Muralitharan 47 (110 for 1)
Deceived by the doosra, and bowled between bat and pad

Adam Gilchrist b Sehwag 103 (173 for 2)
Swung across the line at a full-length delivery and missed

Ricky Ponting run out (Flintoff) 66 (276 for 3)
Called across for a quick single as the ball dribbled off to the leg side

Damien Martyn b Flintoff 54 (276 for 4)
Inside-edged an attempted pull

Virender Sehwag c Ponting b Lee 21 (27 for 1)
Failed to ride the bounce of a lifter, and spooned a catch off the splice to short point

Chris Gayle c Gilchrist b Watson 54 (125 for 2)
Feathered a nick while attempting to blast one through the off side

Kumar Sangakkara run out (Martyn) 61 (151 for 3)
Flicked to midwicket and went for a run which was never on

Brian Lara c Symonds b Bracken 5 (157 for 4)
Mistimed a drive straight to cover

Jacques Kallis run out (Ponting) 11 (157 for 5)
Done in by a direct under-arm hit from short midwicket

Andrew Flintoff c Symonds b Bracken 42 (220 for 6)
Drove a full, incoming delivery to cover

Rahul Dravid b Symonds 26 (231 for 7)
Backed away to play the cut and missed

Kevin Pietersen c Watson b Clark 16 (250 for 8)
Holed out to long-on

Shaun Pollock c White b Clark 15 (267 for 9)
Lofted one straight to long-off

Shoaib Akhtar c Watson b Bracken 2 (273 all out)
Mistimed a drive to cover