RESULT
4th Match, Group A (D/N), Ahmedabad, February 21, 2011, ICC Cricket World Cup
(46.2/50 ov, T:263) 171

Australia won by 91 runs

Player Of The Match
79 (92) & 2 catches
shane-watson
New
ZIM
Full commentary

21.36 So Australia have wrapped this up by 91 runs. They took a little longer than they would have liked to bowl out Zimbabwe but it's a satisfactory result. Ponting's unbeaten run as World cup captain continues.

Zimbabwe stayed in the game for quite a while with a tight bowling performance from their spinners. But their inability to take frequent wickets allowed Australia to post a strong total, which their fast bowlers were able to defend with ease.

The presentation ceremony is about to begin.

Chigumbura: "I thought we restricted them to the score e wanted to chase. but we have to work on our batting. It was a good wicket to bat on. The fifth bowler is something we have to work on as well. But overall our bowling and fielding was superb. We just lost too many wickets up front."

Ponting: "Good start for us today. Zimbabwe bowled and fielded really well. Slow wicket and tough to get any pace on the ball. Preserving wickets is going to be our strategy through the tournament ... The wicket was slow and hard to bat on. We kept wickets in hand and gave ourselves a chance to score a good total."

The Man of the Match is Shane Watson. "It took a while to get going, get used to the conditions," he says. "But it's nice to get used to different conditions and find a way ... a good time to get a bit of practice in. "

Well that's that from us at ESPNcricinfo today. Join us tomorrow for the game between England and Netherlands which begins at 14.30 local time. On behalf of Nitin and Raghav, this is George Binoy signing off. Cheers.

46.2
W
Johnson to Mpofu, OUT

caught! And that's the end of the game. Johnson pitches one closer to the batsman around off stump and gets it to straighten ever so slightly. Mpofu pushes forward at it and gets an edge which Haddin takes pretty easily.

Chris Mpofu c †Haddin b Johnson 2 (11b 0x4 0x6 12m) SR: 18.18
46.1
Johnson to Mpofu, no run

Johnson goes round the wicket and bowls a full ball outside off. Mpofu chases and gets beaten

end of over 463 runs
ZIM: 171/9CRR: 3.71 RRR: 23.00
Ray Price5 (19b)
Chris Mpofu2 (9b)
Shaun Tait 9-1-34-2
Mitchell Johnson 9-2-19-3
45.6
Tait to Price, no run

played off the pads towards the leg side

45.5
Tait to Price, no run

another short ball, Price ducks under it

45.4
1lb
Tait to Mpofu, 1 leg bye

Mpofu's headbutted the ball. He ducked low and right into the line of a short of a length delivery and gets a leg bye for it. Daft rule.

45.3
1
Tait to Price, 1 run

full toss on leg stump and Price flicks firmly towards deep square leg

45.2
Tait to Price, no run

good length and on off and middle stump, Price stays in his crease and blocks

45.1
1
Tait to Mpofu, 1 run

Tait aims for the yorker first up and Mpofu manages to get some bat on it and play the ball behind square

Tait's back for another short burst during the fielding restrictions.

end of over 45Maiden
ZIM: 168/9CRR: 3.73 RRR: 19.00
Ray Price4 (15b)
Chris Mpofu1 (7b)
Mitchell Johnson 9-2-19-3
David Hussey 4-1-12-1

Zimbabwe have to take the batting Powerplay now.

44.6
Johnson to Price, no run

driven off the front foot towards mid-off

44.5
Johnson to Price, no run

Johnson beats the bat again by pitching one around middle and off and slanting it away from the right-hander. Price tried to drive without moving his feet and missed

44.4
Johnson to Price, no run

good length delivery angling into the batsman, defended with a straight bat towards the bowler

44.3
Johnson to Price, no run

short of a length delivery from round the wicket, Price wafts and misses

44.2
Johnson to Price, no run

Price swings at a full and wide out and misses

44.1
Johnson to Price, no run

Johnson sends down another fast bouncer, the batsmen ducks while leaving his bat up like a periscope

end of over 44Maiden
ZIM: 168/9CRR: 3.81 RRR: 15.83
Chris Mpofu1 (7b)
Ray Price4 (9b)
David Hussey 4-1-12-1
Mitchell Johnson 8-1-19-3
43.6
Hussey to Mpofu, no run

driven towards mid-off from the crease

43.5
Hussey to Mpofu, no run

pushed off the front foot towards cover

43.4
Hussey to Mpofu, no run

Mpofu gets beaten again outside off stump

43.3
Hussey to Mpofu, no run

defended confidently with a straight bat

43.2
Hussey to Mpofu, no run

Mpofu tries to defend but gets beaten

43.1
Hussey to Mpofu, no run

pushed on the off side on the front foot

AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
Zimbabwe Innings
<1 / 3>

ICC Cricket World Cup

Group A
TEAMMWLPTNRR
PAK651100.758
SL64192.582
AUS64191.123
NZ64281.135
ZIM62440.030
CAN6152-1.987
KENYA6060-3.042
Group B
TEAMMWLPTNRR
SA651102.026
IND64190.900
ENG63270.072
WI63361.066
BAN6336-1.361
IRE6244-0.696
NED6060-2.045