Aussie youngsters keen to learn from Final defeat

Greg Moller has set his sights on taking Australia one step further than they managed in last year's Hong Kong Cricket Sixes by steering his side to victory at Kowloon Cricket Club on Sunday afternoon.

The Australians lost narrowly to arch-rivals England in last year's final but this year's seven-man squad features none of the team that finished in the runners-up position.

That, though, has not stopped Moller and company from making sure they learn the lessons of the defeat suffered 12 months ago.

"From what I've heard from the coaching staff, we were a very good fielding side last year and we can take things out of that," says the 26-year-old Queenslander.

"The batting's up to each individual while the bowlers have to do their thing, so we can take something out of what happened last year even though we don't have any of the players from last year back again.

"It's a totally different, young team. But our aim this year is to at least get to the final and hopefully we can win. We just want to go on from what we did last year."

Moller is the elder statesman of an Australian team that features five players who are 21 years old or younger, with Josh Hazlewood the youngest in the squad at just 18 years of age.

Despite their young years, though, the squad is not completely lacking in experience with Simon Keen having featured in New South Wales Blues' victory alongside Test regulars Simon Katich and Brett Lee in the Champions League Twenty20 in India last week.

But while the Australians did not have the chance to practice before leaving for Hong Kong, Moller believes there is still enough quality within the team to make an impact this weekend.

"It's hard for us because we all met at the airport on the way over, there's been no preparation and this is our first training session together," he says.

"We've had a couple of boys who have been over at the Twenty20 Champions League competition and a lot of these boys play Twenty20 and this is along the same lines as Twenty20 cricket, it's just a shorter version.

"It's a case of each for their own and each of the players here have got their own ideas about how they play it."

For all their unquestioned pedigree in world cricket, Australia have never won the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes title and Moller believes the title can be won by any one of the eight sides competing.

"I think England's always going to be up there, New Zealand as well have some good players and in the shorter version of the game there's always India," he says.

"But we've spoken about it and with just five overs it's anyone's game. You can have a team full of stars but it doesn't mean anything because anything can happen, anyone can win.

"So I'm looking forward to it. It should be good!"

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About the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes
In 2009, the Sixes has been selected as an ICC Centenary Celebration World Event and will feature a special ceremony to honour 100 years of the International Cricket Council and the Spirit of Cricket.

Six-a-side cricket is the quickest, most fun-filled version of the game - a feast of world-class players, thrilling matches and big hits.

First played in 1992, the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is the longest-running and highest-profile Sixes tournament in the world. It offers two days of fast and furious action in a festival atmosphere - eight international teams, 45-minute clashes and global television coverage.

Stars who have taken part include Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Miandad, Steve and Mark Waugh, Viv Richards, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Adam Gilchrist, Wasim Akram, MS Dhoni and Sanath Jayasuriya.

The Sixes won the prestigious 2007 ICC Award for Best Cricket Promotional and Marketing Award.

England recorded a record fifth Sixes title last year after a stunning final in which they finished tied with Australia on 121 runs. When Australian batsman Stephen O'Keefe was run out attempting a second run from the final delivery that would have given his team victory, England were confirmed victors as they had lost fewer wickets (three wickets to one).

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