Finch guides Australia to easy win

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 12 Januari 2014 | 23.08

After electing to bat England posted 269, with Gary Balance the best of the tourists with a score of 79.

Aaron Finch celebrates bringing up his hundred with Michael Clarke. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Limited

AUSTRALIA'S new double-ended battering ram doesn't need much luck to bludgeon opponents, much less an England team on its knees.

So when Aaron Finch and David Warner hopped aboard the good fortune train at the MCG on Sunday night, it was lights out.

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Potentially Australia's most destructive opening pair since Matt Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, the duo survived a string of dropped chances - and a catch that was overturned on dubious video "evidence" - to set up a cruisy six-wicket win.

Amazingly, Finch became the first Victorian to hit a one-day international century at the MCG, carving 121 in just 128 balls a year and a day after his debut as Australia ran down England's 7-269 with 26 balls to spare.

For a moment England thought they had the prized wicket of David Warner, only for the 3rd umpire to step in at the last moment and judge the that the ball had bounced just before it reached Buttler's gloves.

Finch, who hadn't realised he'd achieved the Victorian landmark, said it was "nice to get a good start to a series, especially at your home ground".

"It's been a place that I've loved playing over the years," he said.

"I definitely (had fortune). The way the wicket was early, it swung around a little bit early and we had to really adapt to that.

"But in a game of one-day cricket you do need a bit of luck every now and again and it was nice that it went our way.

"It was nice that I was to go on and get a big score and contribute to a big partnership with Davey Warner to really set a nice platform for the win."

Finch said batting with Warner gave him confidence to play his shots from the start.

"Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and today was our day.

"He takes the pressure off, and the confidence he's coming into this format of the game with is phenomenal.

After dropping Gary Ballance earlier in the over, spinner Xavier Doherty's celebration when he caught him with his second chance was a little over exuberant to say the least.

"I've known Davey for the best part of 15 years now and it never gets old when you bat with him."

Coach Darren Lehmann paid tribute to Finch's early rhythm.

"He was very good … Warner probably struggled a bit early and Aaron took him along the way - it was a great opening stand and (has) set us up for the series."

Only six times in 27 previous attempts had Australia successfully chased a target in excess of 250 at the MCG, but those mostly came when fielding restrictions more heavily favoured fielding teams.

Warner had been happy to walk on 22 when Jos Buttler claimed a catch off Ben Stokes and confirmed to the batsman the ball had carried.

But with Australia already in a winning position at 0-82, a long and, to most, inconclusive video review brought him back from the ropes to resume the onslaught that eventually netted them 163 - the record ODI opening stand by Australia against England before Warner fell for 65.

Finch, the king of domestic Twenty20 cricket for the past two summers, battled initially to take that cavalier style into the one-day international arena, averaging 15 in his first seven innings.

But in his 11 hits since a breakthrough century in September, he has averaged 48.18 with two half-centuries before last night's scene-stealer that featured 12 boundaries before he fell in the 40th over.

Ian Bell is clean bowled by Xavier Doherty. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Limited

He, too, rode a generous dose of luck, dropped on eight by Gary Ballance at mid-off before, on 24, surviving an horrendously close call on review for an LBW appeal.

In the interim, the ball after hapless English captain Alastair Cook shifted Ian Bell from second slip, Finch edged one straight through the cordon on 20.

But when he settled into stride, there was no stopping the Victorian, whose ton came up in just 108 balls.

The unlucky bowler in the midst of most of England's slipshod fielding was second-gamer Chris Jordan.

The Sussex paceman, originally from Barbados, was super impressive and eventually got his reward when he cleaned up Shane Watson for a duck in his second spell.

But the damaged was done, with skipper Michael Clarke's 43 the forerunner to George Bailey (17*) and Glenn Maxwell (8*) seeing the Aussies home.

England, dubbed by some as the "Invertebrates" after their 5-0 Test series loss, were again outhustled and outfielded.

Their Ashes-burdened top order bungled again, with only Bell (41 off 56) offering resistance against a fired-up Clint McKay (3-44).

But with the ODI team's new chums came a new resolve as Gary Ballance and Eoin Morgan carved out an 83-run fourth-wicket stand to steady the ship after Cook (4) and Joe Root (3) left it listing badly.

The effervescent Morgan was particularly impressive; the innings noticeably gathering momentum not only with his crisp ball-striking, but also his urgency and alertness between wickets.

Morgan became a surprise victim of Glenn Maxwell as he attempted to cash in on the slower bowling.

That urgency was duly acted upon by Gary Balance (79), who impressed for his first half-century in any England colours in just his second ODI.

And in stark contrast to the fallibility of the Test team's lower order, a late rally by the inventive Jos Buttler (34 off 24) and Tim Bresnan (16 off 9) added an unbeaten 41 off the final 26 balls after Ballance departed.

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