by Dhammika Ratnaweera
Australia qualified to play a semi-final against Sri Lanka when they beat Bangladesh by nine wickets in their pool one ICC Champions Trophy cricket match played at SSC grounds yesterday. It was an easy victory for the strong Australian side and they were ahead in all departments to take victory with 29.2 overs to spare.

Australia chasing an easy target of 130 runs with openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden made a brisk start to build up their innings with confidence. Bangladesh pace duo Mohammad Islam and Tapash Baishya were unable to get any support and the Aussies pair made shots all over the grounds. They completed 50 runs in ten overs and hundred runs in 15.3 overs. Hayden reached his fifty in 53 balls with seven fours and a six from spinner Mohammad Rafique.

Gilchrist made his fifty in 44 balls with nine boundaries in 65 minutes . Gilchrist and Hayden put on 113 runs in 103 balls and finally Gilchrist was dismissed lbw for 54 off Rafique. This was the only wicket for Bangladesh and skipper Rickey Ponting joined Hayden to get a comfortable victory. Hayden struck the winning boundary off spinner Mazharul Haque in the 23 over. Hayden was unbeaten 67 with ten fours and a six in 69 balls while Ponting made 9 not out with a boundary to reach victory.

Earlier Bangladesh skipper Khaled Mashud won the toss and elected to bat first but their top order collapsed with Aussies pace duo Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespsie bowling well. Gillespsie struck twice in his first over getting Mohammad Alsahariar and Habibul Bashar both out for a duck. Co-opener Javed Omar was out for 4 caught by Brett Lee off McGrath and Mohammad Haque also did not stay long and was finally out for 3 caught by Gilchrist off Gillespsie and Bangladesh were in deep trouble with 13 for 4 after 7.5 overs. However Tushar Imran and skipper Khaled Mashud added 36 runs for the fifth wicket. Imran struck 27 with five fours in 36 minutes before being out caught by Michael Bevan off Lee.

Alok Kapali joined Mashud and they added a further 36 runs for the sixth wicket . Mashud who scored 22 with three fours was bowled by Shane Warne and that Warne’s only wicket in his unchanged ten over spell giving away 33 runs. Kapali top scored with 45 struck three fours in his 75 ball innings and finally was bowled by Lee.

Jason Gillespsie was the most successful bowler and finished with 3 for 20 and was also adjudged man of the match while Shane Watson bowled only 2.2 overs and took two wickets giving away only 2 runs.

This defeat was Bangladesh‘s 19th successive one day loss and 51st in 54 matches. After the game Bangladesh skipper Khaled Mashud said, "We are a young side and especially Kapali and Imran made good knocks but we were unable to get big partnerships. We expect to do well against New Zealand in our next game on Monday. "Australia skipper Rickey Ponting said his players did well to enter the semi-finals but expect to a have a very tough semi final against Sri Lanka. The playing conditions are very good so far and we will do our best with new game plans said Ponting.

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh

Javed Omar c Lee b McGrath 4

Al Sahariar lbw b Gillespie 0

Habibul Bashar c Gilchrist b Gillespie 0

Mazharul Haque c Gilchrist b Gillespie 3

Tushar Imran c Bevan b Lee 27

Khaled Mashud b Warne 22

Alok Kapali b Lee 45

Khaled Mahmud lbw b Watson 9

Mohammad Rafique run out 5

Tapash Baisya not out 2

Manjural Islam lbw b Watson 0

Extras (b-5, lb-1, w-1, nb-5) 12

Total (all out, 45.2 overs) 129

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-10, 4-13, 5-49, 6-85, 7-118,8-126, 9-128

Bowling: G.McGrath 8-3-17-1, J.Gillespie 10-1-20-3 (nb-1),B.Lee 7-0-23-2 (nb-2), S.Warne 10-2-33-1 (nb-2, w-1), D.Lehmann 8-0-23-0, Watson 2.2-0-7-2

Australia

A.Gilchrist lbw b Mohammad Rafique 54

M.Hayden not out 67

R.Ponting not out 9

Extras (lb-1, w-1, nb-1) 3

Total (for one wicket, 20.4 overs) 133

Fall of wickets: 1-113

Did not bat: J.Maher, D.Lehmann, M.Bevan, S.Watson, S.Warne,

B.Lee, J.Gillespie, G.McGrath.

Bowling: Manjural Islam 6-0-35-0, Tapash Baisya 5-0-27-0,Mohammad Rafique 5-0-32-1 (w-1), Khaled Mahmud 4-0-34-0 (nb-1),Mazharul Haque 0.4-0-4-0