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When Shane Watson really fired

Shane Watson was once hugely important for Australia. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
Expert
29th May, 2017
6

Australia has won two of the seven Champions Trophy tournaments, and in both victories Shane Watson was the outstanding man of the match.

In 2000 in Mumbai, Watson cracked an unbeaten 57 off 88 balls with only four fours, and in 2009 at Centurion, one of Australia’s most maligned cricketers teed off with 105 not out – including ten boundaries and four maximums.

In that era Watson was one of the most dangerous strokemakers in the world of 50-over cricket.

And with the Australians about to embark on their 2017 Champions Trophy campaign, it’s worth recalling their previous successes.

Shane Watson. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

(AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

In Mumbai, the Australians accounted for the West Indies by eight wickets under the D/L method, with 41 deliveries up their sleeve – West Indies all out 138, Australia 2-116,

Adam Gilchrist – 2
Watson – 57 not out
Ricky Ponting (c) – 0.
Damien Martyn – 47 not out
Mike Hussey DNB
Michael Clarke DNB
Brett Lee DNB
Brad Hogg DNB
Nathan Bracken DNB
Glenn McGrath DNB

For the West Indies Chris Gayle, the man of the series, top scored with 37, Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored 27, and Dwayne Bravo 21.

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Bracken was Australia’s most successful bowler with 3-32 off six.

At Centurion, Australia beat New Zealand by six wickets with 28 deliveries left – the Kiwis 9-200, Australia 4-206.

Watson – 105 not out.
Tim Paine – 1.
Ponting – 1.
Cameron White – 62.
Hussey – 1
James Hopes – 22 not out
Callum Ferguson – DNB
Mitchell Johnson – DNB
Lee – DNB
Nathan Hauritz – DNB
Peter Siddle – DNB.

Martin Guptill top scored for New Zealand with 40, Nei Broon scored 37, and James Franklin 33.

Hauritz was Australia’s best with 3-37 off 10.

So can the current crop of Australians become the first triple winners of the Champions Trophy?

They are in Group A with New Zealand, England, and Bangladesh – the top two after the round robin will qualify for the semis.

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Australia to go through, with a ding dong battle between the Kiwis and England for the other berth.

Overnight at Lord’s, England were 5-20 against South Africa, their lowest half innings in history, and were thumped with 127 deliveries remaining – a timely wake-up call for Eoin Morgan’s men.

Group B features India. Pakistan. South Africa, and Sri Lanka wit defending champions India expected to qualify with South Africa.

The Australian squad is Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, and Adam Zampa.

No country boasts a pace attack like Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood, and Pattinson – and therein lies the key

Make it three for the Aussies.

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