Watson on fire in Aussie win

Opener smashes record 15 sixes, hits 185* in series-win over Bangladesh.

DHAKA:

Shane Watson smashed a record 15 sixes in a career-best 185 not out as Australia clinched a three-match series against Bangladesh with a nine-wicket win in the second One-Day International (ODI).

The explosive opener gave a superb display of power-hitting as he also cracked 15 fours in his 96-ball knock to help Australia achieve a 230-run target with 24 overs to spare for an unbeatable 2-0 lead.

Watson breaks records

Watson also scored the most runs (150) in boundaries in an ODI innings, breaking South African Herschelle Gibbs’s record of 126.

“It was a nice day today as everything came off,” said Watson, named man of the match. “I had no idea of the sixes record. I was pretty tired and didn’t want to run too much. It was pretty hot and humid, so I tried to limit my running and it worked out nicely.”

Watson’s innings was also the highest by an Australian in ODIs, the previous best being 181 not out by Matthew Hayden. He completed his sixth ODI hundred off 69 balls, the third-fastest by an Australian after Hayden (66 balls) and Adam Gilchrist (67).

The best I’ve seen: Clarke

“That’s probably the best innings I’ve seen. He hit the ball cleanly from the start today,” said Australia captain Michael Clarke.

Watson looked in excellent touch from the beginning, hammering three fours in the opening over bowled by Shafiul Islam. He raced to his half-century off 26 balls with the help of four sixes and five boundaries.

He then reduced Bang-ladesh’s bowlers and fielders to a state of helplessness with his onslaught, once hitting four sixes in an over from left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo. Watson dominated an unfinished 170-run stand for the second wicket with former captain Ricky Ponting, who contributed an unbeaten 37.

“Watson batted really well and the credit goes to him,” said Bangladesh captain Shakibal Hasan.

Bangladesh were earlier struggling at 88 for five before crossing the 200 mark, thanks to wicket-keeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 81  which contained one six and nine fours.

He played a major role in steadying the innings after Mitchell Johnson (three for 54) and leg-spinner Steven Smith (two for 34) had the hosts struggling, adding 79 for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Mahmudullah (38).

Shahriar Nafees was the only top-order batsman to offer resistance, scoring 56. He fell after completing his 12th half-century in one-dayers, offering a simple return catch to Smith.

The final ODI will be played in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th,  2011.