Tigers shot down by Lee hattrick

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Fast bowler Brett Lee took the first hattrick in Twenty20 internationals as Australia crushed Bangladesh by nine wickets in their ICC Twenty20 World Championships Super Eights match at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday.

Bangladesh were restricted to 123 for nine after being sent in. Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden hammered a quickfire opening partnership as Australia won with 6.1 overs to spare.

Meanwhile, Albie Morkel turned on a superb all-round show as South Africa outplayed England by 20 runs in the night match at Cape Town.

Coming into bat at number seven, Morkel smashed 43 off only 20 balls with the help of four sixes (one of them reaching the wine brewery next door) and three fours as South Africa posted a competitive 154-8. But England failed to pull off this big win as they were restricted to 135-7 with Owais Shah hitting 36. Morkel was the pick of the bowlers, picking up two for 12.

In the first match of the day, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori led from the front as New Zealand brushed aside India by 10 runs in the first Super Eights match at Johannesburg.

The left-arm spinner claimed 4-20, took a catch and affected a run out as the Kiwis, bowled out for 190, hit back to restrict India to 180-9 in good batting conditions.

India failed to build on a blistering start by openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who put on 76 for the first wicket from 35 deliveries.

Sehwag struck a typically belligerent 17-ball 40 containing six boundaries and two sixes, while Gambhir top-scored with 51 off 33 with five fours and two sixes.

Back to Bangladesh’s match and it was a ruthless performance by the World Cup and Test champions that made their defeat by lowly Zimbabwe last Wednesday seem a distant memory.

Bangladesh were struggling at 103 for three after 16 overs when Lee came on for his second spell. Aftab Ahmed hit a boundary followed by a single but Lee then had Shakib al Hasan caught behind for 16.

New batsman Mashrafe Mortaza stepped away to try to slog the next ball but was deceived and bowled by a slower yorker. Alok Kapali was trapped on his crease and was out leg before first ball.

Lee finished with figures of three for 27.

In contrast to their tearaway start in their final group match against South Africa Saturday, Bangladesh were unable to get on top against some tight bowling and athletic fielding.

Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal made 32 and Aftab Ahmed 31 but they needed 40 and 34 balls respectively in a form of the game where batsmen are expected to score at much better than a run a ball.

Bangladesh’s slim hopes of defending their small total plunged when Gilchrist survived a difficult chance to slip fieldsman Alok Kapali, off Mortaza on the fourth ball of Australia’s innings before a run had been scored.

Hayden made 73 not out off 48 balls with nine fours and three sixes. He reached his half-century off 31 deliveries, while Gilchrist was run out for 43 off 26 balls.

Bangladesh play their next Super Eights match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

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