Ashes rivals advance

Hayden: Powerful hitting

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Australia again got one over England with an emphatic eight-wicket victory at Newlands in the ICC World Twenty20 on Friday.

The world champions had to win to secure their progress in the competition after an embarrassing five-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe in their Group B opener.

But three wickets apiece from Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson restricted Paul Collingwood's side to a paltry 135 all out - their lowest total in Twenty20 cricket.

Opener Matthew Hayden then continued his devastating form from the World Cup, hitting an unbeaten 67 off 43 deliveries, as Ricky Ponting's side completed the job inside 15 overs.

Motivation

Kevin Pietersen had stoked up the Ashes rivalry between the two old enemies overnight by calling for England to 'humiliate' the Aussies - with the chance to eliminate their arch-rivals from the tournament - only England then failed to live up to their billing.

Openers Darren Maddy (20) and Matt Prior (17) laboured at the top of the order before throwing their wickets away trying to force the pace.

Pietersen (21) and Collingwood (18) then looked set to launch another revival after Luke Wright had again failed with the bat, but wickets fell at all too regular intervals.

Only Andrew Flintoff put up any real resistance, showing some of his 2005 Ashes form with a top score of 35 runs, but it was never enough.

Superiority

The Australia attack varied their pace and line much better than they had against Zimbabwe and were rewarded with fine figures.

Bracken (3-16) and Johnson (3-22) were the pick of the bunch, taking key wickets as England were bowled out off the last ball of their 20 overs.

Hayden and Adam Gilchrist then embarked on a mission of destroying England before Chris Schofield dismissed the wicketkeeping-opener three runs short of his half-century.

Despite failing to finish the demolition inside 10 overs, which would have eliminated England on net run-rate, Australia advance to the Super Eights top of the group and look in ominous form.

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