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Slater shines as NSW thrash England

December 06, 2002 18:38 IST

Unwanted Australian Test batsman Michael Slater smashed a century on Friday as New South Wales thrashed England by eight wickets in a lop-sided limited-overs match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Slater belted 115 off 136 balls before Michael Bevan and Steve Waugh guided NSW past England's dismal effort of 206, for the loss of just two wickets and with eight overs to spare.

Bevan finished not out 54 while Waugh belted an unbeaten 24 off just 14 balls including three sixes in the final over to seal victory.

England, yet to win any match on their disastrous tour in Australia, failed to mount any challenge after collapsing to be all out in 49.2 overs when they lost their last five wickets for 18 runs.

Ronnie Irani made a patient 81 and Nasser Hussain (34), Owais Shah (24) and Ian Blackwell (29 not out) all made starts but none of England's other players managed to make double figures.

Irani and Hussain added 79 for the third wicket after openers Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight both departed cheaply but three quick wickets from part-time spinner Simon Katich put the brakes on England's recovery.

When Irani finally departed after an innings spanning 140 minutes and featuring 11 fours, the lower-order quickly crumbled leaving NSW chasing a modest total for victory.

DASHING DISPLAY

Slater, dropped from the Test team during last year's Ashes tour in England, was not even included in the original NSW team but got a last-minute call-up

when Mark Waugh pulled out with a groin strain.

Never one to miss an opportunity, the right-hander responded with a dashing display that included 13 boundaries and a six.

He whacked 18 runs off one over from Andy Flintoff to reach his half-century off 53 balls then brought up his second one-day hundred off 119 balls in 136 minutes, reaching triple figures with a lofted drive off Ian Blackwell that went for four.

He was dismissed with the total on 182 when he was brilliantly caught by Trescothick at mid-wicket off Flintoff in what was England's last moment of joy on another miserable night.

Bevan, arguably the world's best one-day batsman, had shared a 134-run partnership with Slater after Corey Richards fell for seven.

The crafty left-hander brought up his half-century off 70 balls before Waugh chipped in with a big-hitting display at the death that included three sixes in five balls off Irani, the first landing in the upper deck of the member's stand and the third ended the game.

The match was England's first official one-day game of the tour. They are due to play Australia A on Sunday and the Prime Minister's XI on Tuesday before the start of the triangular international series with Australia and Sri Lanka next week.

Julian Linden