Cricket: Australia take revenge on Bangladesh

MANCHESTER, England - Andrew Symonds claimed a career-best five for 18 as Australia took their revenge by crushing Bangladesh by 10 wickets during the triangular series one-day cricket match.

The world champions, who lost to Bangladesh a week ago in one of the greatest upsets in cricket history, made a nonsense of that aberration as they dismissed their opponents for 139, then raced home with 31 overs to spare.

Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden both made 66 while Symonds got his second man-of-the-match award in a row.

"We're starting to get in our full stride now," said all rounder Symonds.

"We're close to our best."

Bangladesh, put in, had collapsed from 113 for two in the 24th over at Old Trafford to be dismissed in 35.2 overs, losing their last eight wickets for 26 in just under 12 overs.

Symonds, bowling off spin rather than his medium-pacers and finding significant turn, took his wickets in 7.2 overs while wrist spinner Brad Hogg took three for 29.

Australia lost their first two games of the tournament but have rebounded with two victories.

"The spinners did the job," captain Ricky Ponting said.

"There's still a bit of untidiness in our bowling at the start but otherwise everything is going in the right direction"

Mohammad Ashraful, who made 58, and Shahriar Nafees, who made 47 -- the only Bangladesh batsmen to get past five -- had resurrected the innings with a 90-run stand after Brett Lee had taken two early wickets.

The 20-year-old Ashraful became only the second Bangladeshi to score a century in his last game against Australia, before making a lightning 94 against England.

He looked set for a repetition, hitting 20 off the 11th over from Lee, including two sixes off the top edge.

But Hogg and Symonds then strangled the scoring rate after the Bangladeshis looked well placed on 97 for two after 20 overs.

Symonds, who began the tournament with a two-game ban for staying out all night before Australia's opening game but who then scored 73 against England at Chester-le-Street, yorked Nafees as he shaped to sweep to make it 113 for three.

Next ball he had captain Habibul Bashar caught behind off a straight ball for a golden duck.

He then bowled Aftab Ahmed as the batsman played across the line to leg and removed Ashraful by diving to his right and taking a one-hand catch off his own bowling. He wrapped up the innings by bowling Mohammad Rafique for a duck.

Gilchrist and Hayden quickly underlined the gulf in class.

The pair hit out after reaching 25 without loss after five overs. Hayden clobbered seamer Nazmul Hossain for four fours in an over, passing 4,000 one-day international runs in the process, as the ball disappeared to mid-wicket, square leg and past the bowler.

Gilchrist then swept left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique for six and drove him for two straight fours as he reached his half-century off 46 balls. Hayden got to that mark in 39.

England play Bangladesh at Headingley on Sunday.

* Scoreboard in the one day cricket match between Australia and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh

1st innings

J. Omar lbw b Lee 3
S. Nafees b Symonds 47
T. Imran c Gilchrist b Lee 4
M. Ashraful c&b Symonds 58
H. Bashar c Gilchrist b Symonds 0
A. Ahmed b Symonds 5
K. Mashud b Hogg 4
M. Islam Rana st Gilchrist b Hogg 2
M. Rafique b Symonds 0
M. Mortaza c Martyn b Hogg 0
N. Hossain not out 0

Extras (lb-6 nb-4 w-6) 16

Total (all out, 35.2 overs) 139

Fall of wickets: 1-13 2-23 3-113 4-113 5-124 6-137 7-139 8-139 9-139 10-139

Bowling
Lee 6 - 1 - 36 - 2 (nb-4 w-3)
McGrath 6 - 1 - 19 - 0
Gillespie 3 - 0 - 17 - 0
Watson 4 - 0 - 14 - 0 (w-1)
Hogg 9 - 1 - 29 - 3 (w-1)
Symonds 7.2 - 1 - 18 - 5 (w-1)

Australia
1st innings

A. Gilchrist not out 66
M. Hayden not out 66

Extras (nb-1 w-7) 8

Total (for no loss, 19 overs) 140

Fall of wickets:

Did not bat: R. Ponting, D. Martyn, A. Symonds, M. Hussey, S. Watson, B.Hogg, J. Gillespie, B. Lee, G. McGrath

Bowling
Mortaza 6 - 0 - 32 - 0
N. Hossain 3 - 0 - 29 - 0 (nb-1 w-1)
Rafique 6 - 0 - 53 - 0
Islam Rana 4 - 0 - 26 - 0 (w-2)

Result: Australia won by 10 wickets

- REUTERS