Cricket: Vettori takes four wickets for World XI

World XI player Daniel Vettori from New Zealand appeals for a run out for Australia's Andrew Symonds. Picture / Reuters

MELBOURNE - New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori took four wickets and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed two for the World XI to restrict Australia to 255 for eight in the first one-day cricket international tonight.

Vettori finished with four for 33 off his 10 overs, which he bowled unchanged, while Muralitharan, who was substituted by Shaihid Afridi at the end of the 43rd over, had figures of two for 41 from 10.

It was Vettori's fourth best bowling spell in his 155th one-day international.

Simon Katich, who scored 58, and Adam Gilchrist's 45 produced an 80-run opening partnership after captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat in front of a crowd of fewer than 5000 in the first of three one-day internationals at the Telstra Dome.

Vettori and Muralitharan's tight bowling and poor shot selection by the Australians then sparked a middle-order collapse that was only halted by a 52-run sixth-wicket partnership betwen Mike Hussey and Andrew Symonds.

* Scoreboard after Australia's innings in the first of three limited-overs cricket internationals against the World XI at the Telstra Dome:

Australia

A Gilchrist b Kallis 45
S Katich c & b Muralitharan 58
R Ponting c Lara b Pollock 23
D Martyn c Vettori b Muralitharan 0
A Symonds c Flintoff b Vettori 36
M Clarke c & b Vettori 6
M Hussey c Pietersen b Vettori 32
S Watson c Lara b Vettori 8
B Lee not out 26
N Bracken not out 2
Extras: (2b, 6lb, 5nb, 6w) 19
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 255

Fall: 80, 128, 128, 142, 154, 206, 223, 231.
Bowling: S Akhtar 9-1-49-0 (3nb, 1w), S Pollock 8-1-32-1, A Flintoff 9-1-66-0 (1nb, 3w), J Kallis 4-0-26-1 (1nb, 1w), M Muralitharan 10-0-41-2 (1w), D Vettori 10-1-33-4.

- REUTERS