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Ponting ton boosts World XI
10/01/2005 09:34 - (SA)
Melbourne, Australia - Ricky Ponting stroked a hundred and Chris Cairns smashed 69 off 47 balls on Monday as the World XI set Asia 345 runs to win the International Cricket Council's tsunami disaster appeal match.
With sponsors offering A$1 000 per run scored and A$50 000 for every six hit at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the world team raised A$644 000 when they reached 344 for eight. The innings contained six sixes.
Ponting earned A$265 000 for the cause with his 115, which included eight boundaries and three sixes - including back-to-back shots into the crowd on the two balls before he was out.
The MCG was sold out, with the crowd estimated at 78 000 for the day-night match. The ICC hoped to raise A$10m for World Vision through ticket sales, sponsorship, the sale of TV rights and associated fundraising appeals.
The World lineup was coasting at 263 for three with 11 overs to go before Indian legspinner Anil Kumble had Ponting neatly stumped by wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara.
Muttiah Muralitharan, taking time out from his relief work in Sri Lanka and playing his first match back since a shoulder operation in August, then took three wickets as the Asian XI made a comeback.
He combined twice with Sri Lankan teammate Sangakkara to have Cairns and Matthew Hayden (2) stumped and had Glenn McGrath (0) caught at mid-wicket by Pakistan's Yousuf Youhana.
When he came on to bowl, the Sri Lankan offspinner received a loud cheer from the crowd at the MCG, where he was infamously called seven times for chucking in 1995.
With his action cleared and now second in the all-time Test bowling rankings, he's one of the biggest drawcards in Asian cricket.
He was the best of Asia's bowlers with 3-59 off 10 overs. Kumble returned 2-73 from 10 overs and paceman Zaheer Khan had 2-46 from eight overs.
Ponting and Brian Lara (52) put on 122 in 130 balls for the third wicket to boost the World lineup before the West Indies skipper drove Kumble to Chaminda Vaas in the deep.
The usually freewheeling Lara hit only three boundaries in a patient innings as Ponting dominated the scoring.
But Cairns changed the tempo in his partnership with Ponting.
The World XI moved from 200 to 250 in 24 balls and had scored 35 runs in 11 balls before Kumble removed Ponting to end the 91-run fourth-wicket partnership.
Cairns then combined with his New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming to lift the total to 286 before he was the sixth wicket to fall.
The New Zealand allrounder hit six boundaries and two sixes in his 56-minute innings.
At the end, Daniel Vettori was unbeaten on 27 and Shane Warne was not out 2.
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