DARWIN, Australia, 7 August 2003 — Ricky Ponting scored his fourth one-day century of a productive year as world champions Australia crushed minnows Bangladesh by 112 runs in the final cricket one-dayer to sweep their series 3-0 at Marrara Oval here yesterday.
Skipper Ponting’s rich scoring form continued with 101 off 118 balls including four sixes and two fours to push Australia to 254 for seven off their 50 overs after winning the toss. Bangladesh were always hard pressed, even with Australia going into the match without top-line paceman Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, and were dismissed for 142 off 47.3 overs.
The Darwin win follows Australia’s eight wickets and nine wickets victories in the opening two games in Cairns last weekend.
Medium-pacer Ian Harvey claimed 4-16 off 6.3 overs, left-arm spinner Brad Hogg chimed in with 2-32 off 10 overs and Jason Gillespie had a superb spell of 1.16 off 10 overs with six maidens.
Man-of-the-match Ponting led by example in winning his 37th match in his 47th game as national one-day skipper. He snapped up two catches after earlier posting his 14th One-Day International century.
The Bangladeshis had one of their best spells in the field on tour when they claimed three Australian wickets for two at one stage. Australia slumped from 112 for one to 114 for four after 26.5 overs as Bangladesh looked to restrict the world champions to a reasonable score on the big Darwin ground.
Spinner Mohammad Rafique started the ball rolling with the prized wicket of Adam Gilchrist for 31 off 35 balls, but Matthew Hayden and Ponting put on 58 runs for the second wicket before Hayden sent a return catch to Rafique for the spinner’s second wicket.
Hayden’s dismissal for 42 off 72 balls signaled a mini-collapse with Damien Martyn, who hit a whirlwind unbeaten 92 from 51 balls last Sunday, out fifth ball for one when he chopped leg spinner Alok Kapali on to his stumps.
Andrew Symonds followed eight balls later after a mix-up with Ponting over a quick single and was stranded well out of his crease for a duck by a quick throw by Sanwar Hossain to wicketkeeper Hannan Sarkar. Michael Bevan and Ponting restored the innings with a 127-run stand for the fifth wicket before Bevan was bowled by a Mortaza full toss for 57 off 57 balls with two fours and two sixes.
Ponting holed out to Tushar Imran in the second-last over just after reaching his century and Ian Harvey went down swinging off the last ball for five, giving Mortaza his second wicket of the innings.
