Australia March to Comfortable Win Against Canada

Chennai: Shane Watson (94) and Brad Haddin (88) put on a mammoth 183-run stand which powered Australia to a comfortable 7-wicket win over Canada. Brett Lee was the star with the ball with his 4-46.

Haddin and Watson were toying with the Canadian bowlers and looked calm at the wicket.

Earlier, reigning champions Australia saw their fast bowlers were given plenty to think about before dismissing non-Test nation Canada for 211.

Teenage opener Hiral Patel took the attack to Australia's quicks in fine style with a career-best 54 after Canada captain Ashish Bagai won the toss.

But Brett Lee took four for 46 as the North Americans were bowled out with 26 balls to spare.

Canada, unable to reach the last eight, were well-placed at 150 for two but Australia, already through to the quarterfinals and unbeaten in 33 matches at the World Cup since 1999, then took five wickets for 19 runs.

The 19-year-old Patel square cut Lee for two fours before thumping express quick Shaun Tait high over extra cover for six.

Canada had promoted 40-year-old off-spinner John Davison, playing his last match before international retirement, to open the innings.

Davison looked good making 14 before fast bowler Lee out-thought him with a slow bouncer the batsman could only feather to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin as he attempted a hook.

The undaunted Patel took Canada to the fastest fifty of any team this tournament - in 29 balls - when he miscued a six off Mitchell Johnson high over third man.

But Patel, whose highest score in 13 previous one-day internationals was 43, made no mistake in hooking a Lee bouncer for six.

Patel completed his personal fifty in just 37 balls, including three sixes and five fours.

However, his blistering innings ended when he slashed medium-pacer Shane Watson to Johnson at third man, leaving Canada 82-2 in the 12th over.

Zubin Surkari and Bagai kept Australia at bay with a stand of 68 until the captain, on 39, edged a cut off Tait to Haddin.

Jimmy Hansra gifted off-spinner Jason Krejza only his third wicket of the tournament when he holed out to long-on and Surkari (34), one ball after being hit on the hip by a 146kph (91mph) Tait full toss, was bowled by the speedster.

Brief scors
Canada 211 (Patel 54, Lee 4-46)
Australia 212 for 7 (Watson 94, Haddin 88)
Results Australia won by 7 wickets
Points Australia 2, Canada 0
MOM Shane Watson (Australia)