Hussey shines for Australia

Michael Hussey
12 April 2012

Michael Hussey hit an explosive century as Australia set Bangladesh a target of 362 in their third and final one-day international in Mirpur.

Opener Shane Watson (72 off 40 balls) and Hussey (108 off 86 balls) made light work of the bowling from Bangladesh, who were playing for pride after already losing the series and trailing the visiting team 2-0.

Watson set Mirpur alight once again with his power-hitting three days after his monumental 95-ball 185, but his 12th-over dismissal allowed the Tigers to breathe slightly easy. Abdur Razzak was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with figures of three for 58, but rest of the bowling was pedestrian in the face of relentless onslaught from the touring batsmen.

Batting first after winning the toss, Watson and stop-gap opener Ricky Ponting continued from where they had left in the second match by bringing up Australia's 100 in just 10 overs.

By then the Queenslander had raced past his 23rd one-day half-century and hit 11 fours and two sixes - with Ponting playing second fiddle. Just when the big all-rounder appeared to be blazing to his second century in three days, Razzak gave the home fielders respite by cleaning up Watson.

Razzak struck again three overs later by having Ponting (47) trapped lbw and Steven Smith was caught and bowled by Suhrawadi Shuvo in the 19th as Australia lost three wickets in seven overs for just 32 runs.

New man Hussey and Michael Clarke then dropped anchor to deny spinners. Hussey reached his run-a-ball half-century while Michael Clarke missed out on the mark by three runs after being bowled by Mashrafe Mortaza, but the 89-run fourth-wicket stand set Australia up for a late onslaught.

The visitors lost Callum Ferguson cheaply during the powerplay, but Mitchell Johnson and Hussey took 70 runs from the next seven overs. Johnson's 24-ball cameo brought him 41 - including two sixes and four boundaries - but he became the third victim of Mortaza, who recovered well after being hit for more than 40 runs in his first four overs.

Tim Paine, in for Brad Haddin, fell lbw to Razzak - but Hussey unleashed a flurry of boundaries to bring up his third one-day hundred off just 86 balls, before Shafiul Islam trapped him lbw in the last over of the innings.

John Hastings (21 not out off nine balls) finished things on a high by hammering Islam to back-to-back boundaries as Australia notched up an massive 361 for eight.

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