NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Aussies make it ten in a row

Australia wrapped up a series clean sweep and won their 10th consecutive Test match with a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third Test in Hamilton on Monday.

Steve Waugh's Australians needed just an hour's play on the fourth day to seal the victory with Justin Langer scoring his seventh Test century. He was 122 not out, off 122 balls, in Australia's 212 for four.

Monday's triumph followed victories by 62 runs and six wickets in the opening two Tests of the series in Auckland and Wellington.

Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who set an Australian record of 10 dismissals for the match and hit a match-turning 75 in the first innings, was named man-of-the-match.

It was an incredible victory by the all-conquering Australians, who were teetering at 29 for five in their first innings before Damien Martyn's Test best 89 and Gilchrist's free-wheeling knock turned things decisively around.

In the end the Australians won with one and three-quarters of a day to spare. It capped an outstanding summer of cricket for Australia, whitewashing Pakistan, India and New Zealand in three-Test series and beating Zimbabwe in a one-off Test in Zimbabwe last October. The only sour note for the Australians was a wrist injury to captain Steve Waugh, who was forced to retire hurt on 18. He was struck by a rearing delivery from Maori newcomer Daryl Tuffey and after batting on briefly left the field. He was to have X-rays on the left wrist later on Monday.

Langer scored the only century of the low-scoring Test and fittingly hit the winning runs off Craig McMillan at 11.07 a.m. after the day's play had begun early because of lost play on Sunday. Langer scored the third fastest century by an Australian off just 102 balls, ranking behind Jack Gregory and Ray Lindwall.

There was another contentious lbw dismissal with Damien Martyn given out for four by New Zealand umpire Steve Dunne, even though he was struck high on the pad and was well down the pitch.

The New Zealand bowlers were impotent to stop the Australians from scoring freely in their chase after 210 runs for victory and Australia got the runs off just 41.3 overs.

The Australians will now have three one-day matches in South Africa this month before a winter's break. Their eyes are on next summer's home tour by the West Indies where they will have the opportunity of breaking the Test record of 11 consecutive victories held by the West Indies.