Records tumble after down under thunder

Australia completed a record-equalling 11th straight one-day international victory on Thursday, crushing Namibia by a record 256 runs to bec...

Australia completed a record-equalling 11th straight one-day international victory on Thursday, crushing Namibia by a record 256 runs to become the first team through to the World Cup Super Sixes.

The world champions8217; victory margin was the biggest in one-day international history, Glenn McGrath taking seven wickets for 15 runs to record the best ever World Cup bowling figures as Namibia were routed for 45 in just 14 overs.

nbsp;	SCOREBOARD	nbsp;
AUSTRALIA: A Gilchrist c van Rooi 13; M Hayden b L Burger 88; M Bevan c 038; b L Burger 17; A Symonds run out 59; R Ponting c B Kotze b L Burger 2; D Martyn b D Kotze 35 D Lehmann not out 50; B Hogg not out 19; Extras lb-8, w-6, nb-4 18 Total: For six wickets off 50 overs 301 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-104, 3-140, 4-146, 5-230, 6-231 Bowling: van Vuuren 10-0-92-0, van Rooi 6-0-24-1, D Kotze 10-0-62-1, L Burger 10-1-39-3, B Kotze 10-0-54-0, J Burger 4-0-22-0 NAMIBIA: J Burger c Ponting b McGrath 4; S Swanepoel c Ponting b Lee 2; M Karg c Gilchrist b McGrath 4; D Keulder c Gilchrist b McGrath 3; G Murgatroyd lbw McGrath 0; D Kotze c Gilchrist b McGrath 10; L Burger c Gilchrist b McGrath 1; M van Schoor c Gilchrist b Bichel 6; B Kotze b McGrath 0; B van Rooi not out 0; R van Vuuren c Gilchrist b Bichel 0; Extras lb-4, w-6, nb-5 15 Total: in 14 overs 45 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-14, 3-16, 4-17, 5-28, 6-34, 7-45, 8-45, 9-45 Bowling: McGrath 7-4-15-7, Lee 6-1-26-1, Bichel 1-1-0-2 Result: Australia win by 256 runs

Darren Lehmann earlier smashed a World Cup record 28 runs in the final over of Australia8217;s innings to lift his side to a total of 301 for six, and Adam Gilchrist took six catches to equal the best haul by a wicketkeeper in one-day internationals.

The victory confirmed that Ricky Ponting8217;s side would finish top of Group A with one match still to play against England on Sunday. Lehmann8217;s big-hitting brought him 50 from only 31 balls and inflicted on Rudi van Vuuren the fourth worst bowling figures in one-day history as he finished with no wicket for 92 runs from 10 overs. Lehmann clubbed 4, 4, 4, 6, 4 and 6 from the over to take Australia past 300. His effort improved the previous World Cup best in an over, the 26 plundered by Brian Lara off Canada8217;s Barry Seebaran earlier in the tournament.

When Namibia batted they were humiliated by McGrath, who eclipsed his previous best figures in one-day internationals, the five for 14 he captured against West Indies at the 1999 World Cup.

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Only West Indies fast bowler Winston Davis, with seven for 51 against Australia at Headingley in 1983, had previously taken seven wickets in a World Cup innings.

McGrath and Brett Lee, who bowled at express pace throughout his spell, were irresistible, with only one player, Namibia captain Deon Kotze, reaching double figures as extras top-scored with 15.

Gilchrist held the final two catches of the innings off Andy Bichel8217;s bowling to give him six.

Bichel had come into the side as a late replacement for Jason Gillespie who was rested as a precaution after suffering an injury to his right heel on Wednesday. At least Namibia, in their first Cup, had the small consolation of passing the previous lowest score, the 36 made by Canada against Sri Lanka. Reuters

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MAGNIFICENT 5

8226; Glenn McGrath Australia 7-15 V Namibia, is the best bowling figure in the World Cup. The previous best was by West Indies8217; Winston Davis 7-51 vs Australia, Leeds, 1983

8226; Australia equalled West Indies8217; record of most consecutive victories in ODI with this win. It was their fifth straight in this World Cup and 11th straight in one day internationals since losing to Sri Lanka on January 9,2003. West Indies had won an equal number of ODIs between June 4, 1984 and February 2,1985.

8226; Australia8217;s 256-run victory was the biggest ever in terms of runs in World Cup as well as in one day internationals. Sri Lanka who beat India by 245 runs at Sharjah on October 29,2002 held the previous record of biggest win in ODI

8226; Lehmann took 28 off Rudi Van Vuuren8217;s final over of the innings, smashing two sixes and four fours.

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8226; Adam Gilchrist set a new record of most dismissals in a World Cup match by taking six catches behind the wicket. Five wicket-keepers shared the previous record and all of them dismissed five batsmen behind the wicket in a World Cup match. India8217;s Syed Kirmani was the first wicket-keeper to achieve the same. He caught five Zimbabwean batsmen at Leicester in 1983.
8212;S Pervez Qaiser