Cricket:Michael Hussey produced an astonishing late onslaught in St Lucia to sneak Australia past champions Pakistan and into an ICC World Twenty20 final against England. Australia had rarely looked likely to better Pakistan's mammoth 191 for six — but after Hussey hit three sixes and a four from four Saeed Ajmal deliveries, they did so with one ball and three wickets to spare at Beausejour Stadium.
Hussey (60 not out) dominated an unbroken stand of 53 with Mitchell Johnson, and made a mockery of expectations after Ajmal began the final over needing only to stop Australia making 18 more runs to carry Pakistan into a third successive final in this competition.
Brothers Kamran and Umar Akmal had each hit 50s to help put Pakistan into what looked an unbeatable position.
But Hussey’s hitting dwarfed the Pakistanis’ with six sixes and three fours from only 24 balls to take Australia through to an ‘Ashes’ final at Kensington Oval on Sunday.
Australia never quite looked like bettering the same total they had made here against Pakistan in the group stages, or beating the highest tournament run chase by 24 runs — until they actually did it.
Mohammad Aamer (three for 35) had opener David Warner smearing a catch to Umar at point to go for a first-ball duck to the second delivery of the innings; then after Shane Watson had smashed Abdul Razzaq’s first ball for six over deep midwicket in an over which cost 15, the opener picked out long-on for a straightforward catch off Aamer.
Aussie hopes rose a little while Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke were sharing a third-wicket stand, and more significantly when Cameron White was together for the fifth and sixth with Husseys David and then Michael.
But Haddin and Clarke were both to go stumped, in successive overs, Kamran quick with his glovework as slow left-armer Abdur Rehman and then Shahid Afridi each got enough turn to beat the outside edge.
Then after White had hoisted a succession of four sixes from seven balls faced off the spinners, Rehman tricked the first Hussey into chipping back a return catch.
With White hitting an Aamer full toss straight into the hands of long-off, and then Steven Smith becoming Kamran’s third stumping victim, it seemed even Mr Cricket surely could not save Australia.
Yet in the end, he proved he had the situation under control throughout.