Australia handed ultimate prize

Australia did not so much win the World Cup yesterday, they were handed it on a giant platter with a watercress garnish.

A final which began half an hour late because of morning rain, was over shortly after 4.30 p.m., the whole business lasting five deliveries fewer than 60 overs.

The Australian team produced a performance so compelling and efficient that a catch dropped by Glenn McGrath in the early stages - a chance to mid-off as easy as they come - looked almost like a practical joke to wind up Steve Waugh.

But Pakistan - oh dear, they were shocking.

Maybe they tried too hard, the passion sedating rather than releasing their talents. All out for 132 in 39 overs - the lowest total in a final since West Indies, at Lord's in 1983, made just 140 in pursuit of India's 183 - they were never in the hunt. Australia made short work of it nonetheless, losing just two wickets in the process before Darren Lehmann carved the winning offside boundary one ball into the 21st over.

Wasim was at pains after the match to acknowledge a superior side and to thank the fervent support both in England and in Pakistan for inspiring his side. They did, after all, reach the final. So a tournament that had begun five weeks ago with an embarrassing display of damp squibs at the opening ceremony, finished with the biggest one of the lot in front of a worldwide audience of two billion.

Three years ago, in Lahore, eight of this Australian side played in the final against Sri Lanka and lost. They had, said Steve Waugh, prepared poorly and failed to respect their opponents.

No such luck this time for Pakistan. Nothing was left to chance; the bowling was spot-on, the fielding stupendous, and the batting emphatic. Waugh, derided by many at the start of the tournament for his lack of leadership spark in this form of the game, has gradually forged a steely side over the weeks, and led mightily from the front, dragging them almost single-handedly from the brink against South Africa at Headingley, to this triumph.

This is a man who keeps his emotions in check in public, so it was fitting that when he received the trophy from the ICC President, Jagmohan Dalmiya, he gave it not so much as the most coy of pecks but offered it straight to his team.

He might with justification have gone home with the car on offer for the player of the tournament. Instead that went to South African Lance Klusener, whose cudgelling stroke-play took South Africa so far. Waugh won't begrudge it.

Yesterday's match was almost a celebration after the slog of the past few weeks. Any remote chance Pakistan retained after their dismal batting rested with Wasim and Shoaib Akhtar.

Yet they got nowhere. Shoaib stretched, limbered and lathered beforehand, hurled himself furiously into the fray, running in so fast he almost overtook himself walking back. His first ball caught Gilchrist's top edge as he hooked and might have gone to hand. Later the same batsman top-edged him for six over first slip.

Once, the FedEx speedo clocked him at 96 mph, the fastest of the tournament. He spared himself nothing and has enhanced the tournament beyond measure. But from his pace came runs yesterday - 37 in four overs.

Gilchrist and a composed Mark Waugh (37 not out) added 75 for the first wicket in 11 overs before the wicket-keeper belted Saqlain's first ball to Inzamam at mid-off and almost broke the fielder's hand. There were eight fours, a six and just 36 balls in his 54, after which Ricky Ponting contributed a bright 24 before leaving the stage to Lehmann.

The defeat began six hours earlier though, with a lost toss. Wasim chose to bat, Waugh probably would have done so too on a pitch that promised runs. Instead it produced a procession, induced by high-class bowling, and injudicious strokeplay. Five batsmen reached double figures but only Ijaz Ahmed, with 22, got out of the teens.

Extras, set at 25, top-scored by three. The damage at either end was done by the great Glenn McGrath. He found plenty of bounce from the same Pavilion End at which he laid waste England two years ago, removing Wajahatullah Wasti in his third over and Saqlain Mushtaq with the last ball of his ninth, both to marvellous diving slip catches by Mark Waugh and Ponting.

There were indifferent strokes too: Saeed Anwar followed successive centuries by driving at Fleming's first ball from around the wicket without a look first, and was bowled off his inside edge. Abdul Razzaq and later Azhar Mahmood drove carelessly at Tom Moody. Inzamam was undone by a poor decision.

The remainder were Warned - Izaz, bamboozled and bowled, Moin beaten by turn, Afridi sweeping and lbw, and Wasim, reduced to inappropriate slogging when a more measured approach was called for, carted to mid-wicket.

Successive man of the match awards and a total of 20 wickets, equal to Geoff Allott's record for a World Cup, was Warne's reward. In a tournament dominated by seam, there has been no more eloquent statement than that.