Hussey hails Australia's "complete performance"

By Paul Hiscock

Experienced middle-order batsman David Hussey took great heart from his side's performance as Australia warmed up for the start of their ODI series against England on Friday by demolishing a full-strength Essex side by 179 runs in a 50-over match at Chelmsford.
 
"I thought it was a complete performance and one that we needed in preparation for Lord's," he said. "We got 50 overs with the bat and about 35 with the ball so that ticked all the boxes. I thought that our batting group was really switched on and to face 50 overs and get 300-plus on a decent wicket and fast outfield was just what we needed."
 
Hussey joined skipper Michael Clarke in an aggressive and entertaining 137-run partnership in 20 overs as the tourists surged to 313 for 9 before they took further satisfaction with the early wicket of England one-day captain Alastair Cook.
 
Cook had scored only five when he was caught at slip but there was better fortune for another England man, Ravi Bopara, who spent 72 minutes in the middle and hit 39 before he dabbed outside off and was caught behind.
 
Clint McKay was the successful bowler who accounted for Cook, and Hussey sang the praises of the 29-year-old. "Clint is a very under-rated bowler," added Hussey. "He always bowls in good areas and channels and he always hits the seam so we are looking for him to get early wickets.
 
"If he keeps getting Alastair Cook out every game, and cheaply, I think we are going to go a long way towards winning the series and winning games of cricket."
 
Nineteen year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins, meanwhile, who is tipped as a future leader of the Aussie attack, underlined his reputation with 3 for 26 and also drew praise from Hussey. "He was really impressive and I think he's going to be one heck of a cricketer," he said.
 
However, Hussey acknowledged that Cook remains a big obstacle to the tourists' hopes of winning the five-match one-day international series. "Alastair Cook's strength is that if he misses out then he really cashes in next innings," he added. "So it's up to our bowlers to really negate his influence in the game because the English really do look to him to make big, big scores.
 
"He hasn't faced Pat (Cummins) yet and he only faced a couple of balls from Brett (Lee), so it's a slight advantage to Australia in that respect but, as I said before, Cookie's strength is that he does come back strongly from a low score."
 
The 34-year-old Hussey also had a complimentary word for Bopara. "We put a lot of pressure on Ravi but he did play well and we were happy to take him out for the score he got," he said.


Date: 27/06/2012 14:05:23 by Paul Hiscock
In: Today | Essex | England |