Hayden the hammer puts South Africa to the sword

Smash hit: Matthew Hayden
14 April 2012

Matthew Hayden continued his assault on the one-day record books yesterday by scoring the quickest World Cup century during Australia's Group A clash with South Africa in St Kitts.

Hayden reached three figures off 66 balls before he was out moments later for 101. The big-hitting left-hander thumped 14 fours and four sixes in his devastating display and pipped by one ball Canada's John Davison, who scored his quickfire ton against West Indies four years ago.

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Hayden's astonishing assault, plus ferocious attacks from Adam Gilchrist, skipper Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, helped the Aussies pile up 377 for six — their highest-ever one-day score — against one of their major rivals.

As well as eye-catching contributions from the big guns, there was more good news for Australia when Andrew Symonds made his World Cup entrance a few weeks after surgery on an injured bicep.

Hayden, though, stole the headlines in a huge match between two nations who have changed places at the top of the world rankings.

The world champion Aussies were top of the tree going into 2007, only to suffer shock defeats by England in the final of the CB Series and a whitewash by New Zealand.

That handed South Africa the opportunity to move to No 1 and they took it by thrashing Pakistan on home soil.

The changing of the guard has merely added to the intense rivalry and the Aussies are keen to regain their top billing, as well as retain their world title.

Hayden certainly did his bit. The strapping opener's participation in the first stage of the tournament looked to be in doubt when he broke his toe against the Kiwis last month.

He did that during an astonishing Aussie record knock of 181, so he arrived in the Caribbean with a slight limp but full of runs and the normally miserly Shaun Pollock and the rest of the Springbok attack felt the full force of the 35-year-old's flashing blade.

Hayden smacked Pollock for successive sixes as the South African's most reliable seamer vanished for 33 runs off his first three overs, Gilchrist also chipping in with a breezy run-a-ball 42.

The openers put on 106 before Gilchrist slashed a catch to Herschelle Gibbs at backward point off Charl Langeveldt, but there was no let-up from Hayden or the rest of a powerful top order.

Hayden, who had taken 37 balls to reach his half-century, took just 29 more to reach three figures as he and Ponting piled on 66 before Hayden perished.

Ponting (91) and Clarke (92) added 161 for the third wicket as Australia maintained the tempo, while Pollock was left to nurse extraordinary figures of ten overs, none for 83.

Symonds (18), whose participation had been even more in doubt than Hayden's after tearing his right bicep, had under five overs to make an impact but smacked a couple of boundaries before becoming Andrew Hall's second victim.

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