Tour match, Lord's:
Australia 277-5 (47.5 ovs) bt Middlesex 273-5 (50 ovs) by five wickets
Match scorecard
 White has become an invaluable member of Australia's one-day side |
Cameron White hit 106 off 120 balls as Australia completed their warm-up for the one-day series against England with a five-wicket win over Middlesex. The tourists were in trouble on 64-4 at Lord's before White shared a stand of 176 with Mike Hussey. He eventually became Tim Murtagh's third victim but Hussey made 72 not out as he and Steve Smith (28) saw them home on 277-5 with 13 balls remaining. Owais Shah earlier top scored with 92 as Middlesex totalled 273-5. Shah played the last of his 71 one-day internationals for England in the ICC Champions Trophy in October 2009.  | 606: DEBATE |
He struck eight fours and a six in a commanding innings that ended eight short of a deserved century in the 47th over when he lofted Clint McKay to wide long-on where Doug Bollinger held a well-judged catch. Australia had begun the match in the unusual position of facing two of their own countrymen, as attacking left-handers David Warner and Adam Gilchrist opened the innings after Middlesex had won the toss and chosen to bat first. Twenty20 specialist Warner - who played seven ODIs for Australia last year but is not in their current 50-over squad - was out in the first over but Middlesex skipper Gilchrist, who retired from the international arena two years ago, made a fluent 38, dispatching Shane Watson for a glorious straight six. The Australia innings started badly, although there was huge fortune in the departure of Tim Paine, who was run out at the non-striker's end when Tim Murtagh dropped a caught and bowled chance from Watson but the ball deflected into the stumps.  Shah helped Middlesex to a useful total with some forceful strokes |
Warner then ran out Watson with a direct hit from backward point and Michael Clarke - yet to score a run on the tour after a duck in Ireland on Thursday - was plumb lbw to Murtagh for nought. The big wicket fell when captain Ricky Ponting was also trapped lbw, for 17, having gone across his stumps. White and Hussey's 33-over partnership changed the complexion of the match once again, however, White reaching his century from 114 balls with a sweep for six off left-arm spinner Tom Smith. He was out to a mis-timed drive at Murtagh, who finished with 3-43, as Scott Newman ran back at mid-on to take a fine catch, but Hussey and Smith saw their side to victory in the 48th over. Australia begin the five-match one-day series against England at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday. But Shah said their pace attack lacked the firepower normally provided by the likes of Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, who are both absent because of injuries. "What you get with an Australian attack - they do the basics well. "But there wasn't the firepower around like with Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee last summer when England lost quite heavily to Australia. That could be the difference. "It will be a hard-fought contest against England but they definitely don't have the X factor they did when Johnson and Lee were playing," he said. "I don't think the England team will fear anyone, especially coming off the back of winning the Twenty20 World Cup." White, however, insisted Australia were "almost to the right spot we need to be at". He added: "I thought we were pretty good and improved from the other day [against Ireland]. Hopefully, we can lift another notch in Southampton."
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