By John Mehaffey
CASTRIES, St Lucia, April 23 - Two balls short of
a World Cup record on his return to the Australia team, Matthew
Hayden patted a delivery from Graeme Smith back down the pitch.
The next he struck over the South African captain's head and
the white ball clattered against the black sightscreen at the
tiny St Kitts ground.
Hayden had his century in a World Cup record 66 balls and
the comeback was complete.
Hayden, 35, did not form a part of Australia's one-day plans
for almost a year, missing out on the Champions Trophy triumph
last October and winning his place back this year only through
injury to Shane Watson.
Selected to tour New Zealand, Hayden ensured his place in
the World Cup squad by scoring an unbeaten 181 in a losing cause
in the final match of the Chappell-Hadlee series. It was the
highest one-day score by an Australian.
During the innings Hayden broke his right toe and missed his
team's warm-up matches in St Vincent.
Instead he burned off his considerable energies with brisk
walks around the outfield, usually accompanied by
physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.
Cleared by Kountouris to resume throwdowns in the nets,
Hayden proved a menace to life and limb as he slammed the ball
repeatedly into the tropical vegetation at one of the
Australians' practice grounds and he was declared fit to play in
the group matches.
SUPERIOR INNINGS
South Africa, the new world number one side after
Australia's losses to England and New Zealand, were expected to
provide the game of the first round.
Instead Hayden's 101 was the foundation of an Australian
total of 377 which was to prove well beyond South Africa's
reach.
His 158 against West Indies in Australia's first match of
the Super Eights, the highest World Cup score by Australia, was
a superior innings.
After losing his long-time partner Adam Gilchrist, Hayden
battled through the early overs on a seaming pitch.
He consolidated by stroking the ball into the gaps and
running the singles hard. Only at the end did he let loose with
the brutal power which makes him such a formidable opponent.
"He's battled hard to get back into the side, he always
believed he should be in the side," said Australia coach John
Buchanan.
"Since the beginning of this tournament he has made a
statement about the batting role he should have."
A third century came in last Friday's 215-run win over New
Zealand, with Hayden setting the tone in Michael Mason's opening
over when he contemptuously pulled the paceman from outside his
off-stump to the mid-wicket boundary.
After the group stages he topped the aggregates with 580
runs and was third in the averages with 82.85 while pledging
there was plenty more to come from him and his team.
"We are here to win the World Cup," he said. "That's what we
set out to do. That's our objective through this tournament."
Captain Ricky Ponting then pointed out just why Hayden and
his team mates were so successful.
"Matt got a hundred today," he said after the New Zealand
match. "He probably batted in the nets for about two hours
yesterday preparing himself for this innings."