Watson Back For Aussies

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Watson (left) should return.

By David Clough, PA Sport, St George's

Australia will regain the services of pivotal all-rounder Shane Watson tomorrow, against opponents who will be minus theirs.

Thursday's fitness updates significantly favoured the Aussies going into a final Super Eight match against their closest challengers so far in this World Cup, New Zealand.

While Watson - who has missed his side's last three matches with a calf tear - has won his battle to be fit for the fixture which precedes next week's semi-finals, the Kiwis are having to rest Jacob Oram to be sure of having him available in their last-four match.

Cricket's two Antipodean forces will avoid each other in the semis - and New Zealand would have to inflict defeat by an unthinkably wide margin to depose Australia at the top of the table.

Their prospects of doing so contracted still further with the news Oram must sit out tomorrow's match at Queen's Park.

For Australia, though, there was a much more encouraging bulletin on Watson from Ricky Ponting.

"He's straight back into the side; he's done everything that has been asked of him over the last two weeks, with all his rehab work," said the Australia captain.

"He's obviously very excited to be back - and he's worked his backside off over the last couple of weeks.

"In the last four of five days, he's had quite a few good bowling spells under his belt - and he bowled five overs at 100% yesterday."

Ponting and Co see Watson as a final balancing piece of the jigsaw for a team who believe - along with many others - they have the ability to bag the World Cup silverware for Australia for a third successive time.

"What you've seen so far from this team is that it is one that is very capable of winning the World Cup - if we all perform to our best," said the captain.

The result tomorrow is highly unlikely to change any of that - although both Ponting and Kiwi coach John Bracewell spoke today of the importance of continuing to win as the knockout stages beckon.

To do so, Australia will need to tame strike bowler Shane Bond - a player who has had conspicuous success against them, including a hat-trick in the recent Chappell-Hadlee series which finished 3-0 in favour of the Kiwis.

"He is a very good bowler, with a very good strike rate - and it does seem he saves his best for us," Ponting acknowledged.

"He is someone we will need to pay attention to. But I'm pretty confident, the way we are batting at the moment, we can do that well."

Ponting nonetheless believes the Kiwis are a significant threat in one-day cricket.

"I've regarded New Zealand as a very good team for a number of years now - but we've got a very good record against them," he said.

"Tomorrow will be a good indicator of where both teams are at."

Bracewell, meanwhile, is targeting a fourth successive win over Australia - despite Oram's unfortunate absence.

"We'll be going in with our strongest side for this particular game, bearing in mind that Jacob Oram will not be available because of his bruised heel," he confirmed.

"One of the reasons he's not playing is a precautionary thing, making sure that we don't cause any further damage to the heel.

"It's the same problem he's had over a long period of time."

New Zealand will resist the temptation to play Oram in a game they concede will have no direct bearing on who wins the tournament.

"Given his position in the team and the balance of the side, it would be a huge risk to play him in a game that has no real implication on the semi-final," said Bracewell.

Even so, New Zealand will be disappointed if they falter tomorrow.

"I think it's momentum you want going into semi-finals, finals, a knockout situation," said their coach.

"It's not about changing the fly and trying to be funky. It's just about doing what you do and having that faith in the guys who do it.

"It's an important game, because it's playing against the number one ranked team in the world.

"They are also our neighbours, and it is a traditional rivalry. The trans-Tasman battle is one we always look forward to.

"We also know the seriousness of how Australia take their cricket, in terms of their revenge mentality."

Teams:

Australia (from): R Ponting (captain), A Gilchrist (wkt), M Hayden, M Clarke, A Symonds, M Hussey, B Hodge, B Hogg, N Bracken, S Tait, G McGrath, S Watson

New Zealand (from): S Fleming (captain), P Fulton, R Taylor, S Styris, C McMillan, B McCullum (wkt), J Franklin, D Vettori, S Bond, M Gillespie, J Patel, M Mason, H Marshall, C Martin