Pietersen ton gives England hope

World Cup Super 8, Antigua: England 247 (49.5 overs) v Australia

By Mark Mitchener

Pietersen's last ODI century came in South Africa in February 2005

Kevin Pietersen hit his first one-day international century since February 2005, smashing 104 as England were bowled out for 247 against Australia.

Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss fell early, but Ian Bell and Pietersen then added 140 for the third wicket.

When Bell fell for 77, Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff followed quickly but Pietersen, who was dropped twice, was supported well by Ravi Bopara (21).

Shaun Tait, Nathan Bracken and Glenn McGrath all grabbed three wickets.

Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting's decision to delay taking the third powerplay eventually bore fruit as Tait and Brad Hogg frustrated England in mid-innings.

And England, desperate for a win to boost their chances of making the semi-finals, will certainly feel they failed to make best use of the conditions.

Vaughan chose to bat first after winning the toss on a glorious morning in Antigua and wth opener Ed Joyce dropped in favour of Middlesex clubmate Strauss, Bell was promoted to open the innings with his captain.

Vaughan edged the first boundary through the slips, but his wretched form with the bat continued as he played on to his stumps off the lively Tait for five.

Bell and Pietersen put on 140 for the third wicket in Antigua

Strauss fared only marginally better, reaching seven before he too chopped on to a Tait delivery - bringing Pietersen in to join Bell.

Pietersen, now ranked as the world's top one-day batsman, soon got off the mark with an impressive straight-driven boundary off Tait.

Ponting took the second powerplay immediately but introduced left-arm spinner Michael Clarke into the attack, perhaps to tempt Pietersen to hole out.

But Bell looked confident, cracking McGrath for three fours in the 14th over, and Pietersen then advanced down the track and hoisted Clarke to long-on for six, while the fifty partnership came up off just 55 balls.

With injured all-rounder Shane Watson replaced by batsman Brad Hodge, Australia were lacking an out-and-out fifth bowler and chose to delay taking the third powerplay.

Bell and Pietersen kept the scoreboard ticking over sensibly against Symonds's medium pace and Hogg's chinamen.

Both batsmen reached their fifties in the 23rd over, with Pietersen's coming off 49 balls and Bell's from 69.

Pietersen was then dropped by Ponting, usually an excellent fielder, at mid-wicket off Symonds and a mixture of orthodox and improvised strokes took them past a century partnership.

Ponting was forced to reintroduce Tait to the attack in a bid to stem the tide, but Bell's response to a fearsome bouncer was to glove him down to third man for four.

Pietersen then had another 'life' when he lofted Tait to deep mid-off where Matthew Hayden, running back, let the catch spill through his hands.

Bell eventually succumbed when he drove McGrath to Mike Hussey at cover for an impressive 77 off 90 balls that justified his elevation to the top of the order.

His replacement Collingwood folowed soon after, edging Tait to wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist for the paceman's third wicket of the innings.

Paceman Shaun Tait captured three wickets for Australia

It meant Pietersen was joined by Flintoff, and the two big-hitters progressed rather more sedately than normal for a few overs.

But the out-of-touch Flintoff was then undone by Hogg, who took 1-36 in an economical mid-innings spell, when he advanced down the crease to the wrist-spinner and was easily stumped by Gilchrist.

Pietersen, then on 71 not out, was joined by Bopara, fresh from his Man of the Match knock in the narrow defeat by Sri Lanka.

The Hampshire man was a little becalmed as his boundaries dried up for a while, before he flayed McGrath through the off-side for four in the 44th overs.

Bopara again batted sensibly, with the pair's fifty stand coming up off 62 balls, before the Essex all-rounder lifted Nathan Bracken to Hussey on the midwicket boundary.

Paul Nixon did his best to give Pietersen the strike as he reached his century of 117 balls, but he was eventually dismissed when he lofted Bracken to Michael Clarke at long-off, for 104 off 122 balls.

Sajid Mahmood then gave Bracken his third wicket when he sliced his second ball to Hodge at backward point for a duck.

In the final over, Nixon hoisted McGrath over the long-on boundary with a lusty blow for six, before he was caught on the same boundary when attempting the same shot to a full-toss.

And after Monty Panesar on-drove for a single, last man James Anderson was trapped lbw by McGrath to his first ball as Australia wrapped up the innings with one ball to spare.