A SUPREME display of pace bowling by Brett Lee reinforced an overdue innings of domination by Andrew Symonds to save a stuttering Australia and give the world champions victory over Pakistan in the first one-day final at the MCG last night.
In front of a disappointing crowd of just 27,502, which raises more concerns about the dwindling popularity of one-day cricket in Melbourne despite weather concerns, Pakistan finished on 9-219 in reply to Australia's 237.
Australia's 18-run victory gives them the opportunity to wrap up the best-of-three finals series in Sydney tomorrow night.
The leading bowler in the one-day series with 15 wickets, Lee claimed 3-23 from 10 overs.
Opening the bowling, Lee took a wicket in each of his first two overs as Pakistan slumped to 3-9 then 4-27, before returning to remove dangerous visiting captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq (51 in 83 balls) later in the match.
For the second time in two years Symonds picked an important game against Pakistan to revive his career and rescue Australia by blazing 91 from just 101 balls with seven fours.
Unlike his overlooked team-mate Matthew Hayden, Symonds was given the opportunity to turn around a very indifferent season and grabbed the chance when it mattered most, just as he did in the 2003 World Cup.
Having made the bold and difficult move to drop a dreadfully out of sorts Hayden, the selectors were let down by those entrusted to carry the baton in his place as the world champions suffered early and late collapses.
Picked as first choice opener after excelling there in place of the resting Hayden and Adam Gilchrist for much of the series, Michael Clarke was missed on seven but made only nine. He was leg before wicket turning to leg.
Hayden's replacement in the side, Simon Katich, also made only nine, caught skying a catch to cover late in the innings.
Yet more indifferent batting by Australia left them 3-53 before Symonds joined Damien Martyn (53 from 78 balls) in a 137-run partnership which turned the innings after Ricky Ponting had won the toss.
It was not quite the 143 from 125 balls Symonds blazed during the opening match of the last World Cup after Australia had stumbled to 4-86, but it was imposing nonetheless.
Clubbing the ball cleanly in the air down the ground and powerfully pulling through mid-wicket, Symonds made light of the awkward situation, racing to 50 in just 44 balls with five fours.
Playing sensibly during the middle of the innings, Symonds was eventually out in the 46th over caught at cover.
It was a welcome contrast to what had preceded him over a frustrating six weeks or so and helped to justify a surprise win as one-day player of the year in a countback ahead of Michael Kasprowicz and Michael Clarke.
The strength of that award was further highlighted last night when Kasprowicz was left out again despite an outstanding year in both forms of the game.
Symonds followed a duck in his last innings of the Champions Trophy during September in England with two more in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy against New Zealand in December and three more in his first four one-day series innings.
His one-day figures for the summer going into yesterday's match were eight games for only 74 runs at 10.57 and four wickets at 75.25.
Last night Symonds was responsible for a brilliant runout to get rid of the dangerous Abdul Razzaq for three. Dashing in from cover, his diving throw hit the stumps to beat the batsman.
However, he later missed an opportunity to remove the potent Shahid Afridi, dropping a return from Clarke next to the stumps with the batsman stranded following a mix-up.
Symonds and Martyn played the only innings of substance last night as Australia's batsmen continued a worrying trend of getting starts and then getting out.
When Martyn was stumped off Afridi in the 41st over it provoked a dreadful collapse of 7-47.
Martyn's replacement, Darren Lehmann, was caught behind first ball attempting to reverse sweep Afridi, leaving him on a hat-trick, and Razzaq was also on a hat-trick when he dismissed Katich and Symonds in successive balls.
Bowling consistently faster than 150 km/h, Lee claimed a wicket with just the second ball of the match, trapping Salman Butt (0) leg before wicket with a delivery which swung back into the left-hander.
In his next over Lee beat the experienced Yousuf Youhana (2) for pace and bowled him.
Glenn McGrath (3-34) had already claimed Kamran Akmal (4) caught at fine leg hooking in his first over and later removed Mohammad Hafeez for 13.
- MALCOLM CONN