All-Stars upset Aussies

Sterling half-centuries from man of the match Brad Hodge and Justin Langer have helped the Emirates All*Stars claim an upset 64-run victory over Australia in the Emirates All*Star Twenty20 Match in front of 15, 725 fans at the Gabba.

Hodge and Langer set the win up for the All*Stars in an unbeaten 120-run stand that guided the underdogs to the sizeable total of 4-203 before Steve Magoffin did a job with the ball to help restrict Australia to be all out for 139.

Led by Magoffin, who recorded the impressive figures of 4-21 from his four overs, the All*Stars were able to constantly find breakthroughs as the home side was humbled by an All*Stars team made of the best of state talent and retired veterans Langer and skipper Adam Gilchrist.

Australia suffered a blow early on when Matthew Hayden (four) went down swinging to Magoffin in the first over of the chase when Ryan Harris held onto a good catch at mid off after Hayden mistimed an attempted bludgeon.

Magoffin, in his next over, then had opener Shaun Marsh (five) back in the stands in slightly more auspicious fashion when Marsh floored the ball to Brendan Drew at square leg who held onto a gritty catch between his legs.

Keeper Brad Haddin (20), promoted up the order, made his intentions clear when he slammed consecutive boundaries off his first two balls, but when Harris executed a direct hit to run out Shane Watson (11), Australia was well and truly reeling at 3-34.

Haddin offered temporary resistance, but he became Drew's first wicket of the night when he holed out to Dan Cullen, before skipper Mike Hussey (one) was caught behind as Australia slumped to be 5-95 at the end of the ninth over.

Andrew Symonds, in his return to the national side, looked dangerous though as he started to get on top of the All*Stars attack with a rapid knock of 45 that featured two sixes and a four.

But when Symonds was undone by Dan Marsh's first delivery, Australia was stranded on 6-105 and facing the difficult prospect of having to take 99 runs off 41 balls.

David Hussey (28) showed he was up to the task at hand, but after knocking a couple of majors, could not keep up with the run-rate required and handed Dan Cullen his first wicket when he holed out to Hodge in the deep.

The match proceeded to fizzle with only one result possible, but Michael Dighton added a late highlight when he reeled in a one-handed spectacular catch in the deep to dismiss Cameron White (13).

Earlier Hodge (65 not out) and Langer (52 not out) notched unbeaten half centuries as they made light work of an Australian attack missing key personnel.

Langer showed he had lost none of his touch in retirement while Hodge was in particular dashing fashion, thumping five boundaries and two sixes in a brilliant unbeaten knock of 65, the top score for the All*Stars.

It was Dighton who set the tone of the night in a blitzing innings of 34 off just 13 balls, as he shared in a quick-fire opening partnership of 67 with Gilchrist.

Fans may have been expecting Gilchrist to provide all the sparks early on after winning the toss and batting, but it was his opening partner Dighton who teed off from the outset.

Dighton was in some kind of touch from the onset, smashing two sixes as he helped himself to 16 runs off Tasmanian teammate Brett Geeves in the first over of the match.

The All*Stars were on track for a massive total but Shaun Tait engineered Gilchrist's downfall when he clean bowled Gilchrist with a swinging swift delivery that kick-started a change in momentum

The All*Stars lost 4-16, with Australian debutant Xavier Doherty, executing a great piece of fielding to find Dighton just short of his ground before claiming his first scalp in state captain Dan Marsh.

Hodge and Langer were untroubled though, steadying the ship while keeping the run rate ticking over.

The pair ensured Geeves would continue to have a forgettable night, plundering 18 runs off his third over before the Tasmanian quick finally finished with 0-63 from his four overs as the All*Stars posted an imposing total that would prove to be too much for Australia.

All*Stars innings
Gilchrist b Tait 25 (20)
Dighton run out (Doherty) 34 (13)
Hodge not out 65 (45)
Katich c Haddin b Siddle 1 (2)
Marsh, D b Doherty 0 (1)
Langer not out 52 (43)

Extras: 26 (5b, 1lb, 4nb, 16wd)
Total: 203 (four wickets; 20 overs)

FoW: 1-67, 2-72, 3-75, 4-83

Bowling:
Geeves 4 - 0 - 63 - 0 (2wd)
Tait 4 - 0 - 28 - 1 (6wd 1nb)
Siddle 4 - 0 - 50 - 1 (7wd 2nb)
Doherty 4 - 0 - 28 - 1
Symonds 3 - 0 - 26 - 0 (1wd, 1nb)
Hussey, D 1 - 0 - 2 - 0

Australian innings
Marsh c Drew b Magoffin 5 (7)
Hayden c Harris b Magoffin 4 (3)
Watson run out Harris 11 (10)
Haddin c Cullen b Drew 20 (15)
Symonds c Katich b Marsh 45 (35)
Hussey, M c Gilchrist b Drew (1) (2)
Hussey, D c Hodge b Cullen 28 (16)
White c Dighton b McDonald 13 (12)
Doherty c McDonald b Cullen 3 (5)
Siddle not out 2 (2)
Tait b McDonald 1 (2)

Extras: 6 (1lb, 5wd)
Total: 139 (all out; 18.1 overs)

FoW: 1-5, 2-17, 3-34, 4-56, 5-59, 6-105, 7-127, 8-134, 9-138, 10-139

Bowling:
Magoffin 4 - 0 - 21 - 2
Drew 4 - 0 - 41 -2 (2wd)
Harris 3 - 0 - 20 - 0 (3wd)
McDonald 3.1 - 0 - 23 - 2
Cullen 3 - 0 - 27 - 2
Marsh 1 - 0 - 6 - 1