Watson comes of age

Shane Watson's plan to bat through Australia's innings reaped dividends as the holders retained the Champions Trophy with a six-wicket win over New Zealand.

Opener Watson hit his second unbeaten hundred in four days to seal success at Centurion, after injury-hit New Zealand were restricted to 9-200.

However, the game was in the balance when Australia was reduced to 2-6 in the third over of its chase.

It took a 128-run alliance between Watson, who finished undefeated on 105, and Cameron White (62) to break the back of the chase.

"We definitely needed discipline at the start of the innings," said Watson, who hit 136 not out in the semi-final win over England.

"Both Shane Bond and Kyle Mills bowled very well with the new ball but I knew if I was there around the 40-over mark we would be a great chance of winning."

"For us to win this tournament is a great achievement for the group."

This was Australia's fourth win in the past five global 50-over tournaments, and concluded a successful few weeks in one-day cricket which began with a 6-1 demolition of England in the seven-match Series.

Watson has finally established himself as an international-class all-rounder in that period and captain Ricky Ponting, named man of the tournament, was full of praise for the man closest to him in the run-scorers' chart.

"In the last couple of months we have seen the real Shane Watson," Ponting said. "Getting his opportunity in the Ashes to open the batting, he played beautifully, and he is now showing with his bowling what a cricketer he can be."

Ponting was among the two wickets to fall to the new ball and he added: "The situation we were in, with two young guys at the crease, it doesn't get any tougher than that."

"To see them get us across the line was very satisfying. As a team, we pride ourselves on adapting to different conditions around the world."

"Generally we find people to stand up in these situations and Shane and Cameron White did it."

New Zealand's chances was severely hampered by the loss of captain Daniel Vettori to a hamstring injury.

That meant it faced its trans-Tasman rivals without four members of its first-choice XI.

Nevertheless, stand-in skipper Brendon McCullum said: "We had huge expectations when we went out there today."

"We have certainly come together as a group over the last couple of weeks, we have gone through some tough times."

"It was obviously a blow losing Daniel Vettori before the toss but I still thought we had the calibre of player to put Australia under pressure, and we would get a result. But it wasn't to be."