Australia into World Twenty20 final

Coming in at number seven, Hussey played some superb shots as his innings of 60 (24 balls, 3 fours, six sixes) helped Australia chase a challenging target of 192. Australia will now play England in the final on Sunday.

Chasing 192 for victory, Australia reached the target with one ball remaining. Australia need 18 runs from the last over for victory, but Hussey hit three sixes to clinch the match in the favour of his team.

Earlier, brothers Kamran and Umar Akmal both scored fifties as Pakistan made 192 in their 20 overs.

In an innings that began with a Dirk Nannes maiden, opener Kamran made exactly 50 before big-hitting younger brother Umar followed up with a blistering 56 not out as Pakistan made 191 for six. Pakistan, sent in by Australia captain Michael Clarke after rain delayed the scheduled start and threatened to bring the Duckworth-Lewis system, thought to favour the side batting second, into play, made a fine start.

Kamran Akmal and left-hander Salman Butt (32) shared a first-wicket stand of 82 as Australia’s pace trio of Nannes, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson failed to make an early breakthrough. That gave Pakistan the platform to cash in against Australia’s second-string bowlers with all-rounder Shane Watson’s two overs costing 26 runs and leg-spinner Steven Smith conceding 23 from two.

Even Australia’s normally fine fielding became ragged by the end, with usually tidy keeper Brad Haddin conceding 10 byes in an extras total of 20.

Nannes’s second over saw the match’s first boundaries when Kamran Akmal, stepping away to leg, lofted him high over the covers. Next ball Akmal drove Nannes straight down the ground for another four. Butt then twice square cut Tait for two boundaries in as many balls. Akmal then pulled Tait down to fine leg as 13 runs came in the fourth over. First change Johnson, like Nannes a left-arm quick, was then carved high over point by Butt. At the end of the six-over powerplay, Pakistan were 40 without loss.

Pakistan innings

K. Akmal c Warner b Johnson 50 S. Butt c Warner b Smith 32 U. Akmal not out 56 S. Afridi c Haddin b DJ Hussey 8 K. Latif c Warner b Nannes 13 A. Razzaq run out 12 Misbah-ul-Haq run out 0 Extras: (b-10, lb-1, w-9) 20 Total (six wickets; 20 overs) 191 Fall of wickets: 1-82 2-89 3-114 4-145 5-189 6-191

Bowling: Nannes 4-1-32-1 (2w), Tait 4-0-25-0 (2w), Johnson 4-0-37-1 (1w), Watson 2-0-26-0 (1w), Smith 2-0-23-1, DJ Hussey 3-0-24-1 (2w), Clarke 1-0-13-0.

Did not bat: Mohammad Hafeez, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal.

Australia innings

D. Warner c Umar Akmal b Mohammad Aamer 0 S. Watson c Abdur Rehman b Mohammad Aemer 16 B. Haddin st Kamran Akmal b Abdur Rehman 25 M. Clarke st Kamran Akmal b Shahid Afridi 17 DJ Hussey c & b Abdur Rehman 13 C. White c Mohammad Hafeez b Mohammad Aamer 43 M. Hussey not out 60 S. Smith st Kamran Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 5 M. Johnson not out 5 Extras: (lb-7, w-5, nb-1) 13 Total (seven wickets; 19.5 overs) 197 Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-26 3-58 4-62 5-105 6-139 7-144

Bowling: Mohammad Aamer 4-0-35-3 (2w), Abdul Razzaq 2-0-22-0, Abdur Rehman 4-0-33-2 (1nb), Saeed Ajmal 3.5-0-46-1 (1w), Shahid Afridi 4-0-34-1, Mohammand Hafeez 2-0-20-0