Cricket World® Player Of The Week - Shane Watson

Cricket World® Player Of The Week - Shane Watson

Shane Watson hits out during his innings.

©REUTERS/Rogan Ward (SOUTH AFRICA SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has been named as the Cricket World® Player Of The Week after he scored an unbeaten century in the ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand.

Watson had already scored a century in the semi-final as his side crushed England to give themselves a shot at defending their title, and despite being reduced to six for two in pursuit of 201 to win, Watson held firm, seeing off the early threat posed by Kyle Mills and Shane Bond, eventually sealing both the match and his century with a maximum.

He closed unbeaten on 105 and Australia won the match by six wickets, Watson having faced 129 balls in all, hitting ten fours and four sixes. He played his part in the field when New Zealand were restricted to 200 for nine, bowling ten overs which went for 50 and combining with Mike Hussey to run out Neil Broom.

The innings was his fourth ODI century, and all four have come since his latest comeback from injury and after he was named as the player of the tournament in the first edition of the Indian Premier League when he starred for the champions, the Rajasthan Royals.

Other contenders for this week's award were Watson's team-mate Nathan Hauritz and Zimbabwean Vusi Sibanda, who scored more than 300 runs as the Zimbabwe XI beat Kenya in an ICC Intercontinental Cup match.

© Cricket World 2009

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