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*Centurion:* Australia were crowned the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy winners after _Shane Watson_'s unbeaten century guided the defending champions to a six-wicket victory over a depleted New Zealand in a low-scoring final match here on Monday.
Watson hit an unbeaten 129-ball 105 (10X4, 4X6) and starred in a 128-run stand with _Cameron White_ (62) under tremendous pressure as Australia, chasing 201 against New Zealand's never-say-die pacers, overcame a wobbly start to reach 206 for four in 45.2 overs.
Earlier, a rudderless New Zealand, sans their injured skipper _Daniel Vettori_, fumbled and faltered their way to 200 for nine.
The Kiwis had just two decent partnerships in their innings but _Martin Guptill_ (40) and _Aaron Redmond_ (26) took 15.1 overs to raise 61 runs for the second wicket, while _Neil Broom_ (37) and _James Franklin_ (33) added 65 in 14.1 overs, which underlined their struggle in the middle.
For Australia, _Nathan Hauritz_ claimed three for 37.
Considering Australia's batting might, the match seemed to have all the ingredients of a lop-sided show but _Shane Bond_ and _Kyle Mills_ injected drama by dealing early blows that jolted Australia out of any complacency they had.
_Shane Bond_'s second delivery removed _Tim Paine_ (1) and Mills then trapped in-form _Ricky Ponting_ (1) in the next over to reduce Australia to six for two wickets inside three overs.
The New Zealand pacers maintained the same pressure as Australia crawled to 34 for two after 15 overs, an austerity they are not accustomed to.
Watson and White did not panic and ran hard between wickets, while helping themselves to the occasional boundary.
The duo paced the chase with utmost maturity, first weathering the crisis and then opening up.
Mills eventually returned to remove White but the stand had yielded 128 precious runs by then and even _Michael Hussey_'s (11) wicket came too late as Australia had all but pocketed the match.
Watson wrapped it up in style, hitting two successive sixes to romp home.
Earlier, Vettori's last minute pullout with a hamstring injury was just the start of New Zealand's woes and they never got going after opting to bat first at the SuperSport Park.
As if losing _Jacob Oram_, _Daryl Tuffey_ and _Jesse Ryder_ at different stages of the tournament was not bad enough, the Kiwis walked out in the middle without their inspirational captain and man-in-form Vettori.
This was a mighty blow for the Kiwis as Vettori was New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in the tournament with seven scalps under his belt besides leading their batting averages.
In his absence, _Brendon McCullum_ took over the captaincy reins and _Jeetan Patel_ was drafted into the playing XI but New Zealand were clearly not the same
force.
McCullum opted to bat first but to his horror, by the time the match was into its 27th over, the Kiwi top order was cooling their heels in the hut.
McCullum himself let the team down when it mattered most.
Not a single run came off the bat in the first two overs as McCullum scratched around before returning for a duck when _Peter Siddle_ ended his 14-ball struggle to get off the mark.
Life was not easy for Guptill and Redmond either with the Australian pacers maintaining a stifling line and length and their fielders ensuring there were no freebies.
Guptill hit _Mitchell Johnson_ for two fours in the same over in a rare moment of aggression but it took him and Redmond 15.1 overs to raise those 61 runs before they were hit by the next setback with _Nathan Hauritz_ getting a distinctly uncomfortable Redmond stumped.
Situation demanded patience and Guptill had got the start as well but the Kiwi batsman made a complete mess of it, offering a tame return catch to Hauritz to leave his team tottering at 77 for three and the crisis was not over yet.
_Michael Hussey_ took a blinder off Johnson to remove _Ross Taylor_ (6) in the next over and then _Brett Lee_ trapped in-form Grant Elliot (9) to polish off the Kiwi top half.
Broom and Franklin tried to put things in order but both perished just when they had started to open up and New Zealand barely managed the 200-mark.
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