(REUTERS) – England won the Twenty20 World Cup in magnificent style with a 111-run partnership from South Africa-born batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Craig Kieswetter setting them up for a seven-wicket win over Australia yesterday.
At a sun-blessed Kensington Oval, England restricted Australia to 147 for six before knocking off the runs with little trouble to claim their first world title in limited overs cricket after 35 years of trying.
Skipper Paul Collingwood struck the winning runs with 18 balls to spare and his team raced on to the field to hug him in scenes of wild celebration.
Collingwood, a member of the England team that reclaimed the Ashes in 2005, said the victory was amongst the best he has enjoyed.
“It’s right up there, its got to be, this is the first World Cup we’ve ever won,” he said. “When you want to be the best you’ve got to beat the best. When we got them three wickets down early doors, we gave ourselves a great opportunity.
“This is the first trophy we’ve ever won, we’re going to enjoy it, we’re going to savour it.”
David Hussey’s intelligent 59 had helped Australia recover from a dreadful start where they lost their opening three wickets for just eight runs.
Australia, the current 50- overs World Cup and Champions Trophy holders, were searching for a unique treble of limited overs world titles.
“We were outclassed on the day,” said skipper Michael Clarke, “You have to give credit to England for the way they went about it.”
Clarke’s side were favourites but England responded well to losing opener Michael Lumb early, as Pietersen and Kieswetter set about destroying Australia’s bowling.
Even when both lost their wickets, Eoin Morgan and Collingwood kept their nerve to steer England to glory without any of their customary nerves.
The impressive way in which Pietersen (47 from 31) and Kieswetter (63 from 49) went on the attack will be the enduring memory of this game.
But as Clarke said Australia had been at least 30 runs short of a score that would have really stretched England and it was the early bowling and fielding which set up the win for England.
The stuttering start began when Shane Watson was caught by Graeme Swann at slip off Ryan Sidebottom after keeper Kieswetter had spilt the ball out.
Hard-hitting left-hander Dave Warner was then run out after a hesitant call from skipper Michael Clarke and then Brad Haddin was controversially ruled caught behind when replays showed Sidebottom’s leg side delivery brushed his hip.
After Clarke went, caught by Collingwood off the excellent Swann, Cameron White (30 off 19) and Hussey led the recovery with a 50 run partnership in 6.2 overs.
Hussey had been dropped by Stuart Broad when on just 25 but Broad made some amends by taking a fine catch to remove the dangerous White.
Mike Hussey joined his brother and the pair put on 47 from 22 balls but England’s batsmen wiped out all that hard work with clinical ease.
In their barren years England lost three times in World Cup finals, in 1979, 1987 and 1992 and also were defeated on home soil in the 2004 Champions Trophy final.

AUSTRALIA
S Watson c Swann b Sidebottom 2
D Warner run out 2
*M Clarke c Collingwood b Swann 27
+B Haddin c wkpr Kieswetter b Sidebottom 1
D Hussey run out 59
C White c Broad b Wright 30
M Hussey not out 17
S Smith not out 1
Extras (b1, lb2, w4, nb1) 8
TOTAL (6 wkts, 20 overs) 147
Did not bat: M Johnson, D Nannes, S Tait.
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Watson, 0.3 overs), 2-7 (Warner, 1.5), 3-8 (Haddin, 2.1), 4-45 (Clarke, 9.2), 5-95 (White, 15.4), 6-142 (D Hussey, 19.2).
Bowling: Sidebottom 4-0-26-2, Bresnan 4-0-35-0, Broad 4-0-27-0, Swann 4-0-17-1, Yardy 3-0-34-0, Wright 1-0-5-1.

ENGLAND
M Lumb c D Hussey b Tait 2
+C Kieswetter b Johnson 63
K Pietersen c Warner b Smith 47
*P Collingwood not out 12
E Morgan not out 15
Extras (lb1, w8) 9
TOTAL (3 wkts, 17 overs) 148
Did not bat: L Wright, T Bresnan, G Swann, M Yardy, S Broad, R Sidebottom.
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Lumb, 1.5 overs), 2-118 (Pietersen, 13.1), 3-121 (Kieswetter, 14.1).
Bowling: Nannes 4-0-29-0, Tait 3-0-28-1, Johnson 4-0-27-1, Smith 3-0-21-1, Watson 3-0-42-0.