Anchoring an innings Mark Waugh strikes giant blow as Australia notches 303 Click here for more on this story Posted: Wednesday September 22, 1999 09:45 AM   Mark Waugh recovered from a slow start to notch his 100 in the 42nd over. Clive Mason/Allsport LONDON (CNN/SI) -- Despite a valiant effort on the part of Zimbabwe and Man of the Match Neil Johnson, Mark and Steve Waugh lead Australia to a 44-run victory in their Super Six match at Lord's on Wednesday. Johnson bowled the first ball of the match, also carried his bat through the Zimbabwean innings and faced the last ball of the match to score an unbeaten 132. Sent into bat, Australia scored more than six runs an over as Mark Waugh blazed 104 off 120 balls to become the fifth batsman, and first non-Indian, to score a century in this tournament. Mark Waugh, who scored three centuries in the 1996 World Cup, combined with twin brother Steve (62) for a 129-run partnership for the third wicket to set up Australia's win. Waugh followed Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja as century makers in the 1999 Cup and Johnson became the sixth centurion as Australia's bowling attack failed to live up to its recent form. Only 10 wickets fell in 100 overs on a pitch that Steve Waugh described as the "best batting wicket in the world." Steve Waugh said there was room for improvement for Australia's bowlers but he rated the batting at nine out of 10. "The batting was good...300 is an excellent score," he said. "We always knew they'd be under pressure chasing - [Zimbabwe] batted well but we played better than them today." Zimbabwe skipper Alistair Campbell said at 150 for one his could have won the match. "We sent them in with the intention of restricting them to 230 or 240...that didn't happen," he said. "Obviously we were in a good position [in reply] and that should have been a good launching pad but we lost three or four wickets at a critical stage." Zimbabwe started its reply aggressively with Johnson dominating the attack to reach 153 for one in the 28th over. Johnson, who scored 76 and took three wickets in Zimbabwe's shock 48-run win over South Africa in a Group A match, put on 39 in 10 overs before Grant Flower (21) was adjudged leg-before wicket to Glenn McGrath. Johnson and Murray Goodwin, who played for West Australia before opting to represent his native country, put on 114 for the second wicket and seized control of the game until part-time bowler Michael Bevan broke through. Goodwin scored 47 off 56 balls before he holed out to Moody on the midwicket boundary off slow-bowler Bevan, who completed a wicket-maiden in the 29th over to turn the game in Australia's favor. Andy Flower was out for a first-ball duck with the addition of one to the total when he edged Reiffel to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and Zimbabwe slumped 14 runs behind Australia at the comparative stage after 30 overs. The chase deteriorated as wickets continued to fall. Reiffel was expensive in his opening spell but returned to cut through the middle-order, dismissing Campbell and Guy Whittall. He finished with match figures of 3-55 off ten overs. Campbell added 17 in 22 balls before he chased a ball down leg side and swept straight to Moody at deep backward square and Guy Whittall (0) miscued a drive to Mark Waugh at mid off as Zimbabwe crumbled to 189 for five. After being plundered for 48 runs in seven overs, including 16 in one over as Johnson hit four boundaries, Shane Warne finally snared a wicket when he had Dirk Viljoen (5) stumped by Gilchrist in the 40th over. At 200 for six, Zimbabwe needed 104 off 10 overs but Johnson and Heath Streak (18) could only add 59 before time ran out. It was 16 years to the day since a bunch of rookies from Zimbabwe stunned Australia in a 13-run upset at Trent Bridge in the 1983 World Cup. But the Zimbabweans, making their Lord's debut, couldn't repeat the upset and, instead, extended its losing stretch against Australia to 11 games. It now trails Australia 6-1 in World Cup head-to-heads. Earlier Mark Waugh, who scored 83 in Australia's 77-run win over India, started slowly before lifting the tempo during his partnership with Steve Waugh. Australia lost Gilchrist(10), adjudged lbw to Johnson, with the total at 18. Ricky Ponting blazed 36 off 35 balls before he played onto his own stumps off Henry Olonga in the 15th over. At that stage the total was 74 for two. Darren Lehmann joined Mark Waugh briefly, scoring six runs before he retired hurt after being struck on the left hand by a sharply rising Olonga delivery. Lehmann was taken to hospital for X-rays, bringing skipper Steve Waugh to the crease with the total at 97 for two. Mark Waugh reached his 50 off 59 balls after dispatching a series of Olonga's half volleys on legside to the boundary behind square. Steve Waugh reached his half century off 54 balls in the 37th over but after hitting a four and a six off successive balls in the next over to tally 62 off 61 balls, he was bowled by Guy Whittall. Mark Waugh notched his 100 in the 42nd over but was out five balls later when he lofted a Johnson delivery to Goodwin at deep square leg with the total at 248. Bevan, unbeaten on 37, and Moody, not out 20, added 55 for the fifth wicket before Australia's allotted 50 overs was complete.   Related information Stories New Zealand-Zimbabwe match washed out Steve Waugh's plan to win the World Cup Australia defeats India by 77 runs in Super Six match Australia's ball and India's bat will determine winner of first Super Six clash Multimedia Australia stays alive for a spot in the semifinals by beating Zimbabwe.   • Start(4.87 M .MOV) Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.