Statistical highlights

Australia vs England, Port Elizabeth

• Andy Bichel's wicket of Nick Knight was the 50th of his career, in 41 matches. He becomes the 25th Australian and the 140th bowler in LOIs to reach this landmark.
• The partnership of 90 runs between Alec Stewart and Andy Flintoff was England's best against Australia for the sixth wicket in LOIs bettering the previous best of an unbeaten 88 between Allan Lamb and Derek Pringle at Nottingham on 27-5-1989. The pair also eclipses England's previous best against Australia in the World Cup for this wicket, which was the 30-run stand between Lamb and John Emburey at Calcutta on 8-11-987.
• The above partnership was also a record at this ground for the sixth wicket. South Africans Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener had put on 58 runs against Zimbabwe on 6-2-2000.
• Andy Bichel's 7-20 was the second best bowling performance by an Australian, after the 7-15 by teammate Glenn McGrath against Namibia at Potchefstroom a few days ago on 27-2-2003. It was also the all-time third best bowling performance in LOIs after Sri Lankan Chamida Vaas' 8-19 against Zimbabwe at Premadasa at Colombo on 8-12-2001 and McGrath's 7-15 (see above).
• Bichel figures are now the best by any bowler against England. He betters the previous best of 7-36 by Pakistani Waqar Younis at Leeds on 17-6-2001. He also betters the previous best bowling performance against England in the World Cup. Former Australian left-arm pace bowler Gary Gilmour had figures of 6-14 (in 12 overs) at Leeds on 18-6-1975. 
• Bichel's figures are by far the best at this ground. Namibia's Rudi van Vuuren had earlier taken 5-43 also against England on 19-2-2003.  
• Bichel's previous personal best figures were the 5-19 against South Africa at Sydney on 22-1-2002. 
• The unbeaten 73-run partnership between Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel was the best for Australia against England for the ninth wicket in LOIs bettering the unbeaten 33 between Kim Hughes and Geoff Dymock at the Oval on 20-8-1980.
• The above partnership was Australia's all-time best in the World Cup for the 9th wicket. The pair obliterates the previous best of unbeaten 23 between Geoff Marsh and Andrew Zesers against New Zealand at Chandigarh on 27-10-1987.
• Bevan's unbeaten 74 was the highest score by an Australian batsman at number six against England. The previous highest was the 69 not out also by Bevan at Sydney 10-2-1999.
• Bichel's unbeaten 34 was his highest of his career. He had made 28 against Sri Lanka at Sydney earlier this year on 2-3-2003. 
• Bichel's 7-20 and unbeaten 34 makes him the first player in LOI history to do the rare all-rounders double of 30-plus runs and seven wickets in the same match.
• Only two other Australians have made scores of 30-plus and taken five-plus wickets in the same match -- Greg Chappell (33 not out, 5-15 v India at Sydney on 8-1-1981) and Mark Waugh (57, 5-24 v West Indies at Melbourne on 15-12-1992).
• Bichel, incidentally becomes the only second player in the World Cup to do the all-rounder's double of 30-plus runs and five-plus wickets. India's Kapil Dev (40, 5-43 v Australia at Nottingham on 13-6-1983) was the only other player to achieve this.
• This win was Australia's 12th in a row since 11-1-2003. This is now a new record for most wins in a row by any team in LOI history. The previous record holder West Indies had 11 consecutive victories from 4-6-1984 to 2-2-1985. Incidentally Australia, under Steve Waugh, also had an unbeaten run of 14 matches from 12-1-2000 to 1-3-2000. However, this sequence was broken on 17-2-2000, when a match against the Kiwis at Wellington had to be declared as a no-result because of rain. Prior to this match, the Australians had won nine in a row and then had four consecutive wins after the Wellington game.
• This was Australia's 14th consecutive win over England since 26-1-1999 (at Adelaide). The last time England won a match against the Aussies was at Sydney (by 7 runs) on 17-1-1999.
• The man of the match award was Bichel's second of his career in 41 matches. The only other such award came against South Africa on 22-1-2002 at Sydney for his five- wicket haul (5-19).