Hogg completes satisfactory week for Australia

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, Mar 10 (Reuters) Australia spinner Brad Hogg stepped up when he was needed to complete a thoroughly satisfying warm-up week for the World Cup champions and captain Ricky Ponting.

Left-arm wrist spinner Hogg, the only specialist slow bowler in the Australia team while all-rounder Andrew Symonds continues to recuperate from an arm injury, took two for 28 from his 10 overs in his team's five wicket victory over England.

His two victims were England captain Michael Vaughan (62) Ian Bell (56), who had taken their side to a threatening 122 for one, before they both fell victim to Hogg's googly.

''He bowled a bit quicker,'' Ponting told a news conference.

''He used his variations well today. He was back to his lively self, he was jumping all around today.'' Ponting said each member of his attack, spearheaded by Shaun Tait who bowled with real pace on a somnolent pitch to take four for 33, had played a full part.

''We adjusted to the conditions really well,'' he said. ''We can take a lot from this game.'' Vaughan said he was happy with his personal form and confirmed he felt no ill-effects from the hamstring injury which cut short his participation in the tri-series with Australia and New Zealand this year.

He had been scheduled to field for up to 30 overs in the 13-a-side match but left the field after 17 over.

''That was to do with batting for two hours,'' he said. ''The week in St Vincent couldn't have gone better for me. I'm fine going into next week I will take a part in every training session and I will go be going into that New Zealand game full of confidence.'' Reuters DKS VP0535