MELBOURNE, Jan 10: World XI captain Ricky Ponting stroked a superb 115 to lead his side to a comprehensive 112-run win over Asia in Monday's charity match for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed announced after the game that $11 million had been raised on the day for the tsunami appeal. Man-of-the-Match Ponting was in sparkling touch, hitting eight fours and three sixes in a game played before a sell-out crowd of 70,101 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"All the players owed it to the organisers and the people who were watching it all around the world to make sure it was a really competitive, good game of cricket," Ponting said.

New Zealand all- rounder Chris Cairns smashed 69 from 47 balls and West Indies captain Brian Lara scored an effortless 52 for the World XI. Sri Lanka off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took three wickets for 59 for Asia.

In reply to the World XI's 344 for eight, Asia scored 232 all out in 39.5 overs. India batsman Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 75 for Asia and his compatriot Virender Sehwag hit an aggressive 45 from 39 balls at the top of the order, including five fours and one six.

Spinners Daniel Vettori of New Zealand (3-58) and Australia's Shane Warne (2-27) took five wickets between them for the World XI. "Being out there on the field was more important (than the result)," Asia captain Saurav Ganguly said.

"Obviously they got 344 runs on the board which took the game away from us but we are very happy with the amount of money being raised and that it was a successful day."

Watched by an estimated global television audience of one billion, the match was the first of a two-game series. A second match will be staged on the Indian subcontinent in either February or March.

Australia's World Cup-winning captain Ponting and Test cricket's world record holder Lara were two of the big name players the crowd came to see and the pair batted beautifully, adding 122 for the third wicket.

India paceman Zaheer Khan had struck two early blows for Asia, removing openers Chris Gayle (1) and Adam Gilchrist (24) caught behind by wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara. Lara, who hit three fours, holed out to long off off the bowling of spinner Anil Kumble at 172 for three in the 31st over.

Ponting and the hard-hitting Cairns shared a 91-run stand from 55 balls before the Australian was stumped off Kumble at 263 for four. A bizarre decision to promote Australia tailender Glenn McGrath to number six failed when the lanky pace man made a first-ball duck.

Muralitharan also removed Cairns and Matthew Hayden (2) - the Australian opener was batting at eight - before New Zealanders Stephen Fleming (30) and Daniel Vettori (27 not out) pushed the total over 300.

Sri Lanka's Sangakkara gave a fine individual effort behind the stumps for Asia with three stumpings and two catches. India batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who could not play because of an elbow injury, made an appearance as a substitute fields man to the delight of the crowd, as did World XI coach and former Australia captain Steve Waugh.

Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya (28) and Sehwag put on 59 for the first wicket for Asia before Cairns had Jayasuriya caught at slip in the 10th over. Jayasuriya's mother was badly injured and spent a week in hospital following the tsunami, which left her clinging to a tree to avoid death.

The diminutive Sehwag tried to smash Warne over mid-wicket in the 13th over and was caught in the deep by Gayle at 76 for two as Warne struck with his second ball of the match.

Left arm spinner Vettori made the key breakthrough of removing Ganguly for 22, caught at mid-on by Gough, and Warne claimed the wicket of Pakistan's Yousuf Youhana (4) seven runs later at 114 for four.

Sangakkara (24) fell to Gough's bowing and Abdul Razzaq (11) was stumped after a wild slog attempt off Warne's bowling. Meanwhile, world cricket opened its collective hearts and wallets to the victims of the Asian tsunami with a massive $11 million raised from their one-day charity match.

Cricket's elite came together for a unique contest before 70,101 fans as their heart-felt response to the shattering events on Indian Ocean shorelines over a fortnight ago.

SCOREBOARD