Australia's Matthew Hayden. - reuters

castries, st. lucia (reuters)

Two balls short of a World Cup record on his return to the Australia team, Matthew Hayden patted a delivery from Graeme Smith back down the pitch.

The next he struck over the South African captain's head and the white ball clattered against the black sightscreen at the tiny St. Kitts ground.

Hayden had his century in a World Cup record 66 balls and the comeback was complete.

Hayden, 35, did not form a part of Australia's one-day plans for almost a year, missing out on the Champions Trophy triumph last October and winning his place back this year only through injury to Shane Watson.

Selected to tour New Zealand, Hayden ensured his place in the World Cup squad by scoring an unbeaten 181 in a losing cause in the final match of the Chappell-Hadlee series. It was the highest one-day score by an Australian.

During the innings, Hayden broke his right toe and missed his team's warm-up matches in St. Vincent.

Instead he burned off his considerable energies with brisk walks around the outfield, usually accompanied by physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.

Cleared by Kountouris to resume throwdowns in the nets, Hayden proved a menace to life and limb as he slammed the ball repeatedly into the tropical vegetation at one of the Australians' practice grounds and he was declared fit to play in the group matches.

South Africa, the new world number one side after Australia's losses to England and New Zealand, were expected to provide the game of the first round.

Instead Hayden's 101 was the foundation of an Australian total of 377 which was to prove well beyond South Africa's reach.