Matthew Hayden made a sparkling Twenty20 debut as Australia launched their tour with victory in front of nearly 10,000 cricket fans last night.

The big opener cracked 79 as the tourists beat the PCA Masters by eight wickets as they reached their target of 168 with one ball to spare at Arundel Castle.

Man-of-the-match Hayden shared a first-wicket stand of 131 with Adam Gilchrist, who made 53, after left-arm spinner Michael Clarke had taken a hat-trick in the Masters' 167-6, including the wicket of Kevin Pietersen.

Hayden said: "We haven't played a lot of Twenty20 and this was my first game. It's something different and people are telling us it's the game they want to see and to play in it was a lot of fun for me."

The 33-year-old revealed how much his team-mates had enjoyed playing at the traditional venue for their tour opener.

"It was nice to play at a special place," he added. "It was a great day for us and we were just grateful that such a magnificent crowd turned out.

"It's a special occasion and has good tradition which is something Australians love."