Cricket: Ponting senses Aussie big lift near

Daniel Vettori's seat-of-the-pants 70 off 49 balls sent the crowd into a frenzy during Saturday's game at Eden Park. Photo / Getty Images

If Ricky Ponting's assessment is right, New Zealand may come to rue not grabbing a royal chance to go 2-0 up in the Chappell Hadlee Trophy when the series resumes at Hamilton's Seddon Park tomorrow.

Having restricted Australia to 273 for seven at Eden Park, New Zealand tumbled badly early in their pursuit and despite captain Dan Vettori's seat-of-the-pants 70 off 49 balls, the Aussies squared the five-game series at 1-all with a 12-run win, under Duckworth Lewis rain recalculations.

"I don't think a good game is too far away to tell the truth," Ponting said of a performance he still felt had flaws in it.

Several of his batsmen are getting starts but not pressing on; his bowlers have been a mix.

For all the good work of spirited Ryan Harris and left-armer Mitchell Johnson - who went from hoon to hero in three days with his four-wicket haul at Eden Park to thumb his nose at the boo brigade - there was burly Doug Bollinger balancing the ledger.

There has been nothing bubbly about Bollinger's work so far, unless you're a New Zealand batsman, his 17.2 overs in the opening two ODIs costing 121.

Shane Watson (45, 47), Cameron White (33, 54) and Mike Hussey (59, 56) have been the key batsmen, but no one has really gone on to shut New Zealand out of the contest.

But Ponting's not too unhappy. Fine tuning was the nub of his post-match assessment.

"Guys getting starts are looking in really good touch. I'm sure a big score will come for some of our batters in the next few games."

New Zealand could do with that too, after sliding to 89 for five, the absence of first ODI man of the match Ross Taylor not helping, nor losing five overs to rain allied to the implementation of the Duckworth Lewis system.

Scott Styris threatened to do a repeat of his Napier heroics for a time, but ultimately it came down to Vettori, with help from Gareth Hopkins, Daryl Tuffey and the tail to get New Zealand over the line.

Vettori, touch and go to play after being troubled by a strained neck, suggested he would not have played on Saturday had Taylor not come down with a hamstring injury.

That said, having done a tidy job with the ball, including snaring a reflex one-handed return catch from Brad Haddin, Vettori launched a bold assault.

Repeatedly stepping outside his off stump to spear the ball through the on side, Vettori's heady innings relied on terrific hand-eye co-ordination and faith in his ability to make the unorthodox work for him.

One leg glance sent the ball past the outside of his off stump to fine leg. Vettori got it down to 16 needed off 16 balls, with two boundaries off consecutive Johnson balls to send the crowd into a frenzy.

But he stepped away once too often to the impressive Ryan Harris and was bowled.

"We put ourselves under too much pressure with the bat," Vettori said.

Holding back their power play - which was reduced from five to three overs by the rejigged target - didn't help, Vettori saying the untimely loss of wickets meant constantly rethinking their plans.

"There's a lot of things I don't understand in cricket," he said. "That's one of them.

"To lose two power play overs and only have eight runs taken off [the target], I don't know how that works."