Black Caps just pipped in cricket thriller for the ages

Lou Vincent was defiant on the way to his 71 for New Zealand. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Even by their own unpredictable standards, this was a night that the New Zealand cricketers will simply never forget.

The team who were lampooned mercilessly after their capitulation to Australia last week, last night went within a whisker of writing another unlikely chapter in New Zealand cricket, before falling to an agonising two run loss at Wellington.

Playing in the shadow of Australia's record-breaking total of 322 for five and Andrew Symonds' equally impressive 156, the home side chased down the unlikely target courtesy of Lou Vincent, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram and Brendon McCullum, before being bowled out for 320 with one delivery remaining.

The near-miss was New Zealand's eighth consecutive loss against Australia and equalled their all-time losing sequence at home seven games against Australia, the West Indies and England between the summers 1985-86 and 1987-88.

It also confirmed Australia as the inaugural winners of the Chappell-Hadlee series after last year's contest was shared 1-1; the last match at Brisbane being washed out by torrential rain.

Needing 23 off the last two overs, McCullum received a huge hand from Australian pace bowler Brett Lee, who in a reckless display conceded 18 runs, including a no-balled four off a near beamer, a wide off an attempted bouncer, a four to a Daniel Vettori late cut, and another no-ball this time for not having enough fieldsmen in the circle.

The last decision incensed Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, mainly because it seemed to be spotted by the third umpire rather than the on-field officials, although Billy Bowden was not to be swayed and signalled the extras.

McCullum and Vettori required six off the last over bowled by debutant Mick Lewis but faltered at the wire; McCullum being brilliantly run out by a Michael Clarke direct hit for 49, and Mills failing to make his ground at the bowler's end with New Zealand just three short of victory.

To add insult to injury, the losing total was New Zealand's highest one-day score against Australia and their highest chasing total against any nation.

Vincent, who appeared to strain a thigh muscle and was forced to bat with a runner, smote a quickfire 71 off 49 balls at the start of the reply, his barrage of nine fours and two sixes raising early hopes of defiant New Zealand counter-attack.

However, normal service appeared to resume when he was caught at the wicket in the 15th over, followed 12 balls later by an out-of-sorts Nathan Astle, and soon after by a ham-fisted Craig McMillan.

It was only a sixth-wicket partnership of 81 between Cairns and Oram that breathed life back into the game; Cairns keeping his team in the hunt with an utterly calculated 60 off 52 balls, and clearing the ropes on three occasions.

When he was eventually caught in the deep in the 41st over (with New Zealand starting to gain momentum at 237 for six) Oram continued on to post a lively 41 off 40 balls, afterwhich McCullum took on the main responsibility.

Discussed as a potential top-order saviour for the New Zealand team, the 24-year-old last night showed why coach John Bracewell was determined to keep using him at the end of the innings, his energetic 49 off 33 balls bringing New Zealand to the brink in the last over scramble.

The dramatic finish partially eclipsed the earlier pyrotechnics from Symonds, who shared in a record-breaking fifth-wicket partnership of 220 with Michael Clarke as Australia amassed the highest one-day total posted in New Zealand.

Symonds survived a dropped chance off Cairns when he was 14, and ground out his first 50 off 70 balls, and looked watchful and cautious as he hauled his side out of an early slump.

However, his approach started to changed as the innings progressed, his second 50 arriving off 39 balls and including nine fours, and his 150 coming just 16 balls later, following another two fours, and six mighty sixes.


Smashing

* Andrew Symonds 156 was the third highest score in Australian one-day history and easily the highest in matches between the transtasman rivals.

* The 220-run stand he shared with Michael Clarke, who compiled an unbeaten 82, was Australia's fifth highest for any wicket against all countries and the best for any wicket in matches involving New Zealand.

* Symonds blasted eight sixes to all parts of the ground and 12 fours in his 127-ball, 149-minute stay.

* He scored his last 56 runs off just 18 balls, as the tourists pummelled 65 off the last four overs of the innings.

* Symonds hit the first two balls of the 47th over bowled by Kyle Mills for six and cleared the ropes with the first three balls of the 48th bowled by Chris Cairns - an over that cost 25.


SCOREBOARD

ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

AUSTRALIA

A. Gilchrist c Cairns b Mills 8
S. Katich run out 36
R. Ponting c McCullum b Mills 28
B. Hodge c H Marshall b Cairns 0
A. Symonds b Vettori 156
M. Clarke not out 82
M. Hussey not out 1
Extras (4lb, 3w, 4nb) 11
Total (for 5 wkts, 50 overs) 322
Fall: 1/10, 2/47, 3/50, 4/101, 5/321.

Bowling: Mills 10-0-60-2 (2nb, 1w), Franklin 4-0-36-0 (2nb, 1w), Cairns 9-0-67-1, Oram 5-0-39-0, Styris 10-0-45-0 (1w), Vettori 10-0-51-1, Astle 2-0-20-0.

NEW ZEALAND

L. Vincent c Gilchrist b Lewis 71
N. Astle c Clark b Lewis 22
C. McMillan c Hussey b Clark 9
H. Marshall lbw b Hogg 10
S. Styris c & b Hogg 25
C. Cairns c Lee b Lewis 60
J. Oram c SR Clark b Lee 41
B. McCullum run out 49
J. Marshall run out 6
D. Vettori not out 8
K. Mills run out0
Extras (9lb, 8w 2nb)19
Total (9 wkts, 49.5 overs) 320
Fall: 1/93, 2/98, 3/109, 4/134, 5/156, 6/237, 7/271, 8/295, 9/319.

Bowling: Lee 10-0-85-1 (3nb 2w), Bracken 7-0-49-0, Lewis 9.5-0-56-3, Clark 10-0-50-1, Hogg 7-0-34-2 (1w), Symonds 6-0-37-0 (1w).

Result: Australia won by two runs.