Cricket: Australia beat NZ by nine wickets to win series 2-0

Glenn McGrath bowls Paul Wiseman. Picture / Fotopress

Australian captain Ricky Ponting completed a memorable batting double to lead his team to a nine-wicket victory over New Zealand late on the fourth day of the third cricket test today.


Ponting was 86 not out as Australia reached their target of 164 in the 30th over under the Eden Park floodlights, to win the three-test series 2-0.


Justin Langer and Ponting, who scored 105 in the first innings, added an unbroken 148 for the second wicket, with Langer ending 59 not out.


The only wicket to fall was that of Matthew Hayden, run out for nine by a Daniel Vettori direct hit from mid off.


Earlier, Australian paceman Glenn McGrath was left stranded on 499 test wickets when he bowled Paul Wiseman for 23 to end New Zealand's second innings at 254.


McGrath ended with figures of four for 40 while legspinner Shane Warne took four for 77, including his 100th test wicket against New Zealand.


* Scoreboard at stumps on the fourth day of the third cricket test between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park today:-


New Zealand


First innings 292


Second innings (11-2 overnight)


C Cumming lbw b McGrath 0
J Marshall c Langer b McGrath 3
H Marshall c Gilchrist b McGrath 7
S Fleming c and b Gillespie 3
N Astle c Katich b Warne 69
L Vincent run out 40
B McCullum lbw b Warne 0
D Vettori c McGrath b Warne 65
J Franklin c Ponting b Warne 23
P Wiseman b McGrath 23
C Martin not out 4
Extras (1b, 14lb, 2nb) 17
--Total (69.2 overs) 254
Fall: 0 (Cumming), 9 (J Marshall), 15 (Fleming), 23 (H Marshall), 93 (Vincent), 93 (McCullum), 174 (Astle), 220 (Franklin), 227 (Vettori), 254 (Martin).


Bowling: G McGrath 16.2-5-40-4, J Gillespie 16-4-63-1 (1nb), M Kasprowicz 14-2-59-0 (1nb), S Warne 23-5-77-4.


Australia


First innings 383


Second innings


J Langer not out 59
M Hayden run out 9
R Ponting not out 86
Extras (10lb, 2nb) 12
Total (for 1 wkt, 29.3 overs) 166
Fall: 18 (Hayden).

Bowling: C Martin 8-1-51-0 (2nb), J Franklin 7-0-40-0, D Vettori 4-0-19-0, N Astle 7-0-33-0, P Wiseman 3.3-0-13-0.


Result: Australia won by nine wickets, won three-match series 2-0.


Man of the match: Ricky Ponting (Australia).


- NZPA