Cricket: First blood to Kiwis

Scott Styris and Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson go nose-to-nose as wicketkeeper Brad Haddin moves in to separate them. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Scoreboard

NAPIER - Scott Styris, unwanted last month against Bangladesh, was New Zealand's hero on a thrilling night as the hosts went 1-0 up in the Chappell Hadlee ODI series.

And there was a tasty square-up between Styris and Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson to add bite to the contest before Saturday's second encounter at Eden Park.

Early today, both players received a punishment for breaching the International Cricket Council's code of conduct from match referee Ranjan Madugalle.

Styris accepted a grade-one charge and was fined 15 per cent of his match fee. Johnson accepted a level two offence and was fined 60 percent of his match fee.

Styris pushed New Zealand past the 276 required for victory with a blazing 49 not out off 34 balls, hitting the winning runs by belting left armer Doug Bollinger for six down the ground.

The win was achieved with four balls and two wickets to spare, New Zealand reaching 281 for eight.

It was their fourth ODI win in succession over Australia on home turf.

It followed Sunday's stunning Twenty20 win in Christchurch, and should give the players a significant injection of self-belief.

The face-off came after Styris had taken a couple of boundaries off Johnson's final over.

The bowler advanced down the pitch and the pair met, forehead against batting grille, in what shaped momentarily as an ugly confrontation.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting said he didn't know what sparked the confrontation. Styris downplayed the incident, labelling it "nothing more than normal".

"Australia play good competitive cricket and I'd like to think we'll match them in competitiveness. Simple as that," he said.

Styris was even coy on whether Johnson did deliver a headbutt or not, saying: "He might have come quite close, I don't know, he may have done.

"He was trying to get into my head and get me out and I was trying to win the battle over him.

"I'm sure he and the rest of them in the next game will be trying to do the same sorts of things and we will too."

Styris, a late replacement for captain Dan Vettori, who has a strained neck, showed the value of having an experienced head in a tight situation as, with bowlers Daryl Tuffey, Tim Southee and Shane Bond for company, he got the job done.

Jacob Oram was padded up if needed, despite having damaged his left knee in the field earlier in the day.

New Zealand filled their boots in the power play from overs 45 to 49, grabbing 50 runs.

With 12 needed from the final two overs, Bond hit two fours in the penultimate over and the scores were tied at the start of the last over, leaving Styris to apply the coup de grace.

"It rates pretty highly because any time you are the guy at the end to win a game you've got to be happy," he said.

"Couple that with it being Australia, the No 1 team in the world, it's even better."

Ponting paid due credit to New Zealand, and Styris's innings, but was unhappy with several aspects of his team's performance.

"Every game that we play has to be like it is your last," he said. "I didn't think we were necessarily playing with that sort of attitude tonight."

New Zealand captain for the night Ross Taylor expects Australia to hit back hard.

"But we have won the last two games so hopefully we can take that momentum into the next game."

The man of the match award went to Taylor for a fine 70, although Styris had a strong case for the gong.

Taylor had the winning of the match in his hands but he skied a catch to deep mid wicket.

Earlier, Brendon McCullum and Peter Ingram made light work of the Australian bowling with a sparky 75-run stand.

But after that, the momentum was draining out of the innings until Taylor took charge.

For Australia, only the reliable Mike Hussey made it past the half century.

Oram and Tuffey made an important contribution in putting the brakes on the scoring.

Without Hussey and James Hopes' 72 off 76 balls for the sixth wicket, Australia would have been in a sorrier state.

But then the 8000 crowd wouldn't have had one of the better finishes they'll ever see.