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PERTH - They weren't quite mourning the death of Australian cricket, but it wasn't far off.
"Can it get any worse? Aussies lose thriller to Kiwis," blared the Daily Telegraph's lead headline after New Zealand's two-wicket win off the final ball in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy opener last night.
It was Australia's fourth consecutive ODI loss, having surrendered the world No 1 ranking to South Africa with a 1-4 series defeat.
"New Zealand joined the dance party on the coffin of deposed champions Australia with a thrilling, final ball win," wrote cricket writer Richard Earle.
The Sydney Morning Herald was equally gloomy.
"Australia slip to new low," said its headline.
Its cricket writer Jamie Pandaram gave a bleak assessment.
"Wounded after the South African rout, Australia are now in disarray after New Zealand smothered them in Perth to inflict a fourth successive loss and raise serious questions of their mettle," he wrote.
"It was a capitulation of stunning magnitude, as Australia were all at sea against a black tide of brilliant bowling and fielding before Ross Taylor guided the Kiwis to their meagre target of 182 despite a late rally from the home side that stretched the game to the final ball."
The ABC have gone the other way, describing New Zealand as "limping home" to "narrowly avoid an embarrassing defeat".
"The Black Caps had every opportunity to put the hosts to the sword, after Ponting's decision to bat after winning the toss backfired when Australia's top order crumbled."
And it seems like it's been all too much for the Australian skipper who will sit Friday's match out and may not play in the rest of the series, according to The Australian newspaper.
"His physical workload has been exacerbated by the strains of captaincy during the team's below-average performances," reports The Australian.
The paper reports Ponting looked tired before being run out for five.
Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch told the paper that if Ponting doesn't rest now, he wont get any time off before the end of the tour to South Africa.
"It's been pretty hard on him since India - it's been a long stint. Ricky wanted to play the entire South African series for obvious reasons, so if there is going to be a break, it will be against New Zealand."
- NZPA, NZ HERALD STAFF
