Cricket: NZ suffer heavy loss despite Vettori heroics

Daniel Vettori was New Zealand's standout player, cracking his highest one-day international score of 83 off 77 balls. Picture / Fotopress

New Zealand's obsession with bowling first in home matches came back to bite them as a super confident Australia coasted to the brink of another one-day cricket series win today.

After captain Stephen Fleming gave away first use of the best batting pitch in New Zealand, Australia plundered 314 for six then rolled the hosts for 208 to win the second one-day international by 106 runs.

That was despite the heroics of New Zealand's standout Daniel Vettori, the only bowler to show any control with none for 31 off 10 overs, then cracking his highest one-day international score of 83 off 77 balls.

It was New Zealand's 10th loss from the past 11 matches against Australia and left them needing to win in Auckland on Saturday to stop the five-match series becoming a non-event.

The Black Caps have prospered bowling first in helpful home conditions, winning eight matches that way against Pakistan and South Africa last summer.

But given Australia's fondness for batting first, New Zealand's recent questionable pace bowling form and the prospect of little early seam movement, it seemed strange to not front up with the bat and try to disrupt the world champions.

New Zealand were in the match for only the first five overs, after the struggling Daryl Tuffey had Adam Gilchrist caught behind down the leg side for nought, then Matthew Hayden lobbed Kyle Mills just wide of a sprawling Chris Cairns at mid-on.

Hayden then took over, cracking his fifth one-day international century, 114 off 124 balls, backed up by half-centuries from Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn, as New Zealand's pacemen were savaged.

Facing a required run rate of 6.3 per over, New Zealand's chase was snuffed out by Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee within the first 15 overs as they slumped to 49 for four.

Gloveman Gilchrist caught the first five wickets, and when Andrew Symonds removed Craig McMillan and Chris Cairns within three balls it was 79 for six in the 16th.

A pained Hayden then left the field with an injured right shoulder, suffered while taking a brilliant diving catch to remove Cairns for 22 off 16 balls.

Fleming, trying for his fourth consecutive one-day century at Jade Stadium, departed fifth ball of the innings for one when he slashed a Lee short ball.

Nathan Astle followed in the sixth over playing a similar loose shot at McGrath, and New Zealand's best two batsmen were gone with 15 on the board.

At a near hopeless 73 for six, Vettori hit out, passing his previous top score of 33, passing 50 off 49 balls and hitting 10 fours in all.

He added 62 with both McCullum and Jeff Wilson before being caught on the boundary in the 41st over, two balls before the innings ended.

Hayden hit 12 fours and two sixes for his second consecutive top score after his 71 in Australia's 10-run win in the series opener on Saturday.

Two big partnerships involving Hayden set up the total, 99 for the second wicket with Ponting and 133 for the third wicket with Martyn -- an Australian third wicket record against New Zealand.

Ponting continued his hot run of form with 53 off 57 balls, including six fours and two sixes, before he was run out by a brilliant direct hit from Hamish Marshall at cover.

Martyn scored 58 off 70 before another top piece of fielding by Craig McMillan at long on saw a direct hit at the bowler's end.

New Zealand's pacemen were largely cannon fodder, with Tuffey taking one for 72 off eight overs, Wilson none for 57 off six in his comeback match and Cairns one for 63 off 10. 

Fleming refused to blame his toss decision for the loss.

"Bowling first has been good to us in the past and it suits our team at the moment. It wouldn't have changed the result," Fleming said.

"It was comprehensive all round, we didn't bowl as well as we could have on that wicket. We were hoping to keep them to 250 but they fed off our mistakes in the field and we missed quite a bit with the ball."

Ponting was ecstatic, saying it was a huge step up from their performance in Wellington.

"I'm rapt with the way we played. It was a lot better all round -- all the batsmen stood up and the new ball bowling was outstanding."

* Scoreboard from the second one-day cricket international between New Zealand and Australia at Jade Stadium.

Australia

A Gilchrist c McCullum b Tuffey 0
M Hayden c Wilson b Mills 114
R Ponting run out 53
D Martyn run out 58
A Symonds c Wilson b Mills 13
M Clarke c McCullum b Cairns 23
M Hussey not out 32
B Hogg not out 9
Extras (1lb, 5nb, 6w) 12
Total (for 6 wkts, 50 overs) 314
Fall: 0 (Gilchrist), 99 (Ponting), 232 (Martyn), 237 (Hayden), 254 (Symonds), 283 (Clarke).

Bowling: D Tuffey 8-1-72-1 (3nb, 3w), K Mills 10-0-62-2 (2nb, 2w), C Cairns 10-0-63-1, D Vettori 10-0-31-0, J Wilson 6-0-57-0 (1w), N Astle 6-0-28-0.

New Zealand

S Fleming c Gilchrist b Lee 1
N Astle c Gilchrist b McGrath 3
M Sinclair c Gilchrist b Lee 15
H Marshall c Gilchrist b McGrath 16
C McMillan c Gilchrist b Symonds 12
C Cairns c Hayden b Symonds 22
B McCullum c and b Symonds 20
D Vettori c sub (Katich) b Gillespie 83
J Wilson c Ponting b Gillespie 22
K Mills run out 4
D Tuffey not out 0
Extras (4lb, 2nb, 4w) 10
Total (40.4 overs) 208
Fall: 4 (Fleming), 12 (Astle), 28 (Sinclair), 49 (Marshall), 72 (McMillan), 73 (Cairns), 135 (McCullum), 197 (Wilson), 208 (Vettori), 208 (Mills).

Bowling: B Lee 8-2-28-2 (2nb, 2w), G McGrath 7-0-42-2, J Gillespie 9.4-1-45-2 (1w) , A Symonds 6-0-41-3, B Hogg 10-0-48-0 (1w).

Result: Australia won by 106 runs, lead five-match series 2-0.

- NZPA