KEY POINTS:
As bullet-dodging exercises go, New Zealand's just about took the biscuit at the Sydney Cricket Ground last night.
Having won the toss and had their top order shot down in less than three overs, rain was their saviour, washing out the second game of the Chappell-Hadlee series. Having been cleaned out in the opener at Adelaide, New Zealand can still retain the trophy in Hobart on Thursday.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori's decision to bat was bold. But boldness was not his friend yesterday.
The game began about 45 minutes late due to light rain. So the pitch was fresh with heavy overhead conditions, tailormade for quality swing and seam bowling.
The rationale was that New Zealand wanted to utilise spinners Jeetan Patel and Vettori on a pitch they believed with take turn and dust late in the day.
But it also obliged New Zealand's batsmen to be at the top of their game against Australia's new ball pair Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken. It was no contest.
Lou Vincent's troubles continued when he drove loosely at Lee's second ball and was caught at second slip. He has now mustered 38 runs in his last six innings. The ticking of the clock must be ringing loud in his ears.
Jamie How parried Bracken's fifth ball to first slip and when Brendon McCullum drove uppishly to mid off New Zealand were reeling at 12 for three in only 3.5 overs.
When Lee sliced through Ross Taylor's defence first ball and Scott Styris edged Bracken just beyond the diving Ricky Ponting at second slip, mischevous minds immediately calculated 15 were needed to get past New Zealand's worst international total - 26 in a test against England at Eden Park 52 years ago.
There was a curious selection for the match. Wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins replaced Mathew Sinclair, enabling McCullum to rest a bruised thigh by charging about in the outfield, had the game gone that far.
Hopkins' only innings' on the South African tour produced a Twenty20 6 and a first ball duck in the opening ODI.
Sinclair can again ponder the meaning of his cricket life; having been whisked to South Africa for the ODIs and getting 32 not out (23 balls) and 73 in 78 balls he'd have thought being axed on the basis of making 2 in Adelaide on Friday a shade tough.
