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Australia have inflicted one of New Zealand's heaviest one-day cricket defeats, swatting the Black Caps aside by 215 runs in their World Cup Super Eights mismatch today.
Set 349 to win, New Zealand were routed for just 133 on the penultimate ball of the 26th over at the Grenada National Stadium.
Opener Peter Fulton offered the only significant resistance to a compelling Australian bowling attack scoring 62 before he became spinner Brad Hogg's fourth victim.
Only two other Black Caps made double figures -- Scott Styris 27 and captain Stephen Fleming 12.
New Zealand folded to lose their last eight wickets for 56 runs, casting a pall over the build-up to their semifinal against Sri Lanka in Jamaica next Wednesday (NZT).
Hogg was the chief destroyer claiming four for 29 off 6.5 overs while Glenn McGrath became the new record holder for wickets taken at a World Cup tournament when he had Ross Taylor caught by Michael Hussey for three.
His 21st scalp in Carribean enabled the retirement-bound pace bowler to move one clear of compatriot Shane Warne and New Zealand's Geoff Allott, who set the old mark in England in 1999.
Earlier, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson ensured New Zealand would be chasing a monumental total after the trio helped Australia to 348 for six.
Hayden scored 103 from 100 balls with 10 fours and two sixes. It was his 10th one-day international century, his fourth against New Zealand and his third of the World Cup.
Captain Ponting scored 66 and Watson, recalled to the side after missing the last three games through a calf strain, drove and swept powerfully to hit four fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 65 from 32 deliveries.
New Zealand took the field without fast bowler Shane Bond, who pulled out on Friday with a stomach complaint. They still took an early wicket when Adam Gilchrist threw his bat at the first ball of James Franklin's first over and was caught by Mark Gillespie on the third-man boundary.
Hayden and Ponting scored freely, although off-spinner Jeetan Patel, brought on in the fifth over, put a brake on the scoring with no boundaries after Hayden clumped Michael Mason for a six over long-on in the ninth over until Ponting pulled Scott Styris for four in the 15th.
Runs still came steadily with both batsmen bringing up their half-centuries and it came as a surprise when Ponting, who had stroked seven fours from 70 deliveries, was caught by Ross Taylor at mid-wicket off Patel.
Michael Clarke took two fours through the covers and one to third-man off Gillespie and Hayden drove Daniel Vettori past the bowler for three fours in a row then lofted Styris back over his head for his second six. He was out shortly after bringing up his century when Styris completed a fine caught-and-bowled turning around and running back to catch a skier.
Clarke hit Franklin for a brace of fours but was then clean-bowled one short of his half-century when he misjudged the left-armer's line.
Michael Hussey, promoted ahead of Andrew Symonds (11) stroked 37 and Watson took 24 off a Gillespie over including two sixes, on the way to his first World Cup half-century.
SCOREBOARD
Australia
M Hayden c and b Styris 103
A Gilchrist c Gillespie b Franklin 1
R Ponting c Taylor b Patel 66
M Clarke b Franklin 49
M Hussey c Styris b Franklin 37
A Symonds c Mason b Patel 11
S Watson not out 65
B Hogg not out 0
Extras (1lb, 5w, 10nb) 16
Total: (for 6 wkts, 50 overs) 348
Fall: 7 (Gilchrist), 144 (Ponting), 216 (Hayden), 233 (Clarke), 257 (Symonds), 334 (Hussey)
Bowling: M Mason 3-0-27-0 (1nb, 1w), J Franklin 8-0-74-3 (5nb, 1w), J Patel 10-0-48-1 (1nb), D Vettori 10-0-60-0 (2nb), S Styris 10-0-50-1 (2w), M Gillespie 6-0-67-0 (1nb), C McMillan 3-0-21-0.
New Zealand
P Fulton b Hogg 62
S Fleming c Ponting b Tait 12
R Taylor c Hussey b McGrath 3
S Styris c Hayden b McGrath 27
C McMillan lbw b Tait 1
J Franklin b Watson 6
B McCullum c Hussey b Hogg 7
D Vettori c Symonds b Hogg 4
M Gillespie c McGrath b Hogg 2
M Mason c Gilchrist b Tait 0
J Patel not out 0
Extras (7w, 2nb) 9
Total: (all out, 25.5 overs) 133
Fall: 21 (Fleming), 29 (Taylor), 77 (Styris), 80 (McMillan), 89 (Franklin), 111 (McCullum), 117 (Vettori), 127 (Gillespie), 133 (Mason), 133 (Fulton)
Bowling: N Bracken 4-0-27-0 (1w), S Tait 6-0-32-3 (1nb, 4w), G McGrath 4-0-25-2 (1nb), S Watson 5-0-20-1 (1w), B Hogg 6.5-1-29-4 (1w)
Result: Australia win by 215 runs.
- REUTERS, NZPA
