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Crisis? What crisis? That seemed to sum up the mood of New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond last night as he led his side to a shock 10-wicket win over world champions Australia.
After a week of trenchant criticism following New Zealand's dismal tri-series campaign, Bond took advantage
of a helpful Wellington wicket and an understrength opponent to set up his side for just their third triumph over Australia in their past 23 outings.
It was the first time Australia had lost by 10 wickets in 646 ODIs, and the first time they'd lost three consecutive one-dayers since their series in the West Indies in 2002-03.
Bond's five for 23 - his fourth five wicket in the one-day arena - saw Australia bowled out for just 148, a total New Zealand were able to eclipse with 23 overs to spare following a record 149-run opening stand between Lou Vincent and Stephen Fleming.
Understandably, Fleming was savouring the emphatic victory but emphasised the New Zealanders needed to complete the job at either Eden Park tomorrow or Hamilton on Tuesday.
"It probably releases the pressure tap a little bit but not enough to sit back and say 'job done'. Beating Australia twice in a row is something we desperately want to do."
His counterpart Michael Hussey extracted no positives from one of Australia's heaviest one-day defeats.
"We just weren't up to scratch. It was a good toss to win and they got plenty of movement out of the wicket," he said.
Vincent, on fire since being recalled midway through the tri-series, continued his purple patch with a cavalier 73 not out off 87 balls, and Fleming carried on from his century at the Gabba to add an unbeaten 70 off 76 balls.
The stand was New Zealand's highest against Australia, eclipsing the 125 first-wicket partnership compiled by Bruce Edgar and Ken Rutherford at Christchurch in 1985-86.
But the hero of the night was undoubtedly Bond, who started Australia's slide when he sent back Phil Jacques and Brad Haddin, returned to knock over Cameron White and Shane Watson before wrapping up the innings with the wicket of Brad Hogg.
Bond's best moments came in his second over when he cleaned out Haddin with a peach of an in-swinger, and in his eighth - when he accepted a brilliant, one-handed caught and bowled to send back White.
The only concern to emerge for New Zealand involved all-rounder Jacob Oram, who fractured the top joint of the ring finger on his left hand while accepting an outfield catch off Johnson, leaving him in doubt for the rest of the series.
Southerly squalls had been lashing Wellington and there was still a hint of moisture around when Daryl Tuffey and Bond took the new ball against an Australian side well down on firepower.
The defections meant Australia's batting line-up was virtually unrecognisable. Having made the initial inroads, New Zealand continued to take wickets at regular intervals, despite a desperate salvage attempt by Hussey - whose 42 off 96 balls remained the mainstay of the innings.
However, when first Brad Hodge and then Hussey departed in the space of three overs, Australia were facing a struggle to beat their lowest total in Wellington - 126 against New Zealand in the summer of 1992-93. They probably would have fallen short too, had it not been for a late cameo of 20 off 23 balls from Hogg.