Cricket: Black Caps will use record win to kick-start summer at home

Daniel Vettori

In 100 one-day cricket internationals against Australia, New Zealand have won just 27 times.

However, it's doubtful any meant more for self-belief and spirit than Saturday night's world record-breaking two-wicket triumph at Jade Stadium.

"What we did today is something we'll treasure for a long time," said captain Daniel Vettori, not long after the decisive, unbeaten ninth-wicket partnership of 74 shared with wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum carried them home at better than two runs a ball.

New Zealand's 332/8, reached with an over to spare, was two runs more than any other successful second innings chase in one-day international history.

Pulling in Australia's massive 331/7 was all about attitude after nearly doing a similar thing in Wednesday's heart-breaking two-run loss at Wellington, Vettori said.

"It's been a little bit of a slight on us in the past that when we've gone close to Australia, then the next game they've rolled us. We talked about that a lot, that we needed to pick ourselves up," he said.

"Now when we come up against Australia, we're on a streak of winning one as opposed to losing nine so that makes a huge difference. There are a few guys in the team who have had success against Australia and there are others who haven't had many."

Vettori's only disappointment was that his side had already conceded the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series after losing the first match heavily in Auckland.

"This is still going to kick-start our home summer. It'll give the guys a lot of confidence."

Vettori's men not only ended an eight-match losing run against Australia but also avoided surpassing their record of seven consecutive home losses, which they had equalled on Wednesday.

Tasting long-awaited success and in such breathtaking style should ensure crowd support doesn't drop off for the four-game series against Sri Lanka starting on December 31 and the test and one-day battles with the West Indies in March.

Vettori said knowing they came so close to Australia's 322 at Westpac Stadium three days earlier was crucial, particularly when morale had slumped as the visitors slammed 72 runs off their last five overs.

Coach John Bracewell and Vettori set about changing the mood.

"We got around early batsmen and said all we have to do is replicate what we did in Wellington and then realise that we were playing on a smaller ground and, if anything, a better wicket. And there was no Brett Lee."

" ... but it still takes a phenomenal effort for it to come off and to almost do it two games in a row."

With Nathan Astle, Hamish Marshall and Craig McMillan still out of sorts, it was over to some familiar names to lead the batting rearguard.

Opener Lou Vincent's lively 39 was followed by a chanceless third one-day century from Scott Styris, his 101 providing the backbone with a lusty 42 by Jacob Oram. That pair set up the fireworks that followed from McCullum, who clobbered 50 off 25 balls.

Styris feared the worst when he and Oram were dismissed within a run of each other and the score at 258/8. "I thought it certainly made it a lot harder," he said.

"Obviously I had full faith in the boys behind me. All you're trying to do is get one boundary an over and take the ones. We were needing about 10 (an over) and that worked out nicely."

Earlier, another Australian series sweep loomed large after half centuries to captain Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke and Brad Hodge. Hussey compiled 56 runs off his last 18 balls in an unbeaten 88 of real class and aggression.

Ponting said conceding a world record score meant defeat hurt more than usual. "Any time you lose it's disappointing but when you're defending 330 and they get there with an over to spare, it hurts a little bit more."

Light rain for the last 10-15 overs was the only excuse for an inaccurate effort in the field, with Ponting believing it was too easy to blame the relative inexperience of the bowling attack. Only Stuart Clark with 4-55 stood tall.

- NZPA