Cricket: Bowlers deliver unlikely victory

New Zealand celebrate Ricky Ponting's controversial dismissal. Photo / Getty Images

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A sublime bowling and fielding performance has compensated for further poor top order batting in New Zealand's 51-run victory in the final Chappell-Hadlee Trophy match against Australia.

After posting 241 for 9, the Black Caps dismissed the visitors for 190 in 46.1 overs to take the dead rubber. The Kiwi batsmen will thank their bowlers, particularly Tim Southee and Shane Bond, after New Zealand's total came on a wicket and ground that suggested at least 280 runs might be required.

The Black Caps' objective of completing their allotment of overs for the second time in the series was achieved but, after losing half their wickets by the 32nd over, it was a case of stretching resources rather than dictating with any level of comfort. The fact Daryl Tuffey's 36 was the second top score in successive matches says plenty for the team's current inability to set totals.

However, it was backed up by bowling partnerships and dynamic fielding. Bond bowled with venom to take 4 for 26 from 9.1 overs and Southee responded well from an expensive last couple of games with 4 for 36 from nine.

Captain Daniel Vettori says the whole attack helped create the necessary restrictions: "Once again we put ourselves under pressure with the bat but even Daryl Tuffey and Nathan McCullum gave us something to defend as the wicket slowed up. It makes you think about opportunities missed [this series] but gives us confidence going into the test matches and World Cup."

The Black Caps were also helped by a shocking decision from home umpire Gary Baxter. He dispatched Ricky Ponting for a first-ball duck from a Bond bouncer that sconed him on the helmet. Even Bond smiled sheepishly.

"How long have you got?" Ponting smiled when asked to reflect on it. "That's the game, though. You could argue four or five decisions went against us but being 72 for 4 after 20 overs wasn't enough."

Vettori was unrepentant: "I didn't complain about it in the last game [when decisions didn't go NZ's way]. It is swings and roundabouts."

Ponting's exit put Australia in the difficult position of 27 for 2 in the seventh over - from which they never fully recovered. It is the first time in six years of this series that New Zealand has won batting first.

Another crucial period for the Black Caps was when Australia's required run-rate hit eight per over at the end of the 37th over. They took the batting power play in the 39th with Michael Hussey at the wicket, only to lose one of the game's best finishers three balls in for 46 due to late Southee swing through his legs.

Any thundering words in the Black Caps review on Friday about a less aggressive approach to early one-day batting came at the cost of three early wickets for 32 runs. The circumspect start did New Zealand no favours with Australia bowling tightly.

Scott Styris again proved his worth with the bat, returning to the five slot, making 55 from 66 deliveries. His cuts, paddles, sweeps, checked drives and drop-and-runs saw him reach his first half century having scored only 14 runs in boundaries, one of those being a six over cow corner to bring up the milestone. Styris used soft hands to pick gaps while scampering between the stumps with Ross Taylor and Vettori.

Fifty-run partnerships for the fourth and fifth wickets dragged the Black Caps through to 153 for 5 but Vettori's exit for 28 left them floundering. Gareth Hopkins again made a good start with 26 at almost a run-a-ball but given the chance to cement his place with a maiden one-day half-century, he failed to do so.

Another late flurry from Tuffey helped salvage the total but the tendency to stumble remains when sent in.

"I think if we reflect back on the series, especially the second match in Auckland, where we failed to win after restricting Australia to 273, it is going to haunt us," Vettori said. "But there are some pleasing things like taking two games off Australia. Not a lot of teams have done that recently."

Andrew Alderson