Cricket: Styris takes four for forty

Allrounder Scott Styris ripped through Australia's middle order to take four for 40 as New Zealand restricted the tourists to 236 for seven in the first one-day cricket international here today.

After captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat, Styris relished the slow Westpac Stadium pitch with his varied medium pacers as Australia's momentum was strangled in the middle stages.

They slumped from 140 for one to 160 for six in the space of eight overs.

Styris removed Australia's two topscorers, recalled Matthew Hayden for 71 and Ponting for 61 after they added 133 for the second wicket and appeared set for a big total.

Styris bowled Hayden for 71 off 109 balls, including seven fours, after Hayden had a life on 31 when umpire Billy Bowden turned down a caught behind appeal off Kyle Mills when replays showed he gloved the ball.

Ponting followed four overs later, caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Daniel Vettori.

Styris added the wickets of Damien Martyn and Michael Clarke cheaply in a 23-ball spell of four for five -- his fourth haul of four wickets or better in his 96th match.

Big-hitting Andrew Symonds boosted the total late in the innings with 53 off 44 balls, including two sixes off Chris Cairns before Cairns bowled him in the 49th over.

Playing his 200th one-day international, Cairns finished with two for 56 off 10 overs.

- NZPA