Cricket: The way the cake crumbles

Hamish Marshall, the hero of Melbourne in December, came close to reprising his role in Wellington last night before dipping out in a drama-filled end.

Australia won by 10 runs in the first one-day international, losing their last three wickets for two runs after Marshall's brilliant 76 off 69 balls clawed them to the brink of victory.

In the end, Glenn McGrath was too good.

It was a frantic last few overs, tinged with controversy, lunacy and some cricket, too.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting was clearly unhappy with the rubbish thrown at Glenn McGrath on the third-man boundary, particularly after he let a Marshall cut shot clear his hands and go for four.

Ponting ensured play was stopped until the debris was cleared. Simon Katich, who the ball before had caught Brendon McCullum and given the crowd a verbal roasting, was hit by a missile on the boundary as Lee delivered his next.

Again, play was halted.

There was the obligatory streaker. Oh, and it was a fantastic match.

The Black Caps top order dug themselves a hole with some snail-paced scoring. Mind you, Glenn McGrath had a heavy hand on the spade too - his first seven overs costing a scarcely believable seven runs for Mathew Sinclair's wicket.

A seemingly comfortable ask of 4.74 jumped past the psychological barrier of six per over before the 20th over.

Such was the dominance of the Australian bowlers it took until the 29th over until anyone other than Nathan Astle hit a boundary. That person was No 6 Marshall, who hit a pair of fours off Andrew Symonds.

Until that point the Australian bowling was too good.

The rot started early. After seeing numerous good shouts turned down while in the field, the Black Caps must have felt aggrieved to see Stephen Fleming given out to a poor lbw decision from a Brett Lee ball heading down leg.

Sinclair scratched around for eight balls before Billy Bowden ruled that he'd scratched one through to the keeper. Sinclair didn't look convinced but that is no indicator - he always looks as if security will be required to remove him from the arena.

It would be fair to say the Australians have a vice-like grip over Sinclair. In seven ODIs against the transtasman rivals Sinclair has scored 102 runs in seven innings. He's also taken 203 balls to score those runs.

Throw Scott Styris in there too. He averages 11.7 against Australia from 15 innings.

His 14 in the gloaming last night was an excruciating innings capped off by an undignified hoik to Matt Hayden in the deep.

When Chris Cairns was run out following a mix-up with Astle in the next over the writing wasn't just on the wall, it was sprayed in indelible paint.

Astle and Marshall shared a bright partnership but just when it was getting established Astle let a Brad Hogg delivery come back through the gate.

Then out came Macca, a man to whom the phrase you'd want him batting for your life has never been applied. But he gave the Black Caps the kiss of life with 37, including the biggest six seen at this ground.

With Marshall nudging and McMillan smashing, the Black Caps were looking a good deal healthier, after Australia had made 236.

Hayden didn't look at his most fluent but he'll take 71 for two reasons. First, he's been badly out of touch, putting his seemingly impregnable position in the team in doubt and, second, he was palpably out twice before he stepped away and missed one from Scott Styris that clipped off stump.

Ponting was typically regal, following on from his savage 98 not out in the Twenty20 match at Eden Park with 61. He too might have been fortunate to survive a stumping appeal that was referred to the third umpire. His foot seemed to be in the air as the bails were lifted but the Australians' mental hold over umpires appears to have spread to the TV umpire booth.

This one didn't prove costly, however, as he was caught by Vettori on the boundary for 61 off Styris.

The Australian innings lost its way as Styris found his.

From 140-1 Symonds and Brad Hogg engaged themselves in a mid-pitch conflab with the scoreboard reading 160-6.

Damien Martyn missed a cracking Styris off-spinner on seven and Michael Clarke and Simon Katich both departed for ducks.

Clarke fell to a screamer of a catch by Marshall at mid-wicket, while Cairns ripped one through that Katich could only nick.

However, Symonds played a commendable rescue act, scoring 53 from 44 deliveries and being particularly harsh on Cairns.

It proved to be the winning of the game.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY