Cricket: Vettori bemoans poor first innings in heavy defeat

Tim Southee smashed 45 off 25 balls before Australia completed a test series whitewash in Hamilton today. Photo / Getty Images

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New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori pinpointed a poor first innings with the bat as a crucial factor in his side's 176-run defeat to Australia in the second cricket test in Hamilton today.

Chasing an unlikely 479 to win, New Zealand were dismissed for 302 just before lunch on day five at Seddon Park as the tourists sealed a 2-0 series victory after their 10-wicket win in Wellington.

Half-centuries from Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum and some late hitting from Tim Southee, who cracked 45 off 25 balls, defied the tourists for 126 minutes today.

Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson took six for 73 off 20.1 overs to end with figures of 10 for 132, and the man of the match award.

Vettori bemoaned a lack of ruthlessness in the first innings when New Zealand could only claim a first innings lead of 33 runs despite a blazing 138 from Ross Taylor.

"It's similar to the first test, we played really well at times but to beat Australia it has to be over five days and there were pockets where we let ourselves down," he said.

"Not supporting Ross Taylor in the first innings with the bat was probably the crucial bit because we bowled so well in the first innings to give ourselves a chance but we needed to have a sizeable lead to put pressure back on Australia."

Australian captain Ricky Ponting's side, ranked third in the world before this series, made it seven wins from eight tests this summer.

He paid tribute to left-arm speedster Johnson who took 12 wickets at 18.33 in the one-day series and 12 wickets at 23.08 in the two tests.

"He has come a long way, this tour in particular has been the best and most consistent I've seen him bowl," Ponting said.

"There were probably some question marks over our test cricket before the summer started, having been a bit inconsistent during the Ashes series and not nailing the crucial moments.

"If anything we've gone the other way when there's been big moments we really have stood up and nailed them. When we've had opposition teams down we've stayed on top."

New Zealand started an overcast final day in a seemingly hopeless position, 185 for five, still 294 short of their mammoth target with their last two recognised batsmen at the crease.

Guptill and McCullum lasted 18.3 overs this morning as they extended their sixth wicket partnership to 87.

McCullum was the aggressor, cracking Johnson for three consecutive boundaries and reaching his 16th test half-century off 93 balls.

But his 117-minute resistance, including nine fours and a six, ended soon afterwards when on 51 he cut a Doug Bollinger delivery to Michael Hussey at gully from the third delivery with the second new ball.

Jeetan Patel, elevated to No 8 for this test, lasted 10 deliveries for three before Bollinger found the edge to the slips cordon.

Guptill lasted 205 minutes and 157 balls for 58 before he tried to crash Johnson through the covers but edge to second slip where Ponting took a sharp chance.

Southee hit out boldly and was on target for South African Jacques Kallis' world record test half-century of 24 balls against Zimbabwe in 2004-05.

But after Brent Arnel was nicked out for nought by Johnson, Southee was finally caught on the cover boundary after hitting seven fours and a six.

- NZPA