Cricket: Vincent says Aussies beatable

Lou Vincent. Herald picture / Martin Sykes

If nothing else, New Zealand derobed Australia of their invincible cricket aura in last night's heart-breaking two-run loss here, according to Black Caps opening batsman Lou Vincent.

The fourth-highest second innings in one-day international history was not enough for the shattered home side, whose 320 fell a painstaking two runs short of Australia's 322 for five in one of the most exciting internationals of recent times.

Vincent's rapid 71 at the top of the New Zealand order typified their spirited fight at Westpac Stadium, overcoming the bruised thigh that forced him to bat on with a runner, cracking 48 from boundaries in a defiant knock.

"You put pressure on any good players and you can create opportunities. You get a couple of full tosses and away you go," Vincent said, saying the Australians were as vulnerable as other teams if they could be knocked off their stride.

His opening was backed up with blazing knocks from middle-order trio Chris Cairns (60), Jacob Oram (41) and Brendon McCullum (48), trying as a group to overcome what Andrew Symonds achieved on his own in the Australian innings with a towering 156.

Captain Daniel Vettori was desperately disappointed his side came up short of ending a losing run against Australia that has stretched to eight, but agreed Vincent and the other leading batsmen should be proud, particularly after the 147-run first loss at Auckland.

"It was a pretty emphatic turnaround, I couldn't ask for too much more in terms of the way we played Brett Lee," Vettori said of the Australian pace bowler who conceded 85 runs.

"We talked about facing Lee and what we were going to do and guys went away and worked on their own things. Lou obviously decided to take it to them and he played exceptionally well."

Vincent said he should be fit for the third and final match of the series at Christchurch on Saturday.

Some powerful hitting and sharp running kept New Zealand ahead of the equivalent Australia score for most of their chase, falling behind only midway through the final over.

Ponting praised the temperament of debut paceman Mick Lewis, who bowled the last over with aplomb. Michael Clarke, who earlier scored an unbeaten 82, was another key figure in the final over, ending McCullum's 33 ball cameo with a direct hit throw from 30m.

"New Zealand played very well and probably should have won the game in the end," Ponting said.

Symonds' score was the highest by an Australian on foreign soil and their third highest anywhere, while it was also a world record for a batsmen at No 5 in the order.

Starting slowly when Australia were 50 for three, Symonds was all thunder at the end on the way to an innings that featured eight sixes and took just 127 balls.

"I was really enjoying it at the end when I could just swing at will. There was no restriction on that, it was a free as a bird sort of feeling," Symonds said.

He described the batting surface as the best he had encountered in New Zealand.

Victory has handed Australia the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy as they have an unassailable 2-0 lead.

New Zealand will hope to have rested regular captain Stephen Fleming and injured pace bowler Shane Bond fit ready for Christchurch but a decision was still to be made on either of them.

- NZPA