7.15am - By RICHARD BOOCK
PORT ELIZABETH - The pillars of New Zealand's batting picked the worst possible time to turn to sand against Australia this morning, leaving their side just one game away from almost certain elimination from the World Cup.
After three weeks of compelling batting, the top order faltered
just when they needed to fire, handing Australia a ridiculously easy 96-run win in the Super Six contest at Port Elizabeth.
The result means New Zealand, if they are to avoid becoming the ninth side to bow out of the tournament, have to beat a fired-up Indian side at Centurion tomorrow, or hope for an unlikely series of upsets between Kenya, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
To add insult to injury for the New Zealanders, the loss arrived only a couple of hours after Shane Bond had scythed through the Australian batting line-up to finish with six for 23. This was the best ODI performance by a New Zealander, the best against Australia and the fifth-best in World Cup history.
However, for all Bond's success, New Zealand were unable to finish off the Australians, as Michael Bevan again began a trademark salvage operation with his reliable side-kick Andrew Bichel. The pair shared in a 97-run eighth-wicket stand which breathed life back into their innings.
Bevan was finally out in the 48th over for 56, and Bichel followed in the 50th after striking a career-best 64 off 83 balls.
If the New Zealanders possibly feel that they've seen far too much of Bevan, it will because he also spoilt their party during a VB Series match at Melbourne last year after Australia had slumped to 82 for six. On that evening he made an unbeaten 102.
Only eight days after snatching a win against England with a 73-run ninth wicket stand, "Bic and Bevo" made the most of New Zealand's dwindling bowling resources; surviving Bond before collecting a hatful of runs against Andre Adams and Jacob Oram.
Adams did not exactly cover himself in glory during this match, bowling a double-bouncer at Bichel that was hit for six, and an alleged-accidental beamer that floored the same batsman and left him dazed on the pitch.
Having scrapped through to 208, Australia then applied the blowtorch to New Zealand's batting, absorbing some early pressure before smashing them over for a mere 112 in 30.1 overs, after another devastating spell of fast-bowling - this time from Brett Lee.
Returning for his second spell, Lee found the ball was reversing and proceeded to put the result beyond doubt for the Australians, laying waste to the tail with a devastating spell of 5 for 3 in 15 balls.
However, the biggest problem for the New Zealanders was the weak effort from the top order which, Fleming apart, fell to a series of injudicious shots during the first 20 overs to leave a huge responsibility in the hands of the skipper.
Fleming, eventually caught down the legside for 48, watched Daniel Vettori, Nathan Astle, Scott Styris, Chris Cairns and Lou Vincent depart before taking his leave, at which stage New Zealand were listing badly at 102 for six.
At that point, tournament veteran Chris Harris took over as spectator, watching from the non-striker's end as Brendon McCullum and Oram were yorked by consecutive Lee deliveries, before Adams and Bond were blown away soon after.
Australia v New Zealand scoreboard
Australia:
A.Gilchrist lbw b Bond 18
M.Hayden b McCullum b Bond 1
R.Ponting c Fleming b Bond 6
D.Martyn c McCullum b Bond 31
D.Lehmann c Astle b Adams 4
M.Bevan c Vincent b Oram 56
B.Hogg lbw b Bond 0
I.Harvey b Bond 2
A.Bichel c Cairns b Oram 64
B.Lee not out 15
G.McGrath not out 3
Extras (lb-1 w-4 nb-3) 8 Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 208
Fall of wickets: 1-17 2-24 3-31 4-47 5-80 6-80 7-84 8-181 9-192
Bowling: Bond 10-2-23-6 (nb-1, w-1), Adams 9-2-46-1 (nb-1, w-1), Vettori 10-1-40-0, Oram 7-0-48-2 (nb-1), Harris 10-1-24-0, Styris 3-0-18-0 (w-1), Astle 1-0-8-0
New Zealand
D.Vettori c Gilchrist b McGrath 10
S.Fleming c Gilchrist b Lee 48
N.Astle c Ponting b McGrath 0
S.Styris lbw b McGrath 3
C.Cairns c Lee b Bichel 16
L.Vincent c Martyn b Harvey 7
C.Harris not out 15
B.McCullum lbw b Lee 1
J.Oram b Lee 0 A.Adams b Lee 0
S.Bond c and b Lee 3
Extras (lb-4, w-5) 9 Total (for all out, 30.1 overs) 112
Fall of wickets: 1-14 2-14 3-33 4-66 5-84 6-102 7-104 8-104 9-108
Bowling: McGrath 6-1-29-3 (w-3), Lee 9.1-2-42-5 (w-1), Harvey 6-3-11-1, Bichel 5-0-15-1 (w-1), Hogg 4-0-11-0
Result: Australia won by 96 runs.
World Cup schedule
Points table
Cricket: NZ face uphill battle after Australia escape
7.15am - By RICHARD BOOCK
PORT ELIZABETH - The pillars of New Zealand's batting picked the worst possible time to turn to sand against Australia this morning, leaving their side just one game away from almost certain elimination from the World Cup.
After three weeks of compelling batting, the top order faltered
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