Fourth one-day international, Auckland:
Australia 202-4 (31.1 overs) beat New Zealand 238 (44.1 ovs) by six wickets (D/L method)
Match scorecard
 Nathan Hauritz celebrates a wicket in Auckland |
Nathan Hauritz and Cameron White led the way for Australia as they beat New Zealand by six wickets in Auckland to clinch victory in their one-day series. The Kiwis were bowled out for 238 despite opener Brendon McCullum's 61, with spin bowler Hauritz taking 3-46. Rain then interrupted proceedings, leaving Australia to chase a revised target of 200 from 34 overs. They were in trouble at 85-3 but White hit 50 not out to see them to 202-4 and a 3-1 lead in the five-match series. It was another big disappointment for New Zealand supporters, who saw their side make a flying start but then lose five wickets in the space of 11 overs mid-innings before being dismissed with 5.5 overs of their allocation unused. "We feel in these conditions. these wickets and these grounds being as quick as they are, if you don't take wickets through those middle overs, then you really are exposed at the end of the innings," said Australia skipper Ricky Ponting.  | 606: DEBATE |
"That's been my philosophy through this series, to try and keep attacking from the first ball to the 30-over mark and try to put them out of the game before we get to the end. "That's what we've been able to do. The bowlers have done a great job and as the series has gone on, our fielding has got better as well." The home side, who had revamped their batting order, raced to 63-0 before Martin Guptill was caught by Ponting off Shane Watson in the eighth over after making 30 off 22 balls. Ross Taylor then helped McCullum add 57 for the second wicket but his dismssal, caught off all-rounder James Hopes for 15, sparked a slump from 120-1 to 154-6. Debutant Shannon Stewart only managed four and McCullum's 75-ball innings, which featured four sixes, ended tamely when he chipped a ball from Hauritz to mid-wicket. The decline continued when Scott Styris gave a return catch to Hopes and Daniel Vettori was lbw for 12 to a swinging delivery from pace bowler Mitchell Johnson. New Zealand's lower order all made useful contributions, especially Daryl Tuffey, who launched four sixes in his 34 off 17 balls before he was caught and bowled by Ryan Harris.  Daniel Vettori and his team were downcast after a third successive loss |
But the target facing Australia after the rain hold-up looked a moderate one, even after Brad Haddin, a centurion in the previous game in Hamilton, was caught off Shane Bond for a first-ball duck. Ponting (50 off 35 balls) and Watson (32) put on 82 for the second wicket before both fell leg-before in successive overs from Vettori. One more wicket at that stage could have put the game back in the balance but sensible batting by White and Adam Voges, who added 65 in 11 overs, reduced the chase to a run per ball. Voges fell to left-armer James Franklin for 34 with the total on 150 but White and Mike Hussey knocked off the remainder in six overs of aggressive batting as Australia cruised home with 2.5 overs to spare. Afterwards, Vettori criticised his team for giving wickets away too easily during their innings. "They are just poor mistakes and whether it is the mental shift from the aggressiveness to the accumulation I'm not too sure. But they are mistakes that shouldn't happen constantly and they have in these last three games," he said. "It was just about not putting enough runs on the board, losing wickets at crucial times and then putting ourselves under far too much pressure. "When you do that against Australia you get yourself in trouble and that's what happened today."
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