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Australia 296-7 beat New Zealand 132 (26.2 overs) by 164 runs
ICC Champions Trophy, Colombo

An entertaining final-wicket stand of 50 was unable to mask New Zealand's all-round deficiencies as Australia cruised to their first pool victory.

Glenn McGrath took five wickets, finding excellent late swing, while Brett Lee's pace was too much for the lower order, as he took three wickets.

The Australian batting effort was fired by an explosive start from the top order.

The biggest innings was played by Damien Martyn, who hit 73 from 87 balls at number four.

Gilchrist pulls as Fleming looks on

But the total was really set up by Adam Gilchrist (44 from just 30 balls) and Matt Hayden (43), who put on 68 inside 10 overs for the first wicket.

Captain Ricky Ponting (37) also scored better than a run a ball to keep Hayden company in a second-wicket partnership of 61.

All the Kiwi seamers were desperately expensive, though Shane Bond, who took two for 63 in 10 overs, deserved better luck.

It was Bond, despite coming in at number 11, who was also New Zealand's most impressive batsman.

When he walked to the crease, the Kiwis, at 82 for nine, were facing their lowest ever score in one-day cricket.

But he was happy to take on Lee and Shane Watson, with 19 runs coming off over from Lee.

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Kyle Mills also got in on the act, hitting Watson high over mid-wicket for six, and the final wicket stand was worth 50, easily the most productive partnership of the innnigs.

But the end had to come, and it did when Ponting turned to Shane Warne, who had Bond stumped for 26 second ball.

Earlier, New Zealand lost Nathan Astle, Stephen Fleming and Lou Vincent inside the first three overs.

It was a situation they were never likely to recover from, and so it proved.

Though the winning margin perhaps should have been even more decisive, it was still Australia's best-ever win against New Zealand.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, Shane Watson, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath. 12th man Jimmy Maher.

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Mathew Sinclair, Lou Vincent, Scott Styris, Chris Harris, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, Shane Bond, Daryl Tuffey. 12th man Glen Sulzberger.