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Australia humble New Zealand

Defending champions New Zealand crashed to an ignominious 164-run defeat to Australia in a Group A league match in the Champions Trophy cricket tournament in Colombo on Sunday.

The result virtually put the Kiwis out of the competition, with Bangladesh, the third team in the group, not expected to pose any problems for the mighty Aussies.

New Zealand were bowled out for a paltry 132 in 26.2 overs after Australia, electing to bat first, had piled up 296 for seven in their stipulated 50 overs.

Glen McGrath was the wrecker-in-chief for Australia, claiming five wickets for 37 runs from his seven overs as New Zealand caved in without any fight.

Speedster Brett Lee finished with three wickets for 38 runs.

Ironically, the highest scorer for New Zealand was number eleven batsman Shane Bond, who hit five fours in his 22-ball 26.

Bond put on 50 runs in an entertaining last wicket stand with Kyle Mills after New Zealand had collapsed to 82 for nine by the 19th over. Mills remained unbeaten on 23 off 39 balls, with one four and a six.

Australia innings

Damien Martyn led a combined assault on New Zealand's bowlers as Australia posted 296 for seven. He made an 87-ball 73, with eight boundaries, after Australia had elected to bat and were given a flying start by the openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden.

Gilchrist scored a blistering 44 off just 30 balls, with seven fours and a six, and laid the foundation for a big total. Every recognised batsman chipped in with useful scores as the Australians went on a leather hunt.

However, New Zealand did well to arrest the charge in the final overs by dismissing Martyn and dangerman Michael Bevan (21) and contain the Australians within the 300-mark, which looked a distinct possibility at one stage.

The Australian opening pair put on 68 runs in just 9.2 overs before Daryl Tuffey gave New Zealand the breakthrough by dismissing Gilchrist.

But the Australian juggernaut continued without much problems as every subsequent partnership also yielded good results. Hayden and skipper Ricky Ponting, who made 37 off 31 balls with eight boundaries, added 61 for the second wicket and kept the run-rate well in excess of six an over.

Vettori checked the run-flow to an extent, with a brilliant spell of ten overs for 25 runs during which he also claimed the wicket of Hayden. Hayden was undecided on whether to sweep the delivery or go for a drive and was clean bowled for 43 off 69 balls, which included four fours and a six.

In between, Ponting hit straight to his Australian counterpart Stephen Fleming at short cover to give the first of two wickets to Shane Bond.

Australia lost two quick wickets but that did not affect the scoring much as Martyn and Darren Lehmann put together another fine partnership for the fourth wicket.

The two put on 74 runs in 17 overs to take Australia past the 200-run mark.

The stage was set for some big hitting when Bevan joined Martyn in the 41st over with the total on 217, when Lehmann was caught by Vettori off Kyle Mills for 35.

It was Martyn, having crossed his half-century by now, who went for the big shots, improvising consistently and not afraid of taking the aerial route. Bevan concentrated on taking the quick singles and rotating the strike.

Bevan, who has an outstanding average of more than 55 in one-day internationals, looked slightly off-colour today despite compiling 21 off 23 balls. He was clean bowled by Jacob Oram off a yorker that he tried to hit on the on-side.

Martyn was also out soon after skying a catch to Chris Harris off Bond.

Shane Watson smashed a four and a six in the last couple of overs to take the Australian total into the 290s. He remained unbeaten on 19, off just nine deliveries, while Brett Lee was not out on four.

New Zealand innings

In contrast, none of the New Zealand batsmen were allowed to settle down, with Jason Gillespie trapping opener Nathan Astle leg before wicket for nought in the second over of the innings. It was, however, his only wicket of the match.

Thereafter, it was a McGrath show all the way. He claimed the next five wickets to clean up the New Zealand middle order. The scoreboard read 51 for six in the 13th over. The effort won him the man of the match award.

Chris Harris (19) offered some resistance but wickets continued to tumble at the other end, and, at 82 for nine, New Zealand were in real danger of suffering their biggest ever defeat, but No. 11 batsman Shane Bond saved the situation, hitting five fours in his 22-ball 26.

Scoreboard

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