Black Caps fail to go the distance again

JOHN SELKIRK JOHN SELKIRK JOHN SELKIRK JOHN SELKIRK JOHN SELKIRK JOHN SELKIRK JOHN SELKIRK JOHN SELKIRK JOHN SELKIRK

ON APPEAL: Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori successfully appeals for the LBW decision against Australian skipper Ricky Ponting.

OUT OF REACH: Shane Bond narrowly misses a caught and bowled chance against Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

HIGH-TEN: Shane Bond high-fives Ross Taylor after taking the wicket of Brad Haddin.

EYES WIDE OPEN: A wide-eyed Daryl Tuffey blasts one of his many sixes down the ground during his rapid innings of 34, which included four sixes.

FAVOURABLE APPEAL: Australian bad boy Mitchell Johnson appeals successfully for the wicket of New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, out LBW.

DIVE POSITION: Black Caps batsman Shane Bond dives to reach his crease during New Zealand's innings.

GOT HIM: Australia's Shane Watson celebrates the wicket of New Zealand batsman Gareth Hopkins during the fourth Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODI.

FULL STRETCH: Australia's James Hopes takes a low caught and bowled chance to dismiss Black Caps batsman Scott Styris.

STARING CONTEST: Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson and Black Caps batsman Brendon McCullum stare each other down between overs during the fourth ODI at Eden Park.

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JOHN SELKIRK

ON APPEAL: Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori successfully appeals for the LBW decision against Australian skipper Ricky Ponting.

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Australia retained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and New Zealand went back to the drawing board on a night when Messrs Duckworth and Lewis were the Aussies' toughest opposition.

New Zealand were out for the count at the break but a crazy recalculation after a 90-minute rain break meant Australia had to roll their sleeves up before winning by six wickets with 17 balls to spare.

Australia lost 16 overs and only had 39 runs taken off their target – work that one out – but at least it created a match for the 11,265 crowd because New Zealand's 238 was woeful.

Half centuries by Ricky Ponting (50) and Cameron White (50 not out) did the job but not before Daniel Vettori had created a few anxious moments.

Ponting was thrilled with the series win and predictably Vettori was annoyed at yet another below-par performance.

Vettori admitted the "funny" Duckworth Lewis threw his team a lifeline.

"I said after the second game I didn't understand it but it gave us an opportunity and once again Bondy [Shane Bond] and myself put some pressure on but we couldn't maintain it at both ends," Vettori said.

The culprits were Tim Southee (0-55 from 5.1 overs) and Daryl Tuffey, whose first three overs cost 30 runs.

You get the impression New Zealand's batting is getting worse as the series wears on.

Last night took the cake – dismissed with 35 balls unused – a mistake a junior coach would send his team around the block 10 times for.

"We took a gamble again with the power play," Vettori said. "We were so many wickets down and the way Daryl [Tuffey] played I thought we might have got 500 but apart from him at the end we were pretty poor."

New Zealand were well placed at 120-1 in the 20th over but they collapsed like the proverbial pack of cards with only Brendon McCullum at the top with 61 and Tuffey at the bottom with 34 making notable contributions.

New Zealand's brains trust must be pulling their hair out. Vettori and Mark Greatbatch rung the changes to get things cracking and while the new order had a better feel, it failed to return a dividend.

They axed Peter Ingram and Neil Broom, handed Shanan Stewart a debut at No 4, returned Martin Guptill to the opening role and Ross Taylor, Scott Styris and Vettori all went up a spot.

Guptill had opened seven times previously at an average of 62.20, including a century on debut 14 months ago against the West Indies. Would the man who shuffled him to No 3 please come forward.

Guptill appreciated the change, racing to 30 off 21 balls before trying to hit Shane Watson for a third boundary in the over. It was not New Zealand's last mistake of the night.

They went 22 overs without scoring a boundary (between overs 18-40), Vettori and Styris were thrust together without a run beside their name when McCullum's lovely innings came to a soft end.

Hard to be too critical about McCullum. He played an innings not too dissimilar to how Nathan Astle used to approach the opening role. Launch early, settle down and play the percentages interspersed with the odd charge down the wicket to keep the bowlers on their toes.

Australia's lead is an unassailable 3-1, meaning tomorrow's match at Westpac Stadium in Wellington is a dead rubber.

Vettori said Nathan McCullum would get a game, possibly at the expense of James Franklin.

The Australians stuck to their guns in the field yesterday, the quick men regularly running their fingers down the side of the ball to take further pace off on a slowish pitch.

Ponting's only worry – the form of left-armer Doug Bollinger.

- © Fairfax NZ News