Valiant Daniel Vettori vanquished

JOHN SELKIRK

GAME OVER: Daniel Vettori is bowled by Ryan Harris to end the second ODI in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series.

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New Zealand ran out of wickets, or more precisely ran out of Daniel Vettori, as Australia restored order to the cricket world after a week of insurrection by the locals.

The Kiwis had dominated the drama-filled week past, winning a Twenty20 match in a one-over shoot-out on Sunday then stealing the opening one-dayer in Napier, which took a place in history for the head-butting incident between Australian quick Mitchell Johnson and New Zealand batsman Scott Styris.

Johnson became the pantomime villain for yesterday's entertainment, barracked relentlessly by the 13,500-strong crowd, who were so animated there were fears for his security. As he left the field at the end of Australia's innings, he was joined by two security guards to deter any hot-headed fans from throwing things, or themselves, at the tall left-hander.

Johnson was still getting booed as he bowled his ninth over of the innings but the baying for his blood was slowly overtaken by the excitement around Vettori's back-to-the-wall innings that took New Zealand within a dozen runs of victory.

Vettori, who missed the opening one-dayer with a neck injury, came to the crease with his team 131 for six in the 27th over and needing another 135 at better than a run a ball as they sought a revised total of 266 off 45 overs.

Rain twice delayed proceedings after Australia had posted 273-7 from its 50 overs and if there was any criticism you could make of the brilliant Vettori it was that he chose to bat second on a day when rain was forecast and the chances of a Duckworth-Lewis intervention were high.

The odds of a desperate Kiwi win looked fairly hopeless as the rain and wickets kept falling at regular intervals and Vettori delayed taking the field-restricting power play until as late as possible.

Batting with his fellow bowlers, Vettori refused to accept the inevitable and employed his inimitable array of noodles, nicks and flicks to outstanding effect as he raised his 50 off 34 balls with a straight-hit four off Doug Bollinger.

Soon enough he was down to the role of last man standing alongside Tim Southee. With a tantalising 13 needed off 11 balls, Vettori tried once too often to leg glance a ball aimed at off-stump and was bowled by Ryan Harris for 70.

New Zealand's effort stopped short at 253 off 43.2 overs. Johnson proved his mettle in the face of a hostile crowd, with figures of 4-51.

Earlier there had been more fireworks from Brendon McCullum, who made 24 off 16 balls before he was spectacularly caught by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin off the bowling of Johnson. And game one hero Styris was among the runs again with 46 but could not replicate his bulldog belligerence of Napier.

New Zealand was without an injured Ross Taylor and brought in Gareth Hopkins in his place. Hopkins ending up keeping wickets as well because McCullum had a back strain.

With a question mark over James Franklin, who twinged a hamstring yesterday, and with McCullum no certainty to don the gloves again this week, Hopkins may remain with the squad.

Earlier in the day, Australia looked set for a 300-plus total after a rollicking start but elder statesmen Vettori and Shane Bond fought back tenaciously.

Vettori snared the big wickets of Ricky Ponting and Haddin as he took 2-43 off 10 overs while Bond returned for a sharp second spell to remove Michael Clarke and topscorer Michael Hussey as he claimed 2-42.

After Hamilton on Tuesday the teams are back at Eden Park on Thursday and Wellington on Saturday.

- © Fairfax NZ News