Australia hold out to level series

Australia resisted a late challenge from the New Zealand tail to send the Chappell-Hadlee series to a decider in Brisbane. Brad Hogg and Adam Gilchrist starred in a game which closely resembled the first match of the series, but Australia on this occasion did not let the match slip from their grasp.

Winning the toss and batting first proved ideal for Australia as it quickly became apparent that New Zealand had not come up with an effective plan to contain a rampant Gilchrist. The Australian 'keeper peppered the SCG boundaries with 9 fours and a six to set a thrilling pace early on. He scored 60 in an opening stand of 86, but tried once to often to clear the mid-wicket fence, caught in the deep by Nathan Astle off Scott Styris.

Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting consolidated after the fall of Gilchrist, but, as in Melbourne, wickets began to tumble in the middle order. Ponting miscued Kyle Mills to Stephen Fleming at mid-off for 32, and Martyn managed only five before missing a straight one from the same bowler, trapped LBW. One ball before, Hayden took on Mathew Sinclair at midoff, only to be runout by a direct hit on 43. Daniel Vettori completed the middle-order rout, trapping Symonds in front for his third duck in successive one-day internationals.

Australia had collapsed from 1-140 to 5-148 in 15 balls, and the weight of expectation lay on the shoulders of Darren Lehmann and Michael Clarke. The latter experienced a rare failure in front of his home crowd, caught behind off Cairns for only 6, Australia's situation declining further to 6-161. Darren Lehmann was again required to revive Australia's innings, though this time receiving support in the form of Brad Hogg.

An injury to Kiwi spinner Chris Harris early on hampered the tourists chances, forcing them to bowl five bowlers for 10 overs each. Lehmann and Hogg cashed in in a 74-run stand, with Oram (0/77) and Cairns (1/60) both proving expensive. Lehmann reached a second successive half-century before being runout in the 48th over, but a late flourish from Hogg and Lee lifted Australia to an imposing 261.

Ponting opted for Lee ahead of Gillespie to take the new ball, and was repaid for his faith in Lee's third over, as Astle top-edged to Gilchrist on 11. Despite looking impressive at times, New Zealand's batsmen struggled to assert themselves, as Sinclair (17) and Styris (5) both fell cheaply. Fleming played well for his 34, but Brad Hogg landed a heavy blow with his first ball, trapping the Kiwi skipper LBW. Jacob Oram had a forgettable game, suffering the same fate on 2, as the match slipped further out of New Zealand's grasp.

The start of a new spell from Brett Lee was met with immediate results, as Hamish Marshall played down the wrong line, losing his offstump on 9, sending NZ to a desperate position of 6-86. Chris Cairns set about single-handedly resuscitating the innings, taking on the Australian bowling and landing two trademark sixes in a whirlwind half-century. With support from McCullum, he boosted the total to 154 before being caught by McGrath off Gillespie on 50.

The fall of McCullum soon later put the Kiwi's in a hopeless position at 8-166, with regular number 11 Kyle Mills forced to bat ahead of the injured Harris. Mills does, however, boast a first-class century, and made Australia pay for turning to its spinners to boost the over rate. Mills launched Lehmann for consecutive sixes over mid-wicket, before handing the same treatment to Hogg in the next over with sixes over mid-on and mid-off. Mills' impetuousness forced a quick rethink by Ponting as New Zealand now required less than a run-a-ball to win.

The return of the quicks Lee and McGrath was of little concern to Vettori and Mills as they easily scampered singles, twos and threes. Thoughts of a miracle win were soon rechecked, however, as a direct hit from Ponting with one stump to aim at brought to an end the remarkable 70-run stand. Harris emerged to bat with a dislocated shoulder and a runner, and the pair (or trio) managed a further eight runs before a McGrath yorker evaded Harris' defence, ending New Zealand's gallant chase. Mills, for his part, managed a remarkable unbeaten 44 from just 26 balls in addition to his two wickets earlier on, but it was Brad Hogg, for his three wickets and unbeaten 41, who was man of the match.

Both sides now head for the Gabba in Brisbane, to play the deciding match of what has been a memorable series thus far.

Score Summary:

AUSTRALIA 7 for 261 in 50 overs
AC Gilchrist 60 (48), DS Lehmann 52 (77), GB Hogg 41* (53); KD Mills 2/49 (10)

beat

NEW ZEALAND 244 all out in 47.1 overs
CL Cairns 50 (40), KD Mills 44* (26); GB Hogg 3/45 (8)

by 17 runs

Man of the Match: GB Hogg

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy level 1-1 with one match to play

Posted by Adam