Ponting leads Australian whitewash of New Zealand
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

NAPIER (New Zealand): A belligerent batting display by captain Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist steered Australia to a 122-run win over New Zealand in a record-laden one-day match here Saturday to give the world champions a clean sweep of the five-match series.

Ponting relished the flat batting pitch as he cracked 141 off 127 balls, while Gilchrist was merciless, hammering 91 off 61 balls as Australia reached 347 for five and then restricted New Zealand to 225 for eight.

New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming said his team had no answer throughout the series.

"I’m not too sure what to say, we’ve been well and truly thumped by a magnificent side," he said. "It’s not easy to take 5-0 but we’ll cop it on the chin and move on and become a better side for it."

Ponting, who also picked up the man of the match award, said Australia had achieved their first target of the tour which has three Tests still to come.

"We’ve played some great cricket on this tour. To come here and win 5-0 was what we hoped to do."

In a run of records, Ponting passed Greg Chappell’s highest score against New Zealand of 138 not out in Sydney in 1980-81 when he hit consecutive sixes off Craig McMillan off the final two balls. The innings beat New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming’s ground record of 111 not out scored against Australia in 1997-98, and Australia’s total was comfortably the highest at McLean Park, beating New Zealand’s 277 for six against Pakistan in 1984-85.

In his majestic innings, Ponting cracked 10 fours and five sixes for the highest one-day score on a New Zealand cricket ground — beating Glenn Turner’s 140 against Sri Lanka at Eden Park in 1982-83.

Gilchrist looked certain for his 11th one-day century before the recalled Tama Canning enticed a false shot to Craig Cumming at cover. He and Ponting added 92 for the second wicket before Ponting and Damien Martyn added another 75, with Martyn scoring 40.

Daniel Vettori was again the standout New Zealand bowler, taking none for 37 off 10 overs, while Kyle Mills had one for 67, Lance Hamilton one for 76 and Canning one for 80, as a late charge by Australia saw 104 runs scored in the last 10 overs. Canning’s was the most expensive 10-over spell for New Zealand against Australia, beating Jacob Oram’s none for 77 in Sydney last year.

New Zealand never looked capable of challenging Australia’s total, especially with allrounder Chris Cairns unable to bowl or bat after straining his hamstring in the fourth over of the match. Australian speedster Brett Lee made it even tougher when he twice broke the magical 100-mile an hour barrier in the first over to Cumming, sending down two deliveries clocked at 160 kilometres an hour and 161kmh. He ended with two for 34 off 10 overs.

Fleming, who won the toss and stuck to New Zealand’s historic game plan of chasing a target, fended off several Lee thunderbolts early on before reaching 35 when he was nicked out by Michael Kasprowicz.

Craig McMillan offered the most resistance with 63 off 69 balls, including seven fours and a six, before being caught on the long on boundary off Andrew Symonds. The first Test starts in Christchurch on Thursday.●