MELNBOURNE, 6 December 2004 — Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum and young batsman Hamish Marshall snatched an exciting victory for New Zealand over Australia in the opening match of the inaugural Chappell-Hadlee Trophy One-Day cricket series with two balls to spare yesterday.
The Kiwis looked to have the job ahead of them needing 32 runs for victory off the last 18 balls, but the match swung decisively when McCullum and Marshall plundered 22 runs off the third-last over bowled by Michael Kasprowicz. In a twinkling the asking rate slumped to 10 off 12 balls which McCullum and Marshall achieved without problems for New Zealand’s first one-day victory over the world champions in their last eight meetings.
Marshall, left out of New Zealand’s two-Test drubbing by Australia, hit a defiant unbeaten 50 off 52 balls with one four and McCullum cracked 20 off 13 balls to give the beleaguered Kiwis a morale-boosting win.
New Zealand had restricted Australia to 246 for nine off their 50 overs after early Adam Gilchrist fireworks and although the Kiwis were 128 for one in the 32nd over they appeared to lose their chance with a tumble of wickets. Skipper Stephen Fleming was out leg before wicket off the second ball of the innings from Brett Lee, but Nathan Astle (70 off 102 balls) and Mathew Sinclair (48 off 86) had the Black Caps in contention with a 128-run second-wicket partnership.
Earlier, left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori and medium-pacer Cairns claimed three wickets each as they put the clamps on Australian scoring in the middle of the innings.
Darren Lehmann (50), Michael Clarke (36) and Brad Hogg (20 not out) led the Australian recovery, but the world champions had been on track for 300 before Vettori struck with a double-wicket maiden.
England Complete Whitewash
In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, England bowled out Zimbabwe to win their fourth One-Day International by 74 runs here yesterday to complete a 4-0 series whitewash.
Veteran bowler Darren Gough took 4 for 34 as England bowled out the hosts for 187 having set them a victory target of 262.
Ian Bell showed there is more to him than just being an opening batsman as he wrapped up the tail with impressive figures of 3 for 9 while the only Zimbabwe batsman to offer stubborn resistance was Hamilton Masakadza, who made 66 before being bowled by Paul Collingwood. Collingwood also accounted for captain Tatenda Taibu, who made 23 as he and Masakadza put on a 75 run partnership for the fifth wicket and rescued some respectability for the hosts after they had been reduced to 43-4.
