February 06, 2009

AUSTRALIA'S season of cricketing misery plumbed new depths as New Zealand handed the home side a six-wicket thrashing at the MCG.

Chasing Australia's 5-225, the Kiwis romped home, reaching 4-226 with seven balls to spare.

After dangerous opener Brendon McCullum (43 from 75 balls) gave the visitors a solid platform, Ross Taylor (47 from 74 balls) and Grant Elliott (61 not out from 75 balls) rammed home the advantage.

The loss put Australia 2-0 down in the five-match one-day series against New Zealand and on a five-match losing streak overall, after three preceding losses to South Africa.

It means Australia will have to go unbeaten through the final three games against NZ, starting in Sydney on Sunday, to avoid their third series defeat of the summer, having already lost a Test and one-day series to the Proteas.

While NZ always looked comfortable in their run-chase, it was a calamitous 37th over for Australia, bowled by part-time off-spinner David Hussey, which signaled the beginning of the end.

The Kiwis started the over at 3-143, needing 83 off the remaining 14 overs at virtually a run a ball.

Taylor, on 37, gave Australia a chance to get back into the game when he lofted a shot deep into the leg-side, with Mike Hussey having to make plenty of ground but comfortably able to get both hands to the ball.

But he spilled the chance and the ball trickled over the boundary.

The following delivery David Hussey speared down leg-side, with neither batsman nor keeper getting near it as it sped to the fine leg rope for five wides.

It helped the tally to 10 runs for that over and seemed to free the spirits of the NZ batsmen, who then plundered 17 off the next three to seize complete command.

Left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson gave Australia some hope when he dismissed Taylor in the 42nd over, but Elliott and Neil Broom (25 from 21 balls) cruised home with an unbeaten half-century stand.

All-rounder James Hopes was the best of the Australian bowlers, picking up 2-30 from 10 overs during the middle of the NZ innings to peg them back temporarily, but paceman Ben Hilfenhaus yielded an expensive 0-57.

Adding to Australia's pain, stand-in captain Michael Clarke earlier copped a nasty blow on the toe from NZ paceman Iain O'Brien, shortly before being bowled for 98.

Clarke and Mike Hussey (75) had staged a rescue effort to at least turn an Australian innings which started poorly into a target worth defending.

Clarke took to the field with a hole cut in his left shoe to avoid further pain, but did not seem restricted, moving freely and bowling tidily.

The match was watched by a small MCG crowd of 28,251, suggesting Australia's dwindling form might have affected attendance, with the volume of support for the visitors indicating NZ fans made up a decent proportion.