Vettori sneaks New Zealand home

Ross Taylor and Kyle Mills were the clear stand-out performers for New Zealand

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New Zealand clinched a thrilling last-ball win against Australia in the opening match of the Chappell-Hadlee series in Perth.

Needing one run from the final ball, skipper Daniel Vettori guided Nathan Bracken to the point boundary to ensure Australia’s recent struggles continue.

The hosts had earlier been bowled out for the fourth match in succession when they could manage just 181 from 48.5 overs.

Defeat for Australia also means they did not go back to the top of the ICC’s ODI rankings after forfeiting their place at the top following the 4-1 series defeat to South Africa.

Ross Taylor paced the Kiwis run-chase with 64 from 97 balls, but wickets fell around him as the tourists made heavy work of what seemed a mediocre Australia total.

The Kiwis’ cause was not helped as early as the second ball, however, when explosive opener Brendon McCullum was given out lbw by umpire Steve Bucknor, despite the wicketkeeper-batsman getting an edge to Shaun Tait’s delivery.

Australia had needed early wickets following their disappointing batting display and got them with Bracken and Mitchell Johnson removing Martin Guptill (13) and Peter Fulton (seven) respectively to leave the tourists reeling at 25 for three.

That brought Taylor to the crease and it was not until the arrival of number seven Kyle Mills (26), who had earlier taken 4-35, that he was given any support.

The duo put on 62 for the sixth wicket, but the game remained on a knife edge when they both fell in quick succession to leave New Zealand 170 for seven, needing 12 runs from 15 balls.

That equation was reduced down to five from the last over, during which Tim Southee was bowled by Bracken, before Vettori eventually saw his side over the line with two wickets in hand.

Daniel Vettori was both miserly with the ball and composed with the bat as he led from the front

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Earlier, Mike Hussey (49) was the only Australia batsman to offer any resistance, but his dismissal summed up the home side’s batting performance - uncharacteristically chipping a simple catch to mid-off from Iain O’Brien from the first ball of Australia’s batting powerplay in the 44th over.

The Kiwis’ effort was led by Mills, who quickly removed inexperienced openers Shaun Marsh (15) and David Warner (seven).

Australia’s cause was not aided by untimely run-outs of captain Ricky Ponting (five) and Michael Clarke (12) and when David Hussey was caught down the leg-side by McCullum off the bowling of off-spinner Jeetan Patel, Australia were in trouble at 54 for five.

Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin stemmed the tide with a 61-run stand for the sixth wicket, but those runs came at a laboured pace - mainly due to the stifling off-spin of Vettori who conceded just 22 from his 10 overs.

Eventually Haddin’s patience broke and he played on to his own stumps after advancing down the wicket to Mills for 31 from 54 balls.

That left Australia 115 for six from 35 overs and while Mike Hussey and James Hopes (18) put on 27 runs to set the scene for a late attack, both fell in the first over of Australia’s batting powerplay, to further frustrate the home fans.

Bracken then fell for a duck in the next over when he was trapped lbw by Southee.

Johnson and Tait frustrated the visitors briefly in their 27-run stand for the last wicket, but man-of-the-match Mills had the innings' final say when he bowled Johnson.

To add insult to injury, Australia were found to be two overs short of the required rate and were fined 10% of their match fees, with Ponting given a 20% fine.