Ryan Harris and a fired-up Mitchell Johnson have taken seven wickets between them to bowl Australia to a tense 12-run win over New Zealand in the second one-day international in Auckland.
Chasing a revised target of 266 from 45 overs in a rain-interrupted match, Australia bowled the Black Caps out for 253 in 43.2 overs after last-wicket pair Daniel Vettori and Tim Southee added 114.
The last wicket to fall was Kiwi superhero and skipper Daniel Vettori, who scored a game-high 70 from 49 balls.
Mitchell Johnson, despite taunts from the noisy Eden Park crowd, took 4-51 from nine overs and Harris grabbed 3-34 from 8.2 as Australia levelled the five-game series at one-all. "I'm proud of the way the guys hung in there tonight," captain Ricky Ponting said.
"The game could have gone either way right towards the end. "Our bowlers stuck to their guns stuck to their guns pretty well today."
Scott Styris (46) continued his personal battle with Johnson, who was so fired-up he bowled a bouncer first-ball to Styris that went over wicketkeeper Brad Haddin's head for five wides in the 11th over.
Johnson had come to the bowling crease for the fifth over and was greeted with the "wanker" chant. The paceman looked to the terraces and kissed the Australian coat of arms on his shirt in response.
Johnson had become New Zealand's public enemy No.1 on Wednesday when he was fined 60 per cent of his match fee for head-butting the batting helmet of Styris in the first ODI match in Napier, where Australia lost by two wickets.
Johnson briefly silenced the sell-out crowd of 13,500 in Auckland by dismissing opener Brendon McCullum caught behind by a diving Brad Haddin for 24.
McCullum had taken a liking early to the bowling of Doug Bollinger (0-63 from eight overs).
Harris trapped Peter Ingram (14) and Neil Broom (0) lbw in successive deliveries in the eighth over.
The Kiwis went into the match without injured batsman Ross Taylor (hamstring) and all-rounder James Franklin (hamstring) batted with a runner, falling to Johnson for two as Australia claimed 3-3.
Shane Watson removed Martin Guptill (18) caught behind at 5-89 and 52 runs later the determined Styris was out, chipping a catch to mid-wicket from the bowling of spinner Nathan Hauritz.
Watson had Gareth Hopkins (35) caught at fine leg.
Riding high on emotion with the crowd booing him, Johnson picked up his third wicket when Daryl Tuffey (20) was caught at slip and before bowling Shane Bond for six.
Earlier, Mike Hussey top-scored for the tourists for the second successive match, hitting 56 in a total of 7-273. Hussey fell in the 46th over, one of two victims for Shane Bond (2-42).
Hussey shared a 101-run stand with Cameron White (54, including three sixes) after Australia had slumped to 4-116 in the 24th over.
Openers Haddin (53) and Watson (47) blasted 73 in 13.4 overs.
Haddin hit three fours and three sixes from 62 deliveries and it took a one-handed return catch from spinner Vettori (2-43) to remove the explosive opener.
The third game is in Hamilton on Tuesday.© 2010 AAP |
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