Match ends in abandonment

At 119 for one with Mark Waugh on 45 and Hayden on 64 they were setting Australia up into a prime position.

The Kiwi bowlers were hapless. Cairns and Wisneski opened up with passion and energy on a pitch which was assisting the bowlers tremendously with plenty of bounce and movement. It just goes to show the type of form this Australian side is in at the moment with Waugh and Hayden quickly taming them both, picking them off all round the ground for singles and doubles interspersed with the well timed boundary.

The much-vaunted slow bowling quartet of Styris, Harris, Astle and Vettori didn't halt the procession. Harris opened his spell with a four driven through extra cover courtesy of Hayden, Nathan Astle likewise while Waugh also took to Astle by sending him back over his head for six.

It was all pretty faultless from Australia today despite Adam Gilchrist's dismissal for nought where he was beaten by a ripsnorter of a delivery by Cairns.

It's all a bit disappointing having this match called off, it was setting itself up for a fantastic climax in front of a crowd which was close to 25,000 and building every half hour.

I guess we look forward to Saturday and the day/night match in Auckland. Gauging by the response of today's respective captains, this is just one game of many and lets move on to Auckland.

Hayden and Mark Waugh have continued to paste the Kiwi bowling attack around the ground with the left hander on 64 off 68 balls including 11 fours while Waugh has taken the same number of balls to reach 32.

The light rain has forced a portion of this 20,000 strong crowd under shelter and it's actually getting heavier as we write. The umbrellas and covers are out and to be honest the prospect of play in the next half hour is not promising at all. The lights are on and overhead it's all grey cloud. You can bet on another substantial over reduction in this match.

Hayden's fifty, off 58 balls, was brought up in the 18th over with a well timed pull shot through midwicket off Vettori. He continues to try and dominate the dibbly dobblies of the New Zealand attack as illustrated in the first ball he received from Chris Harris. Wham! Four through extra cover.

New Zealand are desperate to contain these two, let alone pick up a wicket. Styris went for 22 off his two overs, Harris 16 off three while Wisneski had 30 taken off his six overs.

Vettori has been the only bowler who can say he was close to having either of these two batsmen out with a very close LBW appeal against Mark Waugh in his first over. Otherwise it's all Australia as the lights come on to repel the very gloomy and rain- threatening conditions.

The visitors have reached 47 for one with Hayden on 24 and Mark Waugh 16 and although they are cruising at a run rate of 4.70 runs per over they didn't have it all their own way.

Bowling from the southern end Chris Cairns sneered the wicket of Gilchrist for a duck when Australia had only one on the board in the first over.

Cairns, in an aggressive opening over, beat the bat of Gilchrist and then his head after a bouncer before producing a lovely delivery pitching on off stump and moving away from the left hander to give the Kiwis the best of starts on their home turf.

But since that dismissal Waugh and Hayden have been very authoritative in putting on 46 for the second wicket. Hayden in-particular has been severe on debut man Warren Wisneski, collecting four of his five boundaries off the medium pacer including consecutive fours in Wisneski's third over.

Both batsmen seem to be middling the ball well and timing it even better, picking the bowlers off at ease. Neither of them have offered a chance and after New Zealand won the first over, Australia have claimed the advantage and look on track for a big score.

The covers have been lifted, the ground staff are just in the process of clearing off all the surface water.

The downpour was quite substantial and therefore the word was play wouldn't start for up to two hours but this ground drains relatively quickly so the latest is play won't start until 3.50pm (NZ time). That's up to an hour away so the crowd of around 15,000 have plenty of time to enjoy the pleasant conditions.

Both Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist along with the Kiwi fielders were out on the ground ready to start when the rain started falling and continues to fall. It has been a constant downpour for 15 minutes.

From where we sit in the press box, on the west side of WestpacTrust Stadium and gratefully undercover, conditions look relatively harmless out to the East with blue sky and pale clouds, it's directly above the stadium which is the immediate concern.

All the covers are out on the ground and although the rain is starting to let up a little, don't expect play to resume before 2.30pm (NZ time).

The pitch has been undercover for 24 hours so their is bound to a lot of moisture, providing the seam bowlers will plenty of assistance early on. This game won't be high scoring but it's good to see both sides out on the ground.

With play just about to start at 2pm(NZTime) conditions have suddenly got awfully cloudy and the light has diminished considerably. The day dawned fine albeit wet underfoot after overnight rain and all morning the sun has been baking the WestpacTrust ground creating humid conditions.

But with play just a few minutes away it's has got rather gloomy. The ground staff are pitch side with the covers at the ready but I'm expecting play to start on time. Don't be surprised if there are some interruptions though.