KIWIS TOO GOOD FOR AUSTRALIA

By John Polack

In a contest which again reflected their remarkable capacity to surprise Australia at cricket's ultimate event, New Zealand's cricketers have struck a decisive blow here at Cardiff today, winning their important Group B fixture by the relatively comfortable margin of five wickets with twenty-eight balls to spare.

Although this game did not fit the mould of many of the tension-laced matches that we have almost become accustomed to witnessing when these two sides meet the match was a wonderful tribute to the Kiwis' new-found commitment and spirit under the coaching of Steve Rixon. In a performance as convincing as Australia's was unimpressive, the New Zealanders started the match with a typically efficient performance in the field. Led by Geoff Allott, Chris Harris and Gavin Larsen, their bowlers extracted an excellent line and length from an only occasionally capricious Sophia Gardens pitch, troubling the majority of the Australian batsmen on a consistent basis.

For the men in green and gold it was only the reliable Darren Lehmann (76) - together with Ricky Ponting (47) - who showed any real capacity to hold the Kiwis out amidst what turned out to be yet another inadequate batting effort. After their side then plunged into trouble early in the response, it was then Roger Twose (80 not out from 99 balls with ten boundaries) and Chris Cairns (60) who clinched a memorable victory for their team - and probably qualification for the Super Six round such was the import of the triumph - with a brilliant partnership of 149 for the fifth wicket.

Responding in magnificent fashion after New Zealand had been reduced to a then disastrous-looking 49/4 in the sixteenth over, Twose and Cairns took no undue risks, and steadily worked their way on top of an attack which again looked unpenetrative once the shine had come off the ball.

In a partnership which began to evoke some comparisons with the epic Chris Harris-Lee Germon double act in Madras in the sides' World Cup quarter final in 1996, Twose and Cairns' effort was superb and featured a heady mix of controlled and belligerent strokeplay. Cairns complemented his more cautious partner beautifully, striking some audacious blows, but the Wellington batsman Twose was the very deserved man of the match. Producing a flurry of late blows against the bowling of Glenn McGrath, he was in simply superb touch. Other than two mistimed hooks off successive balls from McGrath, it is indeed hard to remember a false shot in a display which had begun when he had come to the crease at 47/3.

In something of a World Cup shock, the Australian team consequently suddenly finds itself in some trouble in this event. And as Steve Waugh indicated in the press conference after the match, they are suddenly faced with the invidious task of having to win each of their remaining three games to stay in the hunt.