Brendon McCullum’s highest-ever ODI score could not lever the BLACKCAPS into a winning position in the opening Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series against Australia at Adelaide.
McCullum’s 96 helped his side to 254 for seven, his score supplemented by a 50 from Ross Taylor and 32 not out from in-form left-hander Jacob Oram.
Shaun Tait shrugged off pre-match speculation to take three wickets, although he was expensive, while Brett Lee grabbed a couple.
Captain Ricky Ponting backed his bowlers with an unbeaten 107 to secure a seven-wicket victory, while the rest of the Australia top order was typically bullish.
Adam Gilchrist claimed 51 from 29 balls, Michael Clarke too 48 and Andrew Symonds struck a run-a-ball 26 not out.
Earlier, Daniel Vettori had won the toss and McCullum built a trademark snappy innings, dominating a stand of 99 with Jamie How (20) after Lou Vincent’s early dismissal.
Taylor’s 50 held up the upper-middle order, with Oram and then Vettori, with a pithy knock of 18, bolstered the score,
But the world champions, and Gilchrist in particular, stated their intent to reclaim the trophy from the off.
The veteran left-hander launched six fours and two sixes from his innings to set a standard his captain followed.
Ponting, less bombastic than his deputy but ultimately more effective, looked for precision over power.
The diminutive Tasmanian still maintained a run-a-ball pace, and guided his team home with seven-and-a-half overs to spare.
The BLACKCAPS now head to Sydney, where they will look to launch a comeback and seal a series to protect the Chappell-Hadlee silverware.
