AUSTRALIA cruised to a six-wicket win against New Zealand in their opening Twenty20 international in Wellington.

Set a paltry 119 to win, the visitors reached their target with 24 balls to spare to complete the comfortable victory – their fourth in as many Twenty20 matches against the Black Caps.

Having bowled out New Zealand for 118 – their lowest Twenty20 total against Australia – the visitors began their run chase in brutal fashion before two quick wickets from Shane Bond and another from Daniel Vettori pegged them back to 39 for three.

But a 67-run stand between David Hussey who fell just four runs shy of his half-century, and skipper Michael Clarke broke the back of the run-chase and it was left to Cameron White (11 not out) to smash the match-winning six.

Openers David Warner and Shane Watson went straight on the attack with Warner taking nine runs off Bond’s opening over before Watson smacked four boundaries and ran a quick two to take 18 off Daryl Tuffey’s first six deliveries.

But Bond responded in fine fashion in his next over, bowling the young left-hander for 19 before he had had time to showcase his switch-hitting skills.

Vettori then trapped Watson leg-before-wicket for the same score and Bond grabbed his second when Mitchell Johnson, elevated up the order, played onto his stumps.

Hussey hit five boundaries in his 36-ball 46 – including three in one Nathan McCullum over – while Clarke’s unbeaten 18 came at the rather more sedate pace of 26 deliveries.

Earlier Vettori won the toss and chose to bat but was probably regretting the decision when New Zealand were 13 for two after less than five overs as they struggled to cope with the pace of Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes and Johnson.

Tait hit the mid-150kmh mark from the off and Brendon McCullum lasted just four deliveries before a superb diving catch by Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin sent him packing for two.

Then Johnson, with his first ball of the match, got Peter Ingram (two) to chop one on to his wickets.

At the other end Martin Guptill showed some fight, picking a couple of boundaries off one Nannes over, but he soon lost another partner when Ross Taylor was given out by umpire Billy Bowden to a very dubious leg-before-wicket decision to leave the home side at 33 for three with less than half their innings gone.

Guptill was handed a lifeline when Haddin dropped him on 27 but he failed to make the most of it and had added just three runs to his score when he skied another one and this time Watson made no mistake.

It was left to James Franklin and Gareth Hopkins with the score on 54 for four to dig New Zealand out a hole.

Franklin showed some nice touches, flicking one six square of the wicket and launching another one over square leg, and added another couple of boundaries in his 43 – his highest Twenty20 score.

He and Hopkins put on 50 valuable runs for the fifth wicket – taking 16 off Tait’s third over – before the Black Caps wicketkeeper (21) edged a Watson delivery to Haddin to bring his 13-ball innings to a close.

A double-wicket over from Nannes effectively ended any hopes New Zealand had of posting a competitive total as Jacob Oram (one) and Nathan McCullum (one) holed out to Watson and Hussey.

Franklin then Tuffey followed in the final two overs leaving Australia to chase a paltry 119 to win. (Eurosport)