A SUPERB century from Brad Haddin and fine bowling efforts from Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris lifted Australia to a comfortable six-wicket win against New Zealand in the third Chappell-Hadlee one-day international in Hamilton.

After Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bowl, Mitchell took three for 41 and Harris three for 48 as New Zealand were restricted to 245 all out in 46.2 overs at a packed Seddon Park.

It was a total Australia had no trouble in reaching, particularly once Haddin and Ponting got settled, and the visitors cruised to 248 for four in 47.2 overs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Haddin punished Michael Mason in particular, taking 20 runs off his first over in what was a tough reintroduction to international cricket for the bowler who had not played for the Black Caps since 2008.

Although he came back to take the wicket of Ponting, Mason was expensive and finished with figures of one for 68 off 10 overs.
Strike bowler Shane Bond left the field towards the end of the match after taking a blow to the thumb of his left hand when attempting a tough caught-and-bowled chance off Haddin in the seventh over.

The Australia wicketkeeper was only on eight at the time and made the most of his opportunity to bring up his 50 in 51 balls, which included five boundaries and two sixes.

Haddin had another nervous moment on 83 when it appeared he had holed out in the deep to Tim Southee off part-time bowler Martin Guptill but the young bowler failed to hold on to the ball as his elbows hit the ground.

There were no nerves in the 90s though from the right-hander who launched Scott Styris for a six – his fourth of the innings – to move to 99 then brought up a deserved three figures with a single the next ball.

After Shane Watson was brilliantly run-out by Gareth Hopkins for 15, Ponting and Haddin broke the back of the run-chase with a 151-run partnership before Ponting hit a shorter Mason delivery straight to Ross Taylor at mid-wicket to depart for 69.
Michael Hussey (nine), who was promoted to four after Michael Clarke’s sudden departure back to Australia on the eve of the match, lasted only 15 balls.
Haddin then strode down the crease to a Daniel Vettori delivery with less than 20 runs required and was stumped by Hopkins for 110.
That left Cameron White (25 not out) and Adam Voges (13 n.o.) to get their side across the line.

Earlier, Taylor once again led the way for the Black Caps but could not prevent another below-par performance with the bat.
His 62 was his 15th one-day fifty and included four boundaries and two sixes but he was furious with himself after a loose shot saw him pull a Watson delivery to Hussey out on the square leg fence.

Taylor and Neil Broom’s 71-run partnership for the fourth wicket was the highest of the innings and a vital one after New Zealand had lost Peter Ingram (five), Brendon McCullum (23) and Guptill (21) to be 55 for three in the 11th over.

With Taylor and Broom giving some impetus to the Black Caps innings Johnson was reintroduced into the attack and with the last ball of the over got Broom (24) to edge to Watson in the slips.

Taylor followed shortly afterwards and with the score on 146 for five it was left to Styris and Hopkins to try to resurrect the innings.
Styris (41) produced another gritty knock and he and Hopkins (45) got New Zealand beyond the 200-run mark before the all-rounder holed out to Harris off Watson in the 42nd over.

Styris’ dismissal marked the beginning of the end for the hosts.

Vettori (nought) was brilliantly run-out by Ponting with a direct hit, then Hopkins’ innings came to a close five runs short of his half-century when Watson and Harris combined again this time Watson taking the catch at mid-off.

Southee (one) followed in the same Harris over as New Zealand fell apart in their batting powerplay and Johnson wrapped it up when he got Bond to edge one to Haddin.

NEW ZEALAND innings
B. McCullum  b Bollinger    23
P. Ingram c (wkp.) Haddin b Harris    5
M. Guptill c White b Johnson    21
R. Taylor c Hussey b Watson    62
N. Broom c Watson b Johnson    24
S. Styris c Harris b Watson    41
G. Hopkins c Watson b Harris    45
D. Vettori run-out    0
S. Bond c Haddin b Johnson    11
M. Mason not out    2
Extras: (b-1, lb-1, w-6, nb-2)    10
Total: (all out, 46.2 overs)    245
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-45, 3-55, 4-126, 5-146, 6-213, 7-213, 8-240, 9-243.
Bowling: R. Harris 7-0-48-3 (nb-2), D. Bollinger 8-1-39-1, M. Johnson 9.2-1-41-3 (w-3), N. Hauritz 8-0-40-0 (w-1), J. Hopes 8-0-49-0 (w-1), S. Watson 6-0-26-2 (w-1).
AUSTRALIA innings
S. Watson run-out    15
B. Haddin stp. wkp. Hopkins b Vettori    110
R. Ponting  c Taylor b Mason    69
M. Hussey c Ingram  b Southee    9
C. White not out    25
A. Voges not out    13
Extras: (lb-2, w-4, nb-1)    7
Total: (4 wickets, 47.2 overs)    248
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-176, 3-190, 4-230.
Bowling: S. Bond 8-1-43-0, T. Southee 10-0-43-1 (w-1), M. Mason 10-0-68-1 (nb-1), D. Vettori 10-0-36-1, S. Styris 7.2-0-43-0 (w-1), M. Guptill 2-0-13-0 (w-1).