Australia claimed a moral victory in the second one-dayer against New Zealand yesterday after the tourists slumped to a top-order collapse before the match was abandoned because of rain.
Fast bowler Brett Lee said losing three wickets for just 12 runs would have inflicted "mental scars" on New Zealand, who lost the first Chappell-Hadlee Trophy match in Adelaide by seven wickets.
"We can take a bit out of this game. Even though there was only a few overs bowled, we put a few mental scars into them," Lee said. "Early on our intensity was brilliant."
PHOTO: AFP
The three-match series will now go to Hobart on Thursday, with Australia seeking to take back the trophy won convincingly by New Zealand in February.
The tourists were in trouble at 30 for three after six overs when rain halted play, and officials eventually called the game off in the early evening.
Kiwi captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and batted, with play starting 45 minutes late because of the rain.
Australia's fast bowlers struck early, snaring three wickets in the opening three overs.
Lee (2-12) had Lou Vincent caught at second slip by Ricky Ponting for a second-ball duck.
Jamie How (4) tried to guide a short ball from Nathan Bracken (1-18) through slips and was snapped up by Matthew Hayden.
Lee struck again in his second over when opener Brendon McCullum, who made 96 in the first game in Adelaide, was caught at mid-off for five after failing to pick a slower ball.
Lee said Australia's quicks had struggled with their intensity in allowing New Zealand to put on 115 for their first two wickets in the Adelaide match.
"We lacked [in] that last game. We really wanted to turn that around, so we did that," he said.
"We only had a few overs to bowl and we got three wickets and had them right on the back foot. We were looking pretty good and then the rain came," Lee said.
"Especially after our last [series] outing with them, they beat us three-nil. We were looking to hopefully do the same and reverse that from last summer," he said.
The Black Caps can retain the title with a win in the last game to square the series.
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