Andy Spear at Seddon Park
A Brad Haddin-inspired Australian side claimed a comprehensive six-wicket win over New Zealand in the third One Day International of the Chappell-Hadlee series at Seddon Park on Hamilton.
After winning the toss and sending New Zealand into bat, Australia looked strong from the get-go and controlled both innings easily chase down New Zealand's total of 245 to claim an easy victory and go 2-1 up in the best of five match series.
A brilliant 150-run partnership between Haddin (110) and Ricky Ponting (69) did enough to put the result beyond doubt after some solid bowling from Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris in the first innings.
Earlier, New Zealand was lucky to at least reach the unsatisfactory total of 245 from the 46-2 overs it faced thanks to a sole half century from Ross Taylor (62) who was a late inclusion to the side after suffering a hamstring strain.
Apart from a good knock from Hopkins (45) and Scott Styris (41), the New Zealand line-up failed to fire a shot as the effective Australian bowling dominated the innings.
In the Australian innings, Shane Watson was run-out by New Zealand wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins in the eighth over on 15 runs before Haddin and Ponting bashed their way through the New Zealand attack to effectively seal the win.
Shortly after Haddin was dropped by Tim Southee on 83, he and Ponting reached a 150 run partnership before the latter was caught by Taylor on 69 when trying to smash Michael Mason to the leg-side boundary.
Haddin had looked unstoppable from the start of the innings and reached just his second ODI century in the 39th over from 113 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes.
Shortly before Australia reached 200 runs, Michael Hussey was caught for nine runs by Peter Ingram although the introduction of Cameron White to the crease would have done little to lift the spirits of the New Zealanders who were staring down the barrel of a big defeat.
Hopkins was finally able to stump Haddin out on 110, his highest ODI score, off Daniel Vettori's bowling with Australia needing just 16 runs from 8.1 overs.
White (25 not out) and Adam Voges (13 not out) held their wickets to carry their side to a six wicket victory with 2.4 overs remaining.
Earlier, things did not start well for the New Zealanders with the bat when, again, opener Peter Ingram's inability to handle the standard of international bowling was exposed when he was caught behind for five runs in the very first over.
A brief stand between Martin Guptill (21) and Brendon McCullum (23) looked promising but their aggressive nature proved to be their undoing once more as Australia took control of the innings.
Taylor, Hopkins and Styris did their best to keep New Zealand's hopes alive but the tail-order failed to offer any support and could not stand up to the heat of the Australian onslaught as the home side settled for the vulnerable total of 245.
Australia's win allows it to move into the next game in Auckland on Thursday with a 2-1 advantage in the series and will be confident of wrapping up the series if it can contain the New Zealand batsmen once more.