CRICKET/Tri-series One-day International Series:Australia were again indebted to Mike Hussey as they booked their place in the One-Day International Series final with a two-wicket victory over New Zealand in Sydney which maintained their 100 per cent record in the series.
Hussey, who played a key role as the Aussies beat England by four wickets in Brisbane on Friday, kept his composure with 65 not out to guide Australia past the victory target of 219 with eight balls remaining despite a determined effort from the Black Caps.
He had his moments of fortune, however, as did Michael Clarke, who top-scored with 75, as New Zealand made a couple of uncharacteristic fielding errors at key moments.
The fact New Zealand were able to set a competitive total was entirely down to the efforts of Craig McMillan.
With his side struggling at 136 for seven it looked unlikely they would even reach 170 but McMillan opened his shoulders with a blistering assault on the Aussie attack.
He clubbed his way to 89 from 87 deliveries although he can count himself fortunate to have survived an early claim for a catch behind when it appeared he had edged a Glenn McGrath delivery to Adam Gilchrist having made just one.
His onslaught changed the momentum of the game and the New Zealand bowlers capitalised at the start of the reply with Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden - Australia's most successful opening partnership in ODIs - both back in the pavilion with the score on seven.
Clarke came in at three ahead of Ricky Ponting but did not have his captain alongside for very long, the Tasmanian trapped leg before wicket by Michael Mason having made just five.
Andrew Symonds and Clarke had to stem the flow of wickets but opted to attack rather than contain in an attempt to put the New Zealanders on the back foot.
And the policy worked well, although Clarke did benefit from a woeful piece of fielding from James Franklin, the bowler dropping a skied shot in the deep off the bowling of Mark Gillespie when the batsman was on 16.
It was an error which came back to haunt the Black Caps as Clarke turned the game in Australia's favour, even though he lost Symonds (38) to a mistimed prod to third man, the ball coming off the bat and on to middle stump.
The dismissal brought Hussey to the crease and the in-form Western Australian enhanced further his reputation as his country's "finisher" with a gritty knock.
Even he needed a life, though, as a terrible mix-up failed to result in a run-out with both Hamish Marshall and Daniel Vettori bungling, the former making a hash of the pick-up and the latter dropping the ball in the process of whipping off the bails.
He rode his luck and went on to record his 10th ODI half-century, a knock which ultimately decided a topsy-turvy encounter although the home side were made to work hard thanks to a late wobble which resulted in the dismissals of Cameron White, Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken.
New Zealand, like Australia, started their innings in an uncertain manner as Brett Lee and Stuart Clark, who finished with four for 54, tore through the top order.
Lee produced an exhilarating opening spell to account for Nathan Astle and Marshall while Clark got in on the act later to dismiss Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming and the dangerous Ross Taylor.
The rest of the order simply tried to stay at the crease alongside McMillan.
Brendon McCullum hung around long enough to put on 42 with him for the sixth wicket while McMillan and Franklin added 57 from 39 balls for the eighth.
Having been lucky at the start of his innings, McMillan was ultimately unfortunate to miss out on a third ODI century.
McGrath's ball appeared to be over waist-high - and should, therefore, have been called a no-ball - but the batsman was given out after smashing it high into the air with McGrath taking the return catch.
After the match Ricky Ponting lavished praise on Hussey. "He has managed to win a lot of games off his own bat, whether it be in Test matches or controlling one-day games," Ponting said.
Comparisons have been drawn between Hussey and Michael Bevan, Australia's past master of closing games out.
Ponting added: "He (Hussey) is a very good finisher and someone has asked me whether he has stepped into the Michael Bevan mould and he is doing as well as Bevan ever did."
NEW ZEALAND
S P Fleming c Hussey b Clark 12
N J Astle c Gilchrist b Lee 0
H J H Marshall c Gilchrist b Lee 0
R L Taylor c Hussey b Clark 26
P G Fulton c Hayden b Clark 19
C D McMillan c & b McGrath 89
B B McCullum lbw b McGrath 15
D L Vettori c Ponting b Clark 6
J E C Franklin c Hayden b McGrath 18
M R Gillespie not out 6
M J Mason b Bracken 4
Extras b2 lb12 w5 nb4 pens 0 23
Total (47.4 overs) 218
Fall: 1-5 2-7 3-38 4-53 5-84 6-126 7-136 8-193 9-205.
Bowling: Lee 10 1 43 2 Bracken 8.4 2 33 1 McGrath 10 1 24 3 Clark 10 1 54 4 Symonds 8 0 44 0 White 1 0 6 0.
AUSTRALIA
A C Gilchrist c McCullum b Franklin 3
M L Hayden c Taylor b Mason 0
M J Clarke c Taylor b Vettori 75
R T Ponting lbw b Mason 5
A Symonds b Vettori 38
M E K Hussey not out 65
C L White c Fulton b Gillespie 5
B Lee c Marshall b Gillespie 2
N W Bracken c Taylor b McMillan 14
S R Clark not out 1
Extras lb6 w4 nb6 pens 0 16
Total 8 wkts (48.4 overs) 224
Fall: 1-6 2-6 3-17 4-77 5-167 6-175 7-198 8-217. Did Not Bat: G D McGrath.
Bowling: Mason 10 2 46 2 Franklin 10 1 47 1 Gillespie 10 2 34 2 Vettori 10 0 41 2 Astle 2.4 0 22 0 McMillan 6 0 28 1.
Australia beat New Zealand by 2 wkts.
