The Australians looked to have rebounded from their
humiliating 10-wicket loss in Wellington on Friday after posting a massive total
with stand-in captain Mike Hussey blasting 105 and Brad Hodge
97 not out. 
However, New Zealand reached their victory target in
the 49th over after Ross
Taylor made 117 and Peter Fulton 76 not out. Taylor
hit 16 fours and one six to lay the platform for his team`s stunning win after
Stephen Fleming (six), Lou Vincent (26) and Scott Styris
(17) all went cheaply. Taylor shared a 115-run partnership with Fulton for the
fourth wicket but left was dismissed in the 39th over with 109 still needed.
Craig McMillan increased the run-rate with a
blazing 52 off just 30 balls before Fulton and Brendon McCullum finished it
off, with the pair slamming 11 runs off the penultimate over from Glenn McGrath
to seal the win.
The Australians, missing five of their frontline players
including skipper Ricky Ponting and deputy Adam Gilchrist, looked
to have done enough to win the match after setting a record total for a one
day international at the compact venue.
Hussey smashed eight fours and six sixes, while Hodge
slammed 10 boundaries and two sixes to narrowly miss out on his first hundred
just two weeks after he was left stranded on 99 against the Kiwis in Melbourne.
The left-handed Hussey reached his half-century off
52 balls but needed just 29 more deliveries to bring up his second one-day hundred,
smashing three sixes in one over off Vincent to reach the milestone.
Hodge reached his 50 off 49 deliveries and had a chance to bring up his hundred
off the penultimate ball but could only manage a single when he needed a boundary.
Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin chipped in with a valuable
49 early in the innings while all-rounder Cameron White made 42 not out from
19 balls, but the total still proved too little.
The third and final match of the series will be played
at Hamilton on Tuesday.
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