Ricky Ponting and Michael Kasprowicz revelled in the spotlight as Australia out-slogged and out-thought New Zealand to win the first Twenty20 cricket international by 44 runs here on Thursday. Ponting smashed an unbeaten 98 off 55 balls as the tourists averaged 10.7 runs per over to reach 214 for five in their allotted 20 overs, while New Zealand were all out on the last ball of the match for 170.

SCOREBOARD:

AUSTRALIA

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A. Gilchrist c McMillan b Mills         1

M. Clarke c McMillan b Tuffey           7

A. Symonds c McCullum b Mills          32

Ricky Ponting not out                  98

Damien Martyn b Mills                   3

Simon Katich b Cairns                  30

Mike Hussey not out                    31

EXTRAS: (LB-9, W-3)                    12

TOTAL: (for 5 wickets)                214

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FALL OF WICKETS: 1-10, 2-21, 3-46, 4-54, 5-137.

BOWLING: D. Tuffey 4-0-50-1 (1w), K. Mills 4-0-44-3 (2w), C. Cairns 4-0-28-1, J. Wilson 4-0-43-0, A. Adams 4-0-40-0.

OVERS: 20

NEW ZEALAND

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B. McCullum c Ponting b Kasprowicz     36

S. Fleming b Kasprowicz                18

M. Sinclair c Katich b Kasprowicz       0

Scott Styris b Lee                     66

C. McMillan c Hussey b Hopes            9

C. Cairns c McGrath b Kasprowicz        1

Hamish Marshall b Symonds               8

A. Adams run out (McGrath)              7

Jeff Wilson b McGrath                  18

K. Mills c Kasprowicz b McGrath         0

Darryl Tuffey not out                   5

EXTRAS: (W-2)                           2

TOTAL: (all out)                      170

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FALL OF WICKETS: 1-49, 2-49, 3-67, 4-93, 5-95, 6-105, 7-121, 8-161, 9-165.

BOWLING: B. Lee 4-0-26-1 (1w), G. McGrath 4-0-48-2, M. Kasprowicz 4-0-29-4 (1w), J. Hopes 3-0-23-1, A. Symonds 3-0-33-1, M. Clarke 2-0-11-0.

OVERS: 20.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005