Kiwis have no answer to pace pair

New Zealand 232 Australia 4-1

The Australian fast bowlers, Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath, took nine wickets between them as New Zealand were dismissed for 232 on the first day of the third and final Test here yesterday.

The tourists, bidding for their 10th successive Test victory, were 4 for 1 at the close, the recalled Matthew Hayden falling to Shayne O'Connor for two.

Varying his pace with deceptive slower balls, Lee picked up the crucial wickets of Stephen Fleming for 30, Craig McMillan for 79 and Chris Cairns for 37.

Earlier, Lee had Mathew Sinclair caught at slip for 19 and trapped Nathan Astle lbw for nought. He ended with 5 for 77 off 23 overs.

McGrath was equally effective in extracting maximum assistance from the pitch. He dismissed the openers and the last two batsmen - the debutant Daryl Tuffey and O'Connor - to finish with 4 for 58.

The New Zealand middle order was again forced to mount a rescue mission after the first four wickets went cheaply. McMillan carried the attack to the bowlers, hitting 14 fours in his 192-minute innings before he was caught behind by Adam Gilchrist.

McMillan and Chris Cairns put on 77 for the sixth wicket following a 78-run partnership between Fleming and McMillan. "It was pretty satisfying to get a few today as we were in a bit of trouble early on," said McMillan. "I just tried to be positive, that's the way I bat."

After hitting seven boundaries Cairns, who dominated the Australian bowlers in the first innings of the second Test, was caught at third man by Damien Martyn, slashing at a fullish Lee delivery.

First day; Australia won toss

New Zealand - First Innings M J Horne c Gilchrist b McGrath 12 C M Spearman c Gilchrist b McGrath 12 M S Sinclair c Warne b Lee 19 *S P Fleming lbw b Lee 30 N J Astle lbw b Lee 0 C D McMillan c Gilchrist b Lee 79 C L Cairns c Martyn b Lee 37 ÿA C Parore not out 12 P J Wiseman b Warne 1 D R Tuffey c Gilchrist b McGrath 3 S B O'Connor c Gilchrist b McGrath 0 Extras (b5 lb7 nb13 w2) 27

Total (82.5 overs) 232

Fall: 1-22 2-42 3-53 4-53 5-131 6-208 7-212 8-224 9-227.

Bowling: McGrath 21.5-8-58-4 (nb3); Lee 23-8-77-5 (nb5, w2); Warne 20-5-45-1 (nb4); Miller 11-4-28-0 (nb1); Martyn 7-4-12-0.

Australia - First innings

M L Hayden c Parore b O'Connor 2 M J Slater not out 2 S K Warne not out 0 Extras 0

Total (for 1, five overs) 4

Fall: 1-3.

To bat: J L Langer, M E Waugh, *S R Waugh, D R Martyn, ÿA C Gilchrist, C R Miller, B Lee, G D McGrath.

Bowling: Cairns 3-1-3-0; O'Connor 2-1-1-1.

Umpires: R S Dunne and AV Jayaprakash (Ind).