Watch the highlights of Australia vs New Zealand WSC 1st Final 1990-91 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the first final played between New Zealand and Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne in 13th January 1991.
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| Geoff Marsh celebrates his half-century © Cricket Australia / Channel 9 |
Mark Waugh and Peter Taylor's combined 5-wickets before Opener Geoff Marsh's half-century steers to Australia convincing six-wicket victory over New Zealand and take a 1-0 lead in the best of three finals in the first final of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
New Zealand scored 199-7 in 50 overs with top scorer by Andrew Jones struck 43 off 72-balls including five boundaries.
Martin Crowe cracked a 35 off 66-balls including 2-fours, Rod Latham hit a unbeaten 26 off 48-balls included a boundary.
Bryan Young scored 19 off 30-balls without a boundary and Richard Reid hit 17 off 39-balls contained 2-fours & a six with a six.
Australia best bowler by Mark Waugh picked up 3-wickets for 29-runs in 10-overs including two maidens with economy rate of 2.90, Peter Taylor captured two-wickets and one for Terry Alderman - Simon O'Donnell.
Australia chased 202-4 in 49.1 overs with top scorer by Geoff Marsh struck 70 off 126-balls including five boundaries.
Dean Jones scored 49 off 72-balls - who fell one-run short of his half-century - including 2-fours, Mark Taylor cracked a 41 off 40-balls including 5-fours.
Steve Waugh hit a unbeaten 16 off 28-balls with two-fours and David Boon scored a unbeaten 14 off consuming 28-balls contained two boundaries.
New Zealand best bowler by Danny Morrison took 2-wickets and one for Chris Pringle.
This match reported by John Coomber (Third Party Reference from AAP via The Canberra Times)
New Zealand's one-day cricketers might be wondering whether the scrambled trip across the Tasman was worthwhile after Australia crushed them by six wickets in the first World Series final.
It was a characteristically ruthless performance by the Australians, who are poised to add the WSC title to their successful Ashes defence in the second final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Tuesday.
The New Zealanders had only a few hours' notice that they had made the finals after Australia had scraped home off the last ball against England in Melbourne last Thursday night.
Were it not for the fact that such matches are guaranteed crowd-pullers. the Australian Cricket Board might have had reason to rue the extra international airfares.
As it was, the New Zealanders, clad in their drab shades of black and grey, did little to illuminate a sultry SCG evening and, as far as day-night matches go, it was a dull affair.
The match only came alive late in the Australian innings, when Danny Morrison worked up an impressive head of steam and three wickets fell in the space of 13 deliveries.
It had little bearing on the outcome, as Australia got the runs with five balls to spare. If anything, the closeness flattered New Zealand.
The disappointment for the crowd of 35,703 began before a ball had been bowled, when Australian captain Allan Border withdrew because of a groin injury.
Border pulled a muscle at training on Saturday and aggravated the injury during the warm-up half an hour before today's match.
It was the first one-day international in a 218-match career that Border has missed through injury.
In fact, he has not missed any international or Test through injury since his debut series 13 years ago - a sequence of 433 international matches broken only by three one-day games for which he was rested.
Border, who holds the world record of 115 consecutive Tests, is in some doubt for Tuesday's second final, but is not thought to be in danger of missing the fourth Ashes Test, starting in Adelaide on January 25.
Border's withdrawal allowed Geoff Marsh to take over for his third match as captain in a limited-overs international.
And, taking his responsibility with due seriousness, he guided Australia to the threshold of victory with a captain's hand of 70 off 126 balls.
The only thing he did wrong was to lose the toss, and New Zealand openers Martin Crowe (35) and Richard Reid (17) enjoyed themselves in the afternoon sunshine with a 55-run opening stand in 12 overs.
While they were there, a formidable total looked on the cards.
The heftily built Reid, brought in to push the early scoring-rate along, spent 16 balls getting off the mark, and looked to be out of his depth.
But he roused himself by thrashing his West Australian namesake, Bruce Reid, through cover for four.
He then deposited a perfectly respectable Terry Alderman delivery over the square leg fence.
But, after its brisk beginning, the innings lost direction.
Apart from Andrew Jones, who made a classy 43 off 72 balls, there was not much to enthuse about as New Zealand trudged to 7-199.
Australia's mid-innings control was so complete that the Kiwis were not allowed a single boundary between the 29th and 49th overs of their innings.
Mark Waugh, with 3-29 off 10 overs, and Peter Taylor with 2-35, were the most effective of Australia's bowlers.
Simon O'Donnell supplanted Dennis Lillee as his country's highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals when John Wright became victim No 104.
Otherwise, O'Donnell distinguished himself only by bowling four wides and a no-ball in his first four overs.
Border's absence forced the Australian selectors to call up Mark Taylor for his first one-day appearance of the season.
Taylor took the opportunity of sending them a reminder that he can play the ersatz game as well as anyone by hitting a cultured 41 off 40 balls.
It took a superb run-out throw from the combative Morrison to remove him.
It mattered little, as in swaggered Dean Jones, who embodies all that New Zealanders find most difficult to forgive in an Australian.
He is aggressive, cocksure, and fiercely patriotic and he loves nothing better than grinding New Zealand noses into the turf.
Jones hit 49 of a 100-run stand with Marsh to snuff out any chance of New Zealand getting back into the match.
After Mark Waugh departed for a duck, it was left to David Boon and Steve Waugh to knock off the winning runs
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