Watch the highlights of Australia vs New Zealand WSC 2nd Final 1990-91 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the second final played between New Zealand and Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne in 15th January 1991.
Simon O'Donnell and Bruce Reid's combined 5-wickets before Mark Taylor, Dean Jones' fifties and David Boon's unbeaten 40 leads to Australia emphatic seven-wicket victory over New Zealand and clinch the best of three finals with 2-0 in the second final of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
New Zealand scored 208-6 in 50 overs with top scorer by Richard Reid struck 64 off 94-balls including five boundaries.
Andrew Jones scored 51 off 89-balls including a boundary, Ken Rutherford hit 37 off 43-balls included three boundaries.
Rod Latham scored a unbeaten 20 off 14-balls including a boundary and Bryan Young hit 11 off 6-balls contained 2-fours with strike rate of 183.33.
Australia best bowler by Simon O'Donnell picked up 3-wickets for 43-runs in 9-overs, Bruce Reid took 2-wickets and one for Peter Taylor.
Australia chased 209-3 in 45.3 overs with top scorer by Dean Jones cracked a 76 off 105-balls including 6-fours & a six.
Mark Taylor scored 71 off 93-balls including 8-fours and David Boon hit a unbeaten 40 off 64-balls included three boundaries.
New Zealand best bowler by Andrew Jones, Chris Pringle and Richard Petrie.
Mark Waugh and Mark Taylor earned player of the series, Mark Waugh contributed 112 runs, while Mark Taylor took 12 wickets and shared 176 runs.
This match reported by The Canberra Times Staff (Third Party Reference from The Canberra Times)
Australia clinched the World Series Cup after scoring a convincing victory against New Zealand in the second final of the one-day cricket series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
After New Zealand scored 6-208 in its innings, Australia reached its target of 209 runs with the loss of just three wickets.
Australia took only 45.3 overs to score the required runs with Victorian Dean Jones top scoring with a dashing 76.
It was a fitting end for the Australians who have dominated the limited overs' competition this summer, except for their single blemish when they surprisingly lost to the Kiwis in Hobart during the preliminary rounds.
While Jones was flamboyant as ever, especially towards the end of his innings when his last five scoring shots all registered boundaries, Mark Taylor provided the backbone of Australia's run chase with a sterling 71.
The Cup triumph comes after the Australian team's Ashes' series win in just three Tests, and the side will pick up $32,000 with last night's victory while the New Zealanders collect $16,000.
Although New Zealand battled to make its score of 6-208 off its allotted 50 overs they could have pushed Australia to the limit had their fielding been sharp.
Taylor, Jones and David Boon (40 not out) were all given lives which were to prove costly.
Taylor was dropped in the first over when he was two, Jones was given chances when he was 20 and 34 and Boon should have been out when he was on 27 and again on 38.
Acting captain Geoff Marsh wasthe only batsman to fail in the Australian innings when he was dismissed off the first ball he faced, and the seventh ball of home side's run chase, when he was caught behind off the bowling of Richard Petrie.
But that will be the last thing on the West Australian's mind after he captained Australia to the two consecutive finals' wins.
Captain Allan Border had been forced to sit out of the last two games with a groin unjury.
Marsh said winning the game was paramount last night and thoughts of playing Simon O'Donnell further up the batting list to enhance his chances of gaining a $10,000 bonus for batting 1000 was not appropriate.
He said winning the game in style was all that he cared for and changing the batting line-up was only going to risk Australia's chances of wrapping the WSC up last night, although Allan Border did express a wish to have O'Donnell vie for the lucrative prize.
"AB was very keen to get him out on the ground, but I am one not for changing batting orders and I think we might have learnt our lesson in Hobart," Marsh said.
"Winning the game was more important than the cash Simon would have got.
"Simon wasn't that keen. We wanted to win in style and if I had to send Simon out there to whack a few runs for a few dollars it would have taken the icing off the cake.
"Marsh said he now understood the extreme pressure Border is under when captaining side in one-day games, but predicted the champion left-hander would return for the Fourth Test against England in Adelaide starting on January 25.
"When you are captain you play every ball and run it over in your mind and it is a lot of pressure and I now understand what AB goes through," Marsh said.
"He's still pretty sore and he's got a week off. I couldn't see AB missing a Test match.
"We could prop him up at first slip and take it easy between wickets," Marsh joked.
He said it was extremely unlikely Border would play against England for Queensland in a four-day match at Carrara on the Gold Coast starting this Saturday.
"He'd be crazy to play with the injury and the break would do him the world of good.
"He's played a lot of cricket and been under a lot of pressure so this will do him some good."
New Zealand captain Martin Crowe said his young and inexperienced side had learnt a lot from the Australians in the two finals.
In particular in the fielding department, where he said the Australians set the game up.
"We learnt a lot from being here for these two finals," Crowe said.
"We certainly know we have to improve in all facets.
"Our fielding's our big thing. We have to tighten up there. You can create so much pressure through your fielding.
"Also the bowlers must bowl straighter."Crowe said the Kiwis have the nucleus of a good side to work with, but he added that they must beat Sri Lanka in the upcoming series to prove that they do indeed have the ability to develop into a cricketing heavyweight.
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