Full Scorecard

New Zealand gained a rare win over their larger neighbours across the Tasman thanks to some fine left-arm seam and swing bowling by Geoff Allott and then 80 not out from Roger Twose.

Andy Smith reports from Cardiff

The former Warwickshire batsman is a veteran of similar run chases in English conditions and used his experience to great effect.

He and Chris Cairns saw the Kiwis home from a difficult position of 49 for four with a record fifth wicket stand of 148 at Cardiff.

Twose hits the winning runs

A series of huge blows against some of the world's top bowlers saw them home with 28 balls to spare.

Earlier Allott ripped through the Australian batting before and after a 94-run stand between top scorer Darren Lehmann and Ricky Ponting, as Steve Waugh's decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired.

In an innings punctuated by a 40-minute break due to light rain, the Australian batsmen failed to come to terms with a slow-paced pitch and some disciplined bowling by an all-seam attack.

Allott removed openers Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist in his first six-over burst then returned to bowl Michael Bevan (21) and Shane Warne (15) in his third spell.

Allott celebrates another wicket

Left-hander Lehmann held the innings together with a 94-ball 76 runs with eight boundaries and was the fifth to fall at 172.

Lehmann and Ponting (47) resurrected the innings from 31 for two to 126 without further loss when the latter spooned a catch off Nathan Astle to Chris Harris at point.

The third wicket stand featured 12 boundaries but Gavin Larsen checked the progress, conceding just 26 runs in his 10 overs.

The New Zealand bowling was backed by brilliant catching and fielding. Astle excelled with three catches, although Dion Nash failed to take a difficult chance offered by Ponting to mid wicket.

Australia were well set on 163 for four after 40 overs but managed just 50 in the last 10 as New Zealand tightened their hold on the innings.

It looked as though it would not matter when the Kiwis lost their first four wickets in the early stages of their reply.

Lehmann top-scored

Opener Matthew Horne was very unlucky to be given out caught behind off Adam Dale.

But he was soon joined in the pavilion by Nathan Astle after Ponting took a sharp catch off Damien Fleming's bowling at backward point.

Stephen Fleming was the next to go when he fell victim to a superb yorker from Glenn McGrath.

And the powerful Craig McMillan, who was batting with a runner after suffering what appeared to be a hamstring injury, fell victim to Shane Warne in the spinner's first over.

Sixes off Warne follow no-ball catch

That brought Cairns out to join Twose and the pair combined well, although Twose was caught hooking off a McGrath no-ball with the score just 79.

Waugh struggles home as Kiwis keep it tight

Cairns was even fiercer and treated the fearsome Aussie attack with disdain, twice smashing Warne out of the ground with massive sixes back over the bowler's head.

The 28 year old reached his 50 from 70 balls with three fours and three sixes with a drive off Fleming to the boundary.

Twose had taken just two more balls to reach his half-century earlier in the innings and his knock eventually included 10 fours.

By now the Australian attack had become demoralised and they could do little to prevent the Kiwis cruising to victory.

Cairns did go, trying one too many big hits off Fleming but Adam Parore arrived at the crease and helped Twose secure the win.

- Group B: Australia v New Zealand
20 May 99 at Cardiff

New Zealand beat Australia by 5 wkts Scorecard correct at 17:41 GMT 18:41 UK

New Zealand 214 for 5 (45.2overs)
Australia 213 for 8 (50overs) , overs completed

New Zealand innings

Batsman			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
MJ Horne	c Gilchrist	b Dale	5	8	1	-
NJ Astle	c Ponting	b Fleming	5	15	-	-
CD McMillan	c Fleming	b Warne	28	48	3	-
SP Fleming		b McGrath	9	20	1	-
RG Twose		not out	80	99	10	-
CL Cairns	c Dale	b Fleming	60	77	5	3
AC Parore		not out	10	9	1	1
Extras	0b 2lb 11w 4nb		17
TOTAL:	5 wkts, 45.2 overs		214

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (5 Horne, 5 mins), 2-21 (16 Astle, 21 mins), 3-47 (26 Fleming, 33 mins), 4-49 (2 McMillan, 4 mins), 5-197 (148 Cairns, 112 mins)
Still to bat: C Z Harris, D J Nash, G R Larsen, G I Allott

Bowler	O	M	R	W
D W Fleming	8.2	1	43	2
A C Dale	5	1	18	1
G D McGrath	9	0	43	1
S Lee	6	0	24	0
S K Warne	10	1	44	1
S R Waugh	4	0	25	0
M G Bevan	3	0	15	0

Australia innings

Batsman			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
ME Waugh	lbw	b Allott	2	5	-	-
AC Gilchrist	c Astle	b Allott	14	28	1	-
RT Ponting	c Harris	b Astle	47	88	4	-
DS Lehmann	c Astle	b Harris	76	94	8	-
SR Waugh	c Astle	b Harris	7	18	-	-
MG Bevan		b Allott	21	32	1	-
S Lee		run out	2	8	-	-
SK Warne		b Allott	15	14	2	-
DW Fleming		not out	8	11	-	-
AC Dale		not out	3	5	-	-
Extras	0b 10lb 5w 3nb		18
TOTAL:	8 wkts, 50 overs		213

Fall of wickets: 1-7 (7 Waugh, 9 mins), 2-32 (25 Gilchrist, 27 mins), 3-126 (94 Ponting, 129 mins), 4-149 (23 Waugh, 18 mins), 5-172 (23 Lehmann, 25 mins), 6-175 (3 Lee, 9 mins), 7-192 (17 Bevan, 11 mins), 8-204 (12 Warne, 10 mins) Did not bat: G D McGrath

Bowler	O	M	R	W
G I Allott	10	0	37	4
D J Nash	8	1	30	0
C L Cairns	7	0	44	0
G R Larsen	10	2	26	0
C Z Harris	10	0	50	2
N J Astle	5	0	16	1

Australia won the toss and decided to bat

Umpires: Javed Akhtar, D R Shepherd

Australia
M E Waugh , A C Gilchrist (wkt) , R T Ponting , D S Lehmann , S R Waugh (capt) , M G Bevan , S Lee , S K Warne , D W Fleming , A C Dale , G D McGrath ,

New Zealand
M J Horne , N J Astle , C D McMillan , S P Fleming (capt) , R G Twose , C L Cairns , A C Parore (wkt) , C Z Harris , D J Nash , G R Larsen , G I Allott ,