BRISBANE, Feb 13: Brisbane’s rain saved Australia’s bacon at the Gabba on Friday with a washout in the deciding fifth One-day International against New Zealand ensuring the world champions retained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

On a day of persistent showers, a late downfall finally ended a rain-shortened trans-Tasman decider when New Zealand appeared poised to claim their first one-day series triumph in Australia.

With the Black Caps needing 33 runs from 36 balls chasing a revised 20-over target of 156 with four wickets in hand, umpires Steve Bucknor and Rod Tucker deliberated before reluctantly pulling up the stumps.

Unheralded youngsters Martin Guptill and Brendon Diamanti put NZ in prime position by stunning the world champions with an unbeaten 50-run seventh wicket stand.

Opener Guptill, 22, who has just two toes on one foot due to a forklift accident a few years ago, belted 64 off 34 balls while debutant Diamanti was 26 off 22 when the heavy shower came down.

With the series deadlocked at two-all before the fifth and final match, the wash-out means Australia will keep the trophy by courtesy of their 2-0 win last season.

Earlier Brad Haddin overcame a mad dash to play to cement his place as Australia’s limited-overs opener with a swashbuckling knock which lifted the home side to 168-4 from 22 overs.

Haddin combined with Callum Ferguson (55 not out off 35 balls) for a momentum-turning 98-run stand after Australia 71-4 in the 12th over. The pair belted 58 off the last four overs to put the home side in the box seat to retain the series trophy.

The Black Caps looked down and out at 73-6 after Man-of-the-Series Mike Hussey took a brilliant one-handed overhead catch to dismiss an injured Kyle Mills.

An earlier turnaround in the weather caught Ponting out as he and Haddin were forced to scamper back to the ground after leaving for the team hotel.

Seemingly of the belief the match would be abandoned, the pair left in a white car with injured vice-captain Michael Clarke but rushed back almost half an hour later.

Another 20 minutes later Ponting was at the crease but didn’t last long as he edged behind a Mills outswinger off his third ball.

Ponting fell as the Australian top-order, missing an injured Clarke, slumped to 3-30 in the sixth over as they failed to come to terms with the swinging ball and difficult batting conditions. But Haddin showed little problem, belting five fours and three sixes.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA:

J.R. Hopes c Vettori b Mills 5

B.J. Haddin not out 88

R.T. Ponting c McCullum b Mills 2

D.J. Hussey b O’Brien 6

M.E.K. Hussey b Diamanti b Vettori 9

C.J. Ferguson not out 55

EXTRAS (W-3) 3

TOTAL (for four wkts, 22 overs) 168

FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-20, 3-30, 4-70.

DID NOT BAT: C.L. White, M.G. Johnson, N.W. Bracken, P.M. Siddle, B.W. Hilfenhaus.

BOWLING: Mills 4-0-22-2 (1w); Southee 5-0-49-0 (1w); O’Brien 5-0-40-1; Diamanti 2-0-25-0; Vettori 4-0-24-1; Elliott 2-0-8-0.

NEW ZEALAND:

B/B. McCullum b Hilfenhaus 2

M.J. Guptill not out 64

P.G. Fulton c Ferguson b Bracken 22

L.R.P.L. Taylor c M. Hussey b Johnson 4

G.D. Elliott c Haddin b Bracken 0

N.T. Broom run out 0

K.D. Mills c M. Hussey b Siddle 1

B.J. Diamanti not out 26

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-3) 4

TOTAL (for six wkts, 14 overs) 123

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-40, 3-56, 4-68, 5-68, 6-73.

BOWLING: Hilfenhaus 3-0-28-1 (1w); Bracken 3-0-33-2; Johnson 3-0-28-1 (1w); Siddle 3-0-13-1; Hopes 2-0-20-0 (1w).

RESULT: No result (New Zealand target was revised to 156 in 20 overs under D/L Method).

UMPIRES: R.J. Tucker (Australia) and S.A. Bucknor (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Mahanama (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Michael Hussey.

FIRST MATCH: Perth, New Zealand won by two wickets.

SECOND MATCH: Melbourne, New Zealand won by six wickets.

THIRD MATCH: Sydney, Australia won by 32 runs.

FOURTH MATCH: Adelaide, Australia won by six wickets.—Agencies