Australia limited New Zealand to 286 runs in the first one-day international in Auckland on Monday, giving their understrength batting line-up an achievable target.
The tourists suffered a blow before play even began when a back injury forced wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade out of a team already missing David Warner, Usman Khawaja and captain Steve Smith.
Without his big-name scorers, stand-in captain Aaron Finch opted to give his pace attack a run after winning the toss.
It paid dividends as New Zealand struggled for runs despite sunny conditions and the short boundaries at Eden Park.
Nerves appeared to get the better of the Black Caps, who are desperate to avenge a 3-0 whitewash in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy last December.
Opener Martin Guptill (61) was the only top-order batsman to fire, bringing up his half century off 47 balls.
But he could not forge a big partnership as Tom Latham (7), Kane Williamson (24) and Ross Taylor (16) all went early.
After Guptill was clean bowled by Marcus Stoinis, it was left to the middle order to offer resistance through Neil Broom’s dogged 73 and typically fiesty 48 from 45 balls from Jimmy Neesham.
Paceman Trent Boult added a welcome 16 runs at the death, although coach Mike Hesson would have hoped for a 300-plus target in the conditions.
Medium pacer Stoinis was the best of the Australian bowlers, picking up three for 49 in his second ODI, including the prized scalps of Guptill and Williamson.
While the tourists’ batting line-up is depleted, it still contains the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Shaun Marsh and should be capable of making 287.
