AUSTRALIA v NEW ZEALAND

At Melbourne, January 15 (day/night). Australia won by seven wickets. Toss: New Zealand. Whatever hopes the New Zealanders held of taking the WSC finals to a third, deciding game faded with the early dismissal of their captain, Crowe. Reid again batted with aggression, top-scoring with 64 from 94 balls, but Jones hit only one boundary in his 89-ball half-century as once again the Australian bowlers exerted mean control. Australia in reply lost their acting-captain, Marsh, to the first ball of the second over, and any of Petrie's next three deliveries might have sent Jones back. Instead, before an appreciative home crowd, Jones (105 balls, one six, six fours) played a masterful innings which took his aggregate for the series to 513 and Australia to within 10 runs of victory. Taylor's contrapuntal 71 from 93 balls and Boon's measured 40 not out from 64 more or less completed the score.

Man of the Finals: M. A. Taylor. Attendance: 48,957.