BRETT Lee ignored the heat of the spotlight in Wellington today to coolly claim two New Zealand scalps as they collapsed to 233 all out in the fourth one-day international.
The fast bowler was under scrutiny after he bowled a beamer at Brendon McCullum in the third match, which Kiwi coach John Bracewell claimed to be a tactic to intimidate his batsmen.
Lee took nothing off the pace of his bowling today, firing down balls consistently in the high 140km/h zone, and he was rewarded with the wickets of Chris Cairns and, ironically, McCullum, finishing with figures of 2-41 from nine steady overs.
Fellow pacemen Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath also grabbed two wickets apiece as every Australia bowler recorded a digit other than zero in the wickets column, including debutant James Hopes.
The Queenslander was mighty impressive in his first shift in the green and gold, bowling his full 10 overs for just 38 runs, making him the most economical bowler in the Australia attack.
Hopes grabbed his first international wicket by trapping Craig McMillan (35 off 36) leg before playing across the line just as he was looking to cut loose.
New Zealand wasted a belated good start, captain Stephen Fleming and fellow opening batsman Nathan Astle putting on 84 for the first wicket.
No Black Caps batsman passed 40 as Australia's attack kept the home side well contained after captain Adam Gilchrist elected to bowl first in the cool, overcast conditions.
When McGrath dismissed Jeff Wilson leg before with a sandshoe crusher in the 48th over, he moved past South Africa's Shaun Pollock into seventh position on the all-time one-day wicket-takers list with 314 scalps.
The 34-year-old veteran now sits one behind India's Javagal Srinath and is creeping up on Anil Kumble (317) and Chaminda Vaas (323).
Lee and Glenn McGrath were unable to grab the early breakthroughs that have tormented the home side in the first three matches of the series as Fleming and Astle, compiled the innings' top scores with 37 apiece.
Their opening stand gave NZ hopes of a 270-plus total but the wicket of Fleming in the 17th over sparked a mini-collapse.
Cairns (36 off 35) also appeared set to ensure Australia had a difficult target to chase but skied Lee to Damien Martyn at point in the 47th over as the Kiwis lost their last four wickets for just 19 runs.
It was the first time in seven matches of Australia winning the toss that the world champion had elected to bowl first.
The previous occasion was against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January when it won by nine wickets after routing the tourists for 163.