AUSTRALIA sent a chilling message to its one-day rivals last night, torching a mentally frayed New Zealand at Eden Park in a clash featuring more bad blood between the trans-Tasman rivals.
The Kiwi nightmare started early when Daryl Tuffey suffered an embarrassing meltdown in the first over.
Tuffey (0-25 from two overs) sprayed the ball like a social cricketer, sending down four wides and four no-balls. After one legitimate ball, Australia was 0-15 and the Kiwis' heads dropped.
Later, batsman Brendon McCullum marched down the wicket to confront Brett Lee after an accidental full toss from the Australian quick struck him on the glove in the 40th over of a doomed run chase.
Lee apologised but captain Australian captain Ricky Ponting also had words with McCullum and umpires as the world champions steamed to an 86-run win to claim the five-match series.
Lee (2-25 from seven overs) had already drawn the ire of a restless crowd when he rifled a short ball towards New Zealand batsman Michael Papps, who was struck a sickening blow on the head and spent the night in hospital.
The Kiwi team was just as dazed after collapsing for 178 in reply to Australia's impressive 5-264 from 50 overs.
The world champions lead 3-0 and they are striding towards a clean sweep that will give them the highest official rating ever achieved by a one-day team.
This was supposed to be the series to test the Australians, who were taking on a New Zealand team ranked second in the world and with a better winning percentage last year.
But it has been another ruthless display by Ponting's men at exactly the halfway point between World Cups.
Rival teams must be worried about how they will stop a third consecutive Australian world championship in the Caribbean in two years.
Lee bowls with a pace that almost scares batsmen in an attack that is simply too good.
Andrew Symonds leads a fielding strength that is worth several wickets and the batting depth was underlined yesterday by the contributions of Michael Clarke (71 not out from 75 balls), energetic Mike Hussey (65 not out from 73) and replacement opener Simon Katich (58 from 78).
If any team is going to bother Australia in 2007, it will need a rapid improvement and plenty of luck.
Clarke and Hussey provided the match-winning plank when they delivered the highest sixth-wicket partnership in Australian one-day history, an unbroken 136 runs from 134 balls.
That pushed Australia out of the danger zone after a mid-innings wobble that claimed Ponting (11 from 18) to another run out, Damien Martyn (one from three) and Queenslander Symonds (21 from 27).
Symonds atoned in the field with another devastating display, running out identical twins Hamish (55 from 87) and James Marshall (14 from 16).
That ripped the glue from the New Zealand innings and spinner Brad Hogg (3-45 from 7.5) cleaned up the tail for another huge win following Tuesday's 106-run drubbing in Christchurch.
"We just haven't been good enough in all departments," New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said.