Adam Gilchrist finished the match with a boundary to take Australia to 261 for five wickets off 47.5 overs in reply to New Zealand's 259-5 from 50 overs. Tom Moody top-scored with 63 for the Aussies while Michael Bevan hit 57.

Opener Nathan Astle came good with a patient 78 and all-rounder Chris Cairns hammered 56 off 50 balls in a splendid batting display by New Zealand in posting 259 for five against Australia in the Coca-Cola Sharjah Cup Cricket Tournament today.

Fighting to stay in the tournament, the Kiwi batsmen showed purpose in a perfectly paced innings with useful contributions down the order to leave Australia, seeking their third straight win in the league stage, a challenging asking rate of 5.20.

Astle (78 - 125b, 6x4, 1x6) began aggressively and settled to build the innings with superb support from Cairns (56 - 50b, 5x4, 1x6) after the exit of fellow opener Llorne Howell (2)and skipper Stephen Fleming (20), a rare failure.

Craig McMillan (43 - 63b), batting hero against India last night, was run out nearing his second consecutive fifty, but Chris Harris (26 not out - 10 b, 1x4, 2x6) whacked two sixes off leg-spinner Shane Warne in the final over and with Adam Parore (22 n.o - 20b, 1x4) playing the ideal foil blasted 57 runs in the last five overs.

The Kiwis, not having to face rested pacemen Damien Fleming and Mike Kasprowicz, raised 85 runs in the last 10 overs to boost their net run rate and look for a second win.

Stand-in pacemen Adam Dale (1-30), Ian Harvey (2-59) and Warne (1-56), who was quite expensive, shared the spoils and Steve Waugh went for 38 runs in four overs.