New Zealand got out of maxium security prison last night to beat Australia and claim an improbable 23-run victory to launch their VB Series campaign.

After scoring 199/8 in their 50 overs New Zealand looked gone for all money, a situation even more likely when Australia raced to 63/1 off only eight overs.

But an incredible bowling response, with Shane Bond coming back superbly after an early 19-run over mauling to take three wickets while Chris Cairns unleashed his slower ball with deadly effect to pick up three as well. Then there was a classic self-inflicted run out which removed Steve Waugh and Chris Harris' delightful bowling of Shane Warne.

That's not to forget some clever flighted stuff from Daniel Vettori to take two at the end.

Yet for all the delight, drama and defiance, New Zealand can reflect on their win and know they can do so much better, and batting has to be top of the menu.

If there has been one failing that has been evident when New Zealand teams go into one-day competitions it has been the inability to adapt when things turn sour while batting.

It is nothing new, and it was borne out again yesterday when the New Zealanders were invited to bat first at Melbourne.

For years the same seemingly unstoppable headlong rush into batting mayhem has occurred. Suddenly the first two wickets go cheaply, but batsmen still come out firing on all cylinders and, invariably, more wickets fall.

It happens so regularly it is almost predictable.

Once again, in Melbourne, when New Zealand got into strife there did not seem a Plan B which the batsmen could engage.

Realising the problem, on this occasion a Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch with more bounce than might normally be expected, seemed to take an age for the New Zealanders.

There was no halting in the push for fast runs as wickets kept falling at a far greater speed than New Zealand wanted.

With Brett Lee firing down thunderbolts it needed New Zealand to implement their Test match strategy of not playing unnecessarily. But instead the techniques of the Kiwis were put to the test as the result of indecision.

The thought of playing out the bowler in his spell with a minimum of risk, regrouping and living to fight another day did not seem to occur to the New Zealanders.

It was a situation exacerbated by the lack of another specialist batsman in the top order.

Clearly, from the way New Zealand attempted to bowl, the research had been done for specific bowling requirements, but the options for righting the sinking ship when it came to batting were not so obvious.

Had it not been for Harris' experienced hand in providing yet another innings of steel and substance from down the order, the embarrassment for New Zealand would have been incalculable. There was at least an understanding that 50 overs needed to be batted out, and from that realisation came the match-winning target, although that was far from being obvious at the time.

Yet the lessons of Harris' approach should have been the example of the application required much earlier in the innings.

Slowing down, regathering, adapting to the requirements of the situation, should be second nature to experienced players.

And the New Zealanders are not an inexperienced side. They are the defending ICC KnockOut champions. They do have some form.

The bowling performance was entirely representative of the guts and fight in the side and when that is transferred to the batting strategy then the situation will be recoverable. The sooner that occurs the CLEAR Black Caps will be even more in this series.

But it would be nice for once to see a New Zealand team go out to start a series confident and in control of their batting.

Hopefully, that fact will not be lost in the euphoria of this outstanding victory by the bowlers.

© CricInfo