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Lee, McGrath rattle New Zealand

Australia's Brett Lee claimed his second five-wicket haul in his meteoric Test career to help bowl New Zealand out for 232 on the opening day of the third and final Test in Hamilton on Friday.

The tearaway strike bowler fought back from a 17-run mauling by Chris Cairns in one over to finish with 5-77 off 23 overs, the most used of the Australian bowlers.

New Zealand got an early breakthrough when Matthew Hayden, resurrected to the opening position at the expense of Greg Blewett, was out for two in the five overs Australia had to survive in the twilight.

At the close, Australia were four for one, with Michael Slater on two and nightwatchman Shane Warne yet to score.

Lee has been a revelation since breaking into the Australian team for the second Boxing Day Test against India in Melbourne and halfway through his fifth Test has taken 28 wickets. Along with Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar, Lee is rated the fastest bowler in world cricket.

The young New South Welshmen bowled with plenty of fire and enthusiasm in hot conditions to back up captain Steve Waugh's faith in him and fought back from a four-boundary mauling by Cairns, to gain revenge by dismissing the prodigious-hitting Kiwi for his fifth wicket.

Lee had rocked the New Zealand top order taking the wickets of Mathew Sinclair (19), Nathan Astle (0), Stephen Fleming (30) and topscorer Craig McMillan (79).

Australia's premier pace bowler Glenn McGrath grabbed 4-58 off 21.5 overs to take his career Test wicket haul to 286.

Once again New Zealand's top order let down the side, after being sent into bat, with the Kiwis teetering at 53 for four after the opening 90 minutes.

In Auckland, New Zealand were 80-5 and 121-5, and in the second Wellington Test the Kiwis were 66-5 and 88-5. On all occasions, except in the first innings of the opening Auckland Test, New Zealand's tail recovered the innings.

Again healthy partnerships between Fleming and McMillan of 78 and Cairns and McMillan with 77 here got New Zealand back to 208 for six before the last four wickets fell cheaply for 24 runs.

McMillan looked in aggressive touch with 14 fours off 145 balls before he fell to Lee playing needlessly to a delivery purposefully wide of his offstump to be one of Gilchrist's five catches of the innings.

Cairns, who terrorised the Australian bowlers in the second Wellington Test with his first innings 109 and six sixes in a buccaneering 69 in his second time at bat, looked set to take up where he left off when he clouted Lee for 17 in one over. But Waugh kept Lee in the bowling attack and he snared McMillan in his next over when the No.6 edged to Gilchrist. Lee gained his revenge on Cairns 30 minutes later when the prodigious-hitting allrounder holed out to a diving Damien Martyn at third man for 37 off 92 balls with six fours.

It was all downhill after that for New Zealand with Paul Wiseman gloving a sweep shot onto his stumps off Warne for one and newcomer Daryl Tuffey and Shayne O'Connor falling to McGrath.

McGrath and Lee, shared the wickets in the morning session. McGrath removed openers Craig Spearman (12) and Matthew Horne (12) to catches behind by Gilchrist. Lee chipped in with the wickets of Sinclair for 19 and Astle, out second ball leg before wicket.

The Australians had to negotiate five overs in fading light after the day's play went into overtime because of a tardy Australian bowling rate.

Left-arm swing bowler O'Connor beat Hayden, playing his first Test in three years, several times with late movement off the pitch before he coaxed the big Queenslander to snick to Parore.

Australia have already clinched the series 2-0 and are chasing their 10th consecutive Test victory in Hamilton.