Captain Ricky Ponting guided Australia to a seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in their World Twenty20 warm-up at the Brit Oval.

Ponting hit 56, initially instigating an Australian recovery after the loss of two early wickets disrupted their progress.

James Franklin's double-wicket maiden in the fifth over evened up the contest after New Zealand were dismissed for 147.

But Ponting, whose half-century came from only 34 deliveries, combined with vice-captain Michael Clarke in a match-turning century stand.

Although Australia left themselves to score 88 off the final 10 overs, they paced the chase perfectly from that point with Ponting's six over long-off just after the halfway stage of the innings altering the momentum in his side's favour.

When he launched another maximum, off Scott Styris in the 13th over, it meant Australia only required eight-an-over from the final seven.

The required rate had been whittled down to a run a ball by the time Ponting holed out to spinner Daniel Vettori towards the death.

Clarke finished unbeaten on 49 while Andrew Symonds clipped the winning runs through the leg side in the final over, as Australia finish on 151 for three.

New Zealand's total had been under par on a good surface but the dismissals of Shane Watson and David Warner, both to aggressive strokes at Franklin, altered the tempo of the match.

That the Black Caps remained competitive was a credit to their fighting spirit after Australia's anticipated Ashes pace attack decimated their top order.

Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson combined to devastating effect with the new ball as Vettori's team, who defeated India yesterday, slumped to 21 for five.

Lee removed dangerman Brendon McCullum with the third ball of the innings and only conceded seven runs from his first three overs.

Left-armer Johnson, meanwhile, claimed two wickets in his opening over as his pace unsettled the Kiwis.

When Mitchell's direct hit from mid-off ran out Jacob Oram, who had not faced a ball, the New Zealanders had lost half their side and their eventual total was a long way off.

They got there thanks to a thrilling stand of 71 for the sixth wicket between Scott Styris and Peter McGlashan.

It was terminated by the return of Johnson into the attack when Styris' spree of 24 runs from eight balls was followed by an edge behind from a wide delivery.

McGlashan, the reserve wicketkeeper, staked his claim for the number seven spot when the tournament proper begins, with 49 from just 35 deliveries. His most impressive stroke among seven boundaries was a powerfully hooked six off a Peter Siddle bouncer.

But he fell attempting an eighth boundary when he picked out David Hussey at long-off from the bowling of off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.