Kangaroos stun Kiwis in the Twenty20 …

An Andrew Symonds special and some blistering pace from Brett Lee and Shaun Tait have helped Australia win its KFC Twenty20 clash against New Zealand by 54 runs at the WACA.

Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat in his opening match as Australian captain despite losing Brad Hodge before the match, and it was an explosive 85 not out from Symonds that set up the total of 6-186.

The Black Caps had no answer to the speed of Lee and Tait on a quick and bouncy WACA pitch, both picking up a wicket with their opening balls and two for the innings.

Mitchell Johnson also picked up two, while Ashley Noffke took 3-18 on debut.

New Zealand started at 1-0, advanced to 5-31, then 6-49 and finished all out for 132, with only Jacob Oram again showing any fight, left unbeaten on 66.

Lou Vincent might have made a century on his Test debut at the WACA, but there was to be none of those heroics when he fended Brett Lee's first ball straight up into the air to give the Black Caps a disastrous start.

Brendon McCullum (13) also skied a ball off Lee to Gilchrist, before Tait's first ball was gloved by Jamie How to Gilchrist, who palmed it down at first before turning and diving to catch it. How was out for four after struggling for 18 balls.

Tait's third ball was far too quick for Ross Taylor (0), who edged it onto his thigh pad and then onto his stumps.

Mitchell Johnson then got into the act, picking up Matthew Sinclair (0) and Scott Styris (18).

Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, Mark Gillespie and Jeetan Patel offered little resistance as Oram simply run out of partners.

He ended up 66 not out off 31 balls in an innings that included five fours and six sixes. Five of those sixes came in Andrew Symonds' two overs.

Hodge went down with a back injury an hour before play and was replaced in the side by Western Australia's Luke Pomersbach, despite him still being suspended by the Warriors.

Andrew Symonds hit his highest Twenty20 score to be 85 not out off 46 balls, with his innings including seven fours and three sixes. Australia scored 96 off the last eight overs to reach 186.

Gilchrist didn't get a start as he was out for one due to an acrobatic catch at point by Jeetan Patel off Gillespie, but Clarke (33), Michael Hussey (22), Adam Voges (26) and Pomersbach (15) all made solid contributions

Pomersbach was coming to the ground to watch the match with his girlfriend, but, as he was parking his car, was called by the Australian team manager and informed he was about to debut for Australia.

Pomersbach hit a quick fire 15 before Taylor took his third catch off the innings off the bowling of Gillespie, which brought Ashley Noffke in also on debut. He was run out without facing, and then Brett Lee didn't score off the final ball, leaving Symonds not out on 85.