Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, scored his first half century of the NatWest Series but his side’s clash with minnows Bangladesh at Canterbury was in the balance after the loss of early wickets.
Ponting had managed just 62 runs in four previous innings in the competition but he reached 50 off 74 balls with four boundaries as Australia reached 134 for three off 29 overs in pursuit of a 251 target.
Bangladesh made an early breakthrough when Matthew Hayden was adjudged to have nicked the first delivery of Mashrafe Mortaza’s second over through to wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud.
For a while it looked as if Adam Gilchrist would settle the issue on his own as he reeled off a succession off powerful boundaries.
But after making 45 from 36 balls with one six and seven fours, Gilchrist opted to walk after playing forward to Tapash Baisya and being caught at slip by Khaled Mahmud.
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Television replays clearly indicated that the ball had spun out of the footholds with the left-handed Gilchrist having made no contact.
Australia lost their third wicket at 83 when Mashud held on to a good low catch after Damien Martyn had edged Mahmud but then Michael Clarke helped Ponting steady the innings with a half century stand.
Bangladesh had been indebted to career best one-day scores from opener Shahriah Nafees and Mashud for enabling them to post a respectable total of 250-8 after they had been in deep trouble at 75-5.
Nafees, in only his fourth limited overs international, looks a fine prospect and he played sensibly in making 75 off 116 balls with six boundaries.
He shared in a sixth-wicket stand of 94 in 20 overs with Mashud before edging Shane Watson to Adam Gilchrist - one of five catches taken by the Australian wicketkeeper.
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After the dismissal of Mohammad Rafique, Mashud found another able partner in Khaled Mahmud and they added 57 in seven overs.
Mahmud fell to the last ball of the innings to leave Mashud unbeaten on 71 from 105 balls with four fours.
Shane Watson returned the best figures for Australia with three for 43 but Brett Lee’s two wickets proved expensive, costing 62 runs from his 10 overs.
Australia had initially threatened to run through the Bangladesh innings after opener Javed Omar had edged Jason Gillespie through to Gilchrist without troubling the scorers.
It became nine for two when Tushar Imran tried to work his first delivery from the pacey Lee through the leg side and he was comprehensively bowled.
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Mohammad Ashraful had scored a superb century for Bangladesh in their shock victory over Australia at Cardiff 12 days ago and he lofted Lee over square leg for a massive six.
But that proved to be his last scoring shot as Lee instantly gained revenge by bowling Ashraful with a low full toss to leave Bangladesh uneasily placed on 19 for three.
Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar went on the offensive with three successive fours off Lee via two pull shots and a clip through mid-wicket to bring up the 50 in the 11th over.
He straight drove Lee for the fourth boundary of the over and raced to 30 off 24 balls but Shane Watson, who had replaced Gillespie after a five over spell, ended his cameo innings.
There was little that Bashar could do about a delivery that took off from just short of a length which he gloved to Gillespie who held onto an acrobatic catch.
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Aftab Ahmed was the next to perish, aiming an expansive drive at Lee’s replacement Michael Kasprowicz and providing Gilchrist with another catch.