Lefebvre appeals for an early wicket. (Getty Images)

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Australia produced a clinical display of limited-overs cricket to wrap up a 75-run victory over Holland in their rain-affected Pool A match in Potchefstroom.

The start had been delayed by more than an hour following persistent rain over the last few days in the city, some 120 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg.

Even a helicopter was flown into the North West Cricket Stadium to help dry out the wicket, an effort which helped play finally get under way.

Australia were put into bat and after a slow start, began to find their rhythm, only to be twice interrupted by rain.

In the end an unbeaten 67 from Damien Martyn and 29 from Darren Lehmann saw the champions reach 170 for two from their reduced allocation of 36 overs.

As a result, Holland were set a revised Duckworth/Lewis target of 198, but once Jason Gillespie had made an early double breakthrough, the result was never in doubt.

All-rounder Tim de Leede added a top-score of 24 to his two wickets for the battling Dutch, who were eventually dismissed for 122 from 30.2 overs in their first one-day international against Australia.

Eager to get things going, Australian opener Jim Maher - one of three changes from the side which beat India - promptly took five runs from the opening over, pulling the first ball from Edgar Schiferli for four.

But the damp outfield had been slow and Holland's keen fielding restricted the rate of scoring in the early exchanges. Australia, though, soon settled and reached 50 from 68 balls.

Medium-pacer de Leede then replaced Schiferli and it immediately brought rewards as Maher edged to Daan van Bunge at first slip with Australia at 52 for one after 13 overs.

After an early scare, when Jan Kloppenburg put down a caught-and-bowled chance, Martyn raced to a quick-fire 20 with boundaries in successive overs before the three figures came from 140 balls.

Hayden, on 33, then holed out to deep midwicket off de Leede in the 23rd over, but only another 14 deliveries were possible before the heavens opened again and the players were taken from the field with Australia 109 for two.

Rain intervened again after less than quarter of an hour of the resumption, but when play started again Martyn brought up his 50 as Australia looked to maximise their remaining few overs.

Holland always looked up against it to reach their revised total and Australia were just as keen to ensure they delivered the 25 overs necessary to force a result to guard against any further intervention from the weather.

It did not take long for Gillespie to make the breakthrough, as opener van Bunge edged to the slips in the second over and then Bas Zuiderent was caught behind.

Luuk van Troost and Klaas van Noortwijk did at least manage to bring up 50, before the latter holed out at deep mid-wicket to Andy Bichel off Lehmann for a 23, which included three boundaries.

However, it was only a matter of time before further wickets followed as Bichel and Ian Harvey went to work on the lower order.

Both men ended with three wickets apiece, Bichel for the cost of 13 runs from his five overs and Harvey for 25 from his 4.2 overs.