Australia crush NZ dreams to win maiden title

DUBAI: Mitchell Marsh smashed an unbeaten 77 as Australia hammered New Zealand by eight wickets to clinch their maiden Twenty20 World Cup title on Sunday with captain Aaron Finch describing the achievement as “huge”.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson’s 85 off 48 balls fired his side to a strong 172-4 in a rematch of the final of the 2015 ODI World Cup between the trans-Tasman rivals.

Like in that contest in Melbourne four years ago, Australia triumphed again this time with seven balls to spare.

Australia depended on a 92-run second-wicket stand between David Warner, who made 53, and Marsh to drive their chase at the Dubai International Stadium.

Warner became Trent Boult’s second wicket but Marsh kept up the charge to power Australia home to their long-awaited T20 crown and add to their five 50-over World Cup trophies.

Glenn Maxwell, who made 28, joined Marsh, who hit six fours and four sixes in his 50-ball knock, to put on 66 runs and hit the winning boundary as the Aussies came charging in to celebrate the triumph.

“This is huge, to be the first Australian team to do it. I am so proud of how the guys went about the campaign,” said Finch.

Wicket-keeper Matthew Wade said victory showed why Australia should not be under-estimated.

“It’s huge. We felt like a lot of people wrote us off but we spoke about being the first team to do this for Australia and it feels really special,” he said.

Australia have not lost to New Zealand in a knockout game over the last 40 years.

Reigning world Test champions New Zealand finished runners-up to hosts England in the 2019 ODI World Cup as well.

“They’re a fantastic side, had a brilliant campaign and came out and turned it on,” admitted Williamson.

Earlier, Williamson scored nearly half of New Zealand’s final total which had looked a distant dream for a side on 57-1 at the halfway stage of their innings.

AUSTRALIA’S match-winner Mitchell Marsh looks on as New Zealand pacer Trent Boult makes an unsuccessful attempt to take a catch off his shot during the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. —AP

Dropped on 21 by Josh Hazlewood, Williamson clobbered three sixes and 10 boundaries after Australia counterpart Aaron Finch elected to field at a venue which has favoured the chasing team throughout the tournament.

Matthew Wade spilled a bottom-edge from Martin Guptill early though it was not Australia’s costliest mistake as a fielding side.

Wade sort of made amends in the next over when he took a diving catch to send back Daryl Mitchell, the architect of New Zealand’s semi-final victory against England.

New Zealand were 32-1 after six overs, their lowest powerplay score in the tournament, and endured a 32-ball stretch without a boundary.

Guptill failed to get quick runs despite his three boundaries and a 48-run second-wicket stand with Williamson.

Williamson survived a spill by Hazlewood in the deep with the ball popping out of the fielder’s hand to find the boundary. Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was the bowler.

The batsman plundered 56 runs off the next 21

balls he faced, including back-to-back sixes off Maxwell en route to a 32-ball fifty.

Williamson milked 22 runs off Mitchell Starc’s third over, hitting the left-arm quick for four fours and a six.

Hazlewood eventually dismissed Williamson in the 18th over but not before the New Zealand skipper had hauled his team near the 150-mark.

NEW ZEALAND captain Kane Williamson plays a lofted stroke during his whirlwind knock of 85. —AFP

With their captain leading by example, New Zealand plundered 115 off the final 10 overs.

Hazlewood claimed 3-16 but that dropped catch nearly overshadowed his excellent display with the ball.

“Kane’s a superb player,” said Hazlewood. “It was another classical innings, runs all around the ground and he hurts you when you bowl poorly.”

Australia suffered an early blow in their chase when Finch departed for five when Mitchell ran in from deep square and took an excellent sliding catch off Boult as a largely neutral but not packed-to-capacity crowd roared.

But the left-right batting pair of Warner and Marsh combined to take apart the bowling with fours and sixes galore.

Marsh hit Adam Milne for one six and two fours on his first three balls of the knock to signal his ruthless intent.

Warner also kept up his punishing act as he hammered leg-spinner Ish Sodhi for 17 runs in one over with just a single to Marsh.

He smoked Jimmy Neesham for a six to raise his third half-century of the tournament but Boult ended the carnage when he rattled Warner’s stumps.

Warner, with 289 runs in total, ended second behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam (303) in the tournament’s batting chart.

Marsh continued to hector the bowlers, bringing up his fifty with his fourth six and Maxwell chipped in with a cameo, sealing the victory with a cheeky reverse shot.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND:

Batsmen & mode of dismissals R B 4s 6s SR

M. Guptill c Stoinis b Zampa 28 35 3 0 80.00

D. Mitchell c Wade b Hazlewood 11 8 0 1 137.50

K. Williamson c Smith b Hazlewood 85 48 10 3 177.08

G. Phillips c Maxwell b Hazlewood 18 17 1 1 105.88

J. Neesham not out 13 7 0 1 185.71

T. Seifert not out 8 6 1 0 133.33

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, NB-1, W-4) 9

TOTAL (for four wickets, 20 overs) 172

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-28 (Mitchell), 2-76 (Guptill), 3-144 (Phillips), 4-148 (Williamson)