SYDNEY: Devon Conway carried his bat with a majestic unbeaten 92 as New Zealand thrashed champions Australia by 89 runs in a rematch of last year’s final, opening the Super 12 stage with a bang at the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday.
Expatriate New Zealanders turned out in numbers at a packed Sydney Cricket Ground and were treated to fireworks from the Black Caps batters as they blasted their way to 200 for three in their 20 overs after Conway smashed the final ball for a six, joining a select group to make 90 or more at a World Cup.
Seamer Tim Southee struck early to remove David Warner and took three for six as the New Zealand bowlers kept up a relentless pressure to dismiss the hosts for 111 in the 18th over.
It was Australia’s biggest loss in a T20 international and New Zealand’s first win in any format against their neighbours in Australia since a Test win in Hobart 11 years ago.
“It was one of those days, an outstanding day,” captain Kane Williamson purred. “The openers set the tone, lots of contributions right through the batting and that was a very good score on this pitch.
“It was a very good total on that surface and I thought the bowling and fielding was outstanding. Everyone knows their roles in this team, we knew about the quality of their bowling, took the game deep and we were very clinical in what we needed to do.”
“We know how good this Aussie side is but the boys showed a lot of ticker and took their catches. Yeah, it’s a funny old game.”
The match was a repeat of the 2021 final in Dubai when Australia powered to an eight-wicket win and maiden crown.
Aaron Finch’s men now have their work cut out to match that feat in a tough Group 1 with Afghanistan, England and qualifiers Ireland and Sri Lanka awaiting them. Only the top two make the semi-finals.
“They [New Zealand openers] set the tone in the first four overs and we didn’t recover,” said skipper Finch. “We needed early wickets, which didn’t happen, and when we chased, we lost too many wickets.
“We weren’t good enough, with the net run-rate taking a bad hit. We were just totally outplayed in all three facets. We play Sri Lanka next, four games left, need to win everything and have some luck on our side.”
New Zealand got off to a sensational start after Finch sent them in to bat, with Finn Allen cracking two fours and a six off Mitchell Starc’s opening over.
Not to be outdone, Conway then crunched two blistering boundaries off Josh Hazlewood as the Black Caps plundered 29 from the first two overs.
Adam Zampa dropped Allen in the next over as Pat Cummins was similarly punished, taken for 17. But the young right-hander’s luck ran out when Hazlewood returned and the wily pace spearhead bowled him for 42 — off just 16 balls.
The introduction of Marcus Stoinis and Zampa helped Australia stem the run flow, but Conway brought up his 50 with a six off the spinner Zampa, who trapped Williamson (23) lbw in the same over.
Hazlewood removed Glenn Phillips for 12 before Jimmy Neesham (26 not out) came out to finish the innings with Conway, who hit his 92 off 58 balls.
Conway said credit had to go to the 23-year-old Allen.
“He’s a young guy and he’s fearless,” he said. “The way Finn plays complements my game.”
Warner’s unfortunate early departure for five — Southee’s opening delivery came off his pad and bat and went back into his stumps — kept Australia on the back foot.
Mitchell Santner (3-31) took some early punishment but had Australia skipper Aaron Finch caught in the covers for 13 before Southee got his second wicket when Mitch Marsh was caught in the deep by Neesham for 16 before the end of the powerplay to leave Australia teetering at 34-2 in the fifth over.
Stoinis departed for seven in the ninth over to give Santner his second victim but the honours for the wicket will go to Phillips, who raced around the outfield to take a diving catch for the ages.
Glenn Maxwell handed out some punishment with a 20-ball 28 but when he departed, the Australians were in all sorts of trouble at 89 for seven.
Trent Boult took two wickets to help mop up the tail but the final act of the match appropriately went to Conway, who took a comfortable catch behind the wickets after Pat Cummins had sent Southee’s final delivery high into the night sky.
Australia v New Zealand
Scoreboard
NEW ZEALAND
D. Conway not out 92
F. Allen b Hazlewood 42
K. Williamson b Zampa 23
G. Phillips c & b Hazlewood 12
J. Neesham not out 26
EXTRAS (W-5) 5
TOTAL (for three wkts, 20 overs) 200
DID NOT BAT: M. Chapman, M. Santner, I. Sodhi, T. Southee, T. Boult, L. Ferguson
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-56 (Allen), 2-125 (Williamson), 3-152 (Phillips).
BOWLING: Starc 4-0-36-0; Hazlewood 4-0-41-2; Cummins 4-0-46-0; Stoinis 4-0-38-0, Zampa 4-0-39-1.
AUSTRALIA:
A. Finch c Willimason b Santner 13
D. Warner b Southee 5
M. Marsh c Neesham b Southee 16
G. Maxwell b Sodhi 28
M. Stoinis c Phillips b Santner 7
T. David c Neesham b Santner 11
M. Wade c Conway b Ferguson 2
P. Cummins c Conway b Southee 21
M. Starc b Boult 4
A. Zampa b Boult 0
J. Hazlewood not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2) 3
TOTAL (all out, 17.1 overs) 111
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-5 (Warner), 2-30 (Finch), 3-34 (Marsh), 4-50 (Stoinis), 5-58 (David), 6-82 (Wade), 8-109 (Starc).
BOWLING: Boult 4-0-24-2; Southee 2.1-0-6-3; Santner 4-0-31-3; Ferguson 3-0-20-1, Sodhi 4-0-29-1
RESULT: New Zealand won by 89 runs.
Published in Dawn, October 23th, 2022
