UPDATE: New Zealand beat Australia by 8 runs in World T20. Australia restricted New Zealand to 142/8 in their World Twenty20 match in Dharamsala Friday, with the Black Caps failing to capitalise on a blistering opening partnership.
After Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson put on 61 in the first seven overs, the Black Caps had appeared poised to put on a score close to 200 in Dharamsala.
But poor shot selection and tight bowling from the veteran Shane Watson and allrounders Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner put the brakes on the big-hitting side who pulled off a shock victory over India in their opening match of the tournament.
Australia surprisingly left out batsman Aaron Finch and paceman Josh Hazlewood, calling up spin duo Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, as they seek to win the trophy for the first time.
The selection backfired as Agar went for three sixes in what was his one and only over. His first two balls were full tosses, gratefully dispatched over the ropes by Guptill.
But Agar later made amends by catching both skipper Williamson and Corey Anderson in quick succession, both taken after they miscued expansive strokes.
Guptill was the first to go after racing to 39 off 27 balls, caught on the boundary by Maxwell off the bowling of Faulkner as he tried to go for another six at the beginning of the eighth over.
New Zealand never recovered their momentum and no batsman ever really looked settled on what proved to be a slow pitch.
Watson’s first three overs yielded just 11 runs and he took the key wicket of Ross Taylor in his final over, one ball after being hit for six by the former Kiwi captain.
The big-hitting Maxwell also impressed in his three overs which went for 18.
New Zealand spinner Nathan McCullum made way for Mitchell McClenaghan despite playing a leading role during the Black Caps’ shock opening victory over hosts India on Tuesday.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat in their World Twenty20 tie against Australia in Dharamsala on Friday.
New Zealand spinner Nathan McCullum made way for Mitchell McClenaghan despite playing a leading role during the Black Caps’ shock opening victory over hosts India on Tuesday.
Australia elected to play two spinners, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa, with paceman Josh Hazlewood missing out in what is the team’s opening match in a tournament they have never won.
Australia will be taking on New Zealand in a Group 2 encounter in Dharamshala on Friday. Australia begins their latest quest Friday to clinch the elusive crown of World Twenty20 champions against a New Zealand side who are on a high after their stunning victory over tournament hosts
Australia will be taking on New Zealand in a Group 2 encounter in Dharamshala on Friday. Australia begins their latest quest Friday to clinch the elusive crown of World Twenty20 champions against a New Zealand side who are on a high after their stunning victory over tournament hosts India.
Steve Smith’s side top the Test rankings and won their fifth 50 over World Cup last year by crushing New Zealand in the final in the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
But for all their dominance in the older formats, Australia have struggled in 20 over cricket and have only once made the final of the World T20, back in 2010 when they lost to England.
View all the latest match updates below:
Veteran all-rounder Shane Watson said Australia would not hold back from reminding their trans-Tasman rivals about the outcome of last year’s World Cup when they meet again in Friday’s match in Dharamsala.
But he acknowledged the Black Caps would be no pushovers this time and would be full of confidence after their shock 47-run victory over red-hot favourites Indian Tuesday.
“We are going to have to play very well because they are going to be very confident leading into this game,” Watson told reporters in the Himalayan hill town which is home to the Dalai Lama.
A 3-0 home defeat to India in January underlined Australia’s frailties in T20 cricket although there have been encouraging signs earlier last month when they beat South Africa 2-1 away.
In Johannesburg, Glenn Maxwell spanked a career-best 75 off 43 balls in a world record fourth-wicket stand of 161 with David Warner, highlighting an all rounder’s growing importance to the team.
“Glenn Maxwell is a huge player in our team,” said Watson.
“The way he bats, whether the ball is turning or whether it’s not turning, his array of shots when he gets into his innings is incredible. He hits the ball around the ground.”
Maxwell is also expected to be busy bowling his off-breaks against a side who struggled against India‘s spinners.
New Zealand spinners Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Nathan McCullum shared nine wickets against the Indians, leaving the selectors with a headache over whether to bring back pacemen Trent Boult or Tim Southee.
Coach, Mike Hesson has been trying to keep the team’s feet on the ground since the India win, telling New Zealand radio that qualification for the semis in a pool that also includes Pakistan and Bangladesh is a tough ask.
“Great start for us but we know that even just getting out of the pool is going to be incredibly difficult,” he told Newstalk ZB.
ICC World T20 2016 Match 6: Australia vs New Zealand schedule:
Date: Friday, March 18.
Time: 3 p.m. IST (8:30 p.m. AT, 10:30 p.m. NZT, 9:30 a.m. GMT, 5:30 a.m. ET)
Venue: HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.
Teams
New Zealand (from): Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Colin Munro, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor
Australia (from): Steven Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Andrew Tye, Shane Watson, Adam Zampa
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more updates.
