MATCH REPORT
Follow UsSix days is a long gap between consecutive T20Is of the same series. It just does not happen. Such long gaps can often result in change of fortunes. That is what Australia were hoping for to come back into the series and their hopes were materialized in the third T20I at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
It materialized to such an extent that they registered their biggest T20I win against New Zealand while defending a total - doing it by a margin of 64 runs. It materialized to such an extent that Aaron Finch, who had an average of only 19.4 in T20 cricket since September 2020 hit his form back, scoring 69 off 44 balls. If that is not enough, you can look at James Neesham’s returns in the match. The all-rounder scored 45* off 16 balls in the last game alongside taking two wickets for 10 runs in the only over he bowled. Today, he leaked 60 runs in four over without a wicket and bagged a golden duck.
It was a perfect game for Australia in every sense. They put up 200-plus after being put into bat first. Then they bundled New Zealand out for 114, in a matter of 17.1 overs.
Finch fires
It had to happen some day. Finch is too good a player to average below 20 for over 30 T20 games. The luck finally changed when a close LBW went Finch’s way in the first over of the match and the Aussie skipper survived the review on grounds of the umpire’s call. He was yet to get off the mark when he charged Tim Southee down the track in the third over to strike the bowler over his head for a boundary. The shot came when the commentators were talking about that one stroke that makes you feel at home on the pitch and it worked just that way for the Finch.
He was involved in a resurrecting 83-run stand with Josh Philippe after Mathew Wade’s early departure. There were only 14 runs in the first three overs but the duo accumulated 33 runs in the next three to bring Australia back on track by the end of the Powerplay.
The plan was to keep attacking and aim to hit big. Luckily for them, all the mistimed shots fell in the gap, mostly around Trent Boult. However, Philippe ran out of luck when he played one to Martin Guptill in the deep to end his an impressive knock of 43 runs from 27 balls.
Finch carried on with calculated aggression, not letting run-rate go down. He notched up his first T20I fifty since February last year with some swagger. At 45, he went for an imperious switch hit over the square leg for six. After Philippe, he had another big partnership with Glenn Maxwell to keep Australia in the hunt for a 200-plus total.
The Big Show by Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell was 30 off 20 balls when Finch departed scoring 69 from 44. From his next 10 balls, Maxwell produced 40 runs. He churned out 28 runs from Neesham bowling the 17th over - a boundary off every delivery. Neesham finished with 60 runs for no wickets in his four-over quota as New Zealand seemed hard done by Mitchell Santner’s unavailability due to a precautionary isolation triggered by a head-cold.
12 runs off three balls in the next over hinted at further demolition and a three-figure was not beyond Maxwell’s reach. However, he suffered a tame dismissal to a ballistic innings. Facing Tim Southee from around-the-wicket angle, Maxwell went for a scoop but toe-edged it to Tim Seifert behind the wickets.
Maxwell’s dismissal toned down Australia’s total. Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson conceded only 14 runs off the last two overs as Australia settled for 208. It could have been a lot bigger if Maxwell had continued to add to his 70 off 31 balls. 62 in that knock came off boundaries.
Meredith’s pace & Agar’s spin did the rest
Riley Meredith, bowling his first over in international cricket, lived by his reputation of bowling express pace. All of his deliveries in his first over were over 140 kph with one clocking 151.9. He may have the luxury of a big total but he was under the pump early, conceding 11 off his first five balls. A straight six by Guptill can throw any debutant off but Meredith came back to strike on the last ball of his first. Tim Seifert skied the ball up in the air and was held by Marcus Stoinis. In his next over, he removed the epitome of calmness - Kane Williamson - who missed a straight ball.
Given their renovated and performing middle-order, New Zealand still had a chance as they scored at approximately 10 an over in the Powerplay. Guptill appeared to continue from where he left in Dunedin. But it was Ashton Agar’s turn to lay his impact.
Agar first obliged to a catching opportunity to send Guptill back (43 from 28) off the bowling of Adam Zampa. Then, he ran through New Zealand’s middle-order, predominantly in one over. He dismissed Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway and James Neesham in the 13th over, bringing the curtain down on New Zealand’s run chase. He was not satisfied. He added Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Mark Chapman to his kitty as New Zealand folded for 144.
