- Australia win by 19 runs on DLS method at Eden Park
- Victory soured by another injury to batsman Chris Lynn
Related: Australia wrap up T20 tri-series with DLS win over New Zealand
An unfortunately limp end then to what has been an excellent series overall and a fabulous one for Australia.
In previous matches it’s been the destructive batsmen that have earned the plaudits but tonight it was all about the bowling, fielding and captaincy. David Warner marshalled his troops superbly to restrict New Zealand to 150 after Kane Williamson won the toss, with Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, Marcus Stoinis, Billy Stanlake and Kane Richardson all excelling in their four-over spells.
The umpires have decided it’s too wet to continue. Australia win by 19 runs via the Duckworth Lewis Stern method.
The groundstaff are off and the umpires are inspecting the field of play.
Busy night for our #groundies tonight #coverson#coversoff#edenparknz#thatscricket#NZvAUS#TriSeriespic.twitter.com/3VluXUA8r7
The rain has stopped, the umpires have met with the groundstaff and the covers are coming off! That was unexpected.
Eden Park is a bleak sight. The stands are almost empty, the field is sodden and a rope is being dragged around the outer. We’re now into those ludicrous calculations about Australia’s target considering the tiny window of time available to fit in the remainder of play. This is very cricket.
It’s still raining in Auckland, but not as heavy as when the players dashed off. The covers remain firmly in place with the groundstaff safely under cover. Play can only continue to 10.45pm local time (8.45pm AET) which is only 20 or so minutes away. I would suggest we’re unlikely to see any more cricket in this tri-series.
It is hosing it down in Auckland.
The full suite of covers are coming on this time. We may be off for some time. Australia require 30 runs from 32 deliveries so they are miles ahead of Duckworth Lewis Stern calculations.
14.4 over: Australia 121-3 (Maxwell 20, Finch 18) Santner’s final over begins with a massive beamer that Finch smashes to long-on where Chapman completes one of the most brilliant pieces of in-out-jumping-over-the-rope-throwing-the-ball-to-himself-for-a-catch fielding. Spectacular stuff, wasted on a no-ball. Finch learns his lesson, clearing the same fielder by miles later in the over to make a mess of Santner’s figures. That huge straight six heralds more rain and the players are off once again.
14th over: Australia 108-3 (Maxwell 19, Finch 7) The dangerous Sodhi returns for his final over and he’s greeted by Maxwell stepping to leg and walloping him back over his head for six. Only two more runs follow as both batsmen fail to convert their forceful intent into timing.
13th over: Australia 100-3 (Maxwell 12, Finch 6) A change of pace for New Zealand as Trent Boult is brought back into the attack. It’s a terrific over from the paceman, restricting Australia to just five and almost forcing the run-out of Finch but Williamson’s shy from a brilliant sliding gather at mid-off just misses with the batsman well out of his ground. Unexpectedly, this has become an edgy exciting affair.
12th over: Australia 95-3 (Maxwell 8, Finch 5) The Munro experiment gets another over but this Victorian pair are happy just to work the ball around the field and accumulate runs safely. A rare breather of an over for all concerned.
11th over: Australia 88-3 (Maxwell 3, Finch 3) It is suddenly chaos at Eden Park. Three quick wickets, nervous running and chances left right and centre. One of those falls to Ross Taylor sprinting back with the flight at point to try and catch a sliced Maxwell drive but his dive is in vain. Maxwell has enjoyed two escapes already early in his innings.
It really is game on now! After that reprieve against Sodhi Agar perishes off the bowling of Santner. The ball was thrown wide of off stump, Agar chased it, missed it and Seifert safely collected the dismissal he should have completed the previous over. Odd decision to elevate Agar and it did not pay off. Can New Zealand maintain this intensity?
10th over: Australia 83-2 (Agar 2, Maxwell 1) Australia suddenly look skittish out there. Maxwell almost offers cover a catch first ball while Agar’s like a rabbit in the headlights at the non-striker’s end. When he gets to the crease he misses a huge mow well out of his ground but Seifert can’t connect and the ball runs away for four byes. This game’s just ramped up a notch.
New Zealand are working their way back into this contest and it’s the spin of Sodhi once again accounting for Warner. In truth it was a long hop that Warner tried to cut, but missed, the ball skidding on to clip the top of off stump.
9th over: Australia 77-1 (Warner 25, Agar 1) Funky from Australia, sending out Ashton Agar at number three. Is this a left-hander thing to counteract Santner? Agar spends most of his first over running as Warner works the ball into the gaps. He also had a prime view of his skipper attempting three or four shots to one Santner delivery, rejecting the switch hit, the reverse sweep and the reverse ramp before almost falling out of his crease and being stumped. A few things for Australia to think about after Short’s wicket, but still very much in the driver’s seat.
8th over: Australia 72-1 (Warner 21) Williamson going deep into his bag of tricks, calling on Colin Munro’s wobblers with Seifert up to the stumps. It starts badly with Warner finding the midwicket fence via some sloppy Boult boundary riding. Some more abysmal fielding - this time from de Grandhomme - invites Short to his half-century. But, hang on, after 11 runs and zero threat Short miscues a length lollipop, launching the ball high in the air for Chapman to snaffle an easy catch running in from long on. The experiment didn’t look pretty but it bought a crucial wicket.
7th over: Australia 61-0 (Warner 14, Short 46) Australia pick up where they left off before the rain, Warner working singles, Short finding the boundary. His drive through extra cover was uppish but too powerful for the fielder in the ring to do anything about.
The players are back out in the middle of Eden Park and Mitchell Santner will restart play.
Play will restart shortly, time enough to relay that Chris Lynn is back from his scan wearing a sling. It’s not clear yet what his injury is but he’s had all sorts of trouble with that right shoulder. He won’t bat tonight, that’s for sure.
We’re just waiting for the groundstaff to drag a rope around the outfield. Mike Hesson was seen remonstrating with the umpires. The Black Caps coach seemed adamant there ws enough standing water on the turf to warrant the intervention.
The rain has stopped. The covers are off. The players are not yet back out though.
Hmmm. An unscheduled very heavy shower has just decided to settle over Eden Park. The players have come off, the covers have come on.
6th over: Australia 55-0 (Warner 13, Short 41) New Zealand look to be moving from a swing-based attack to one dominated by cutters and changes of pace. Southee tries just that but Short’s in the zone now, helping one off his pads for six over midwicket then carting one high over long on for six more. Two overs of Short brutality and Australia are cruising.
5th over: Australia 39-0 (Warner 10, Short 29) D’Arcy Short take a bow. Boult returns and overpitches twice searching for any swing on offer. Both times Short presents the full face of the bat, drilling fours back past the non-striker’s stumps. Boult adjusts his length, Short stands his ground and swats a lazy six over long-on. Super batting.
4th over: Australia 23-0 (Warner 9, Short 14) Sodhi gets a second over and it only goes for six. Four of those came in one Short carve to the cover boundary after the leggie dropped too short. This is by no means a procession from Australia yet. New Zealand bowling and fielding with plenty of intensity.
3rd over: Australia 17-0 (Warner 8, Short 9) Williamson mixing things up early, handing Southee the new ball to see if he can harness the swing Boult showed is on offer. His first three balls are all on a tight leg-stump line that don’t allow the ball any opportunity to do much. The fourth is a mistimed drive from Short that lands agonisingly in front of Williamson’s dive just inside the ring at md-off. New Zealand doing well to turn this into an arm-wrestle so far.
2nd over: Australia 11-0 (Warner 6, Short 5) Following Australia’s success with Agar earlier Ish Sodhi is into the attack early for New Zealand. D’Arcy Short doesn’t look happy about the decision to begin with, failing to read any of the first three deliveries, all wrong’uns. He finds his timing eventually though, keeping the scoreboard ticking over with a beautifully timed dab to third man. Nip and tuck start to Australia’s chase.
1st over: Australia 6-0 (Warner 6, Short 0) Trent Boult has the responsibility for taking early Australian wickets but despite finding some swing he can’t make the breakthrough. The only runs come from consecutive deliveries, first Warner shovelling a four off his hip well in front of midwicket, then driving without timing over mid-off for a couple.
Australia’s run-chase is about to get underway. The tri-series title and the number one T20i ranking 151 runs away.
Ross Taylor’s rearguard fight dragged New Zealand to a respectable total but Australia will feel the far happier of the two sides at the innings break. The pitch is clearly harder to get away than during Friday night’s six-fest but 150 still feels below par.
Australia bowled and fielded superbly, once again marshalled brilliantly by David Warner. Ashton Agar was the pick with 3-27 from his four but only one bowler conceded more than 7.5 rpo.
20th over: New Zealand 150-9 (Taylor 43, Boult 1) TrentBoult nurdles a single from the only delivery he faces, leaving Taylor the final ball. Ouch! Short from Tye, Taylor’s late on the pull shot and the last delivery of the innings crunches New Zealand’s most productive batsman on the side of his helmet.
Final over and Sodhi goes bang! Like Taylor the previous over, out of nowhere finding the upper deck over long-on. Tye’s unperturbed, accepting singles from his next two deliveries before making a mess of Sodhi’s visible stumps with a straight delivery that the batsman misses. Old fashioned ‘he misses, you hit’ cricket.
19th over: New Zealand 140-8 (Taylor 42, Sodhi 6) Bosh! It’s like Friday night all over again! Full from Stoinis and Taylor sends it back from whence it came - with interest - soaring into the upper deck over the sight-screen. Where has that straight drive timing been all evening? As if to answer my question Taylor swipes and misses at three of the next five deliveries, smuggling twos from the other pair, one of which should have ended in a run-out but Tye’s throw from the deep left Carey too much work to do.
18th over: New Zealand 129-8 (Taylor 32, Sodhi 6) Richardson’s final over is a good one. his array of length deliveries, slower balls and yorkers prove too good for the now-slogging Taylor. Just two singles from it. Richardson ends with 2-30 from his four.
17th over: New Zealand 127-8 (Taylor 31, Sodhi 5) Boundary klaxon! Short and wide from Stanlake and Taylor has a slash at it. He connects, but only just beyond the diving fingertips of Head at deep gully. The rest of the over does not feel like a T20 with the field closing in around Sodhi and the giant pace bowler tearing in at the tailender.
16th over: New Zealand 120-8 (Taylor 26, Sodhi 3) Another over without a boundary, the third in a row sent down by Stoinis without one. Taylor’s running hard, turning ones into twos, but it’s just not enough to worry Australia’s formidable batting card.
15th over: New Zealand 117-8 (Taylor 25, Sodhi 1) Taylor has only found the boundary once in his 22 deliveries and again fails to find the fence during Tye’s over. After a two and a single Sodhi is exposed to Tye’s variations and the number ten doesn’t seem quite sure what’s coming his way. A couple of singles round off another over in Australia’s favour.
14th over: New Zealand 111-8 (Taylor 21, Sodhi 0) Australia continuing to turn the screw at Eden Park. It has been a consummate team performance in the field so far.
Kane Richardson returns to the attack and he concedes the first boundary in an age with Southee feigning a step to leg then moving towards the offside, flicking a four through midwicket. He tries the hot-shoe shuffle next ball but mistimes a lofted drive straight to Maxwell in the deep. Always here for a good time, not a long time our Tim.
13th over: New Zealand 103-7 (Taylor 17, Southee 1) Another terrific over for Australia. All down to Ross Taylor now to guide New Zealand towards a defendable total.
Stoinis back into the attack and straight into the wickets, castling Seifert with a perfectly executed yorker. This is not the innings we were anticipating after Friday’s fireworks.
12th over: New Zealand 100-6 (Taylor 15, Seifert 3) Another tight over from Agar to complete a superb spell. He finishes with 3-27 from his four overs and deserves all the acclaim that will come his way in the coming days.
11th over: New Zealand 94-6 (Taylor 11, Seifert 1) Just two runs and the wicket from that excellent Tye over. Australia well on top.
It’s getting ugly for New Zealand now. Santner is the latest to go, failing to deal with a Tye short ball, edging a half-hearted pull off his glove down the leg-side.
10th over: New Zealand 92-5 (Taylor 10, Santner 0) Agar continues, becoming the first bowler to send down consecutive overs from the same end tonight. And it pays off! A tidy over eventually gets under de Grandhomme’s skin who can’t resist another lovely flighted delivery that he hoicks straight to Maxwell at cow corner.
9th over: New Zealand 85-4 (Taylor 4, de Grandhomme 9) Better from New Zealand. As well as seeing Lynn limp from the field de Grandhomme finds the midwicket boundary as 12 are gathered form Stanlake’s over.
8.1 over: New Zealand 75-4 (Taylor 3, de Grandhomme 0) Oh dear, what’s happened here? The first delivery of Stanlake’s over is bunted into the ring, Chris Lynn dives with his dodgy right shoulder across his body, lands awkwardly and then immediately collapses in agony. Australia’s medical team are immediately on the field and Lynn is quickly whisked away into the sheds. I’d say he’s unlikely to be seen again tonight.
8th over: New Zealand 73-4 (Taylor 1) Australia on fire! Taylor nurdles a single first ball, allowing Agar to catch Chapman on his front pad bang in front with a stock ball that the batsman swept all around. The LBW appeal is supported on the ground, Chapman sends it upstairs but DRS confirms Agar’s second wicket of a superb over.
No boundaries from the first three deliveries of Agar’s over, then the left-armer tosses up a pearler of a delivery that has Williamson swiping across the line, missing, and watching his off-stump sway groggily in the breeze. Superb bowling.
7th over: New Zealand 68-2 (Williamson 6, Chapman 7) Marcus Stoinis should be suited to these conditions and his opening over indicates exactly that. Just five from it courtesy of some well directed length deliveries and the occasional heavy yorker. Australia will be delighted with their start.
6th over: New Zealand 63-2 (Williamson 4, Chapman 4) Terrific over from Richardson. Following that six he bagged the wicket of Munro then pinned the youngster Chapman with three dots before watching a powerful cut race away for four. Australia are profiting tonight from a slightly shorter length and a surface more responsive to the slower balls.
Warner switching his bowlers every over, which means a recall for Richardson but he’s greeted by the advancing Munro slapping him over long-on for six. Oh no! Munro tries again second ball but Richardson held that one back a fraction, the batsman gets under it and skies a simple chance to Agar at mid-on.
5th over: New Zealand 53-1 (Munro 23, Williamson 4) Big innings now for Williamson. The home TV feed was explaining pre-match that the Kiwi skipper is under pressure to retain his place in the T20 side after a run of low scores and strike-rates (that one superb knock against England aside). He begins with a majestic drive through the covers for four, but that was Australia’s over.
Stanlake back for his second over, clearly under instruction to bowl back of a length, and it pays off with the huge wicket of Guptill! Once again it’s the shimmy down the wicket but the attempted swipe into the sight-screen is mistimed and the toe-ender sails straight to mid-off. Excellent planning from Australia and a crucial early wicket.
4th over: New Zealand 46-0 (Guptill 20, Munro 22) Brave from David Warner, calling on Ashton Agar during the powerplay, and he gets away with it, just, conceding nine from the over despite Guptill slogging the first delivery over cow corner for six. Agar’s ability to force batsmen into uncomfortable positions has been a feature of this series and it was on display again in that over. He’s become a very canny cricketer.
3rd over: New Zealand 37-0 (Guptill 12, Munro 21) Andrew Tye’s variations are into the attack early but they don’t have the desired effect. Munro feasts on a hat-trick of fours, all glorious technical cricket shots. The first cut late to third-man, the second whipped off his hip in front of square and the third driven powerfully though extra-cover. New Zealand have made a strong, controlled start to this final.
In 2017, New Zealand only passed 60 in the powerplay on one occasion. They've done it four times already in 2018. #NZvAUS
2nd over: New Zealand 22-0 (Guptill 10, Munro 8) Kane Richardson shares the new ball and despite bowling largely wicket-to-wicket on a decent length he still goes for ten. Guptill profits from a leg-glanced four and one of those front-foot enforcer shots he plays, standing tall and driving firmly beyond the helpless mid-off.
1st over: New Zealand 12-0 (Guptill 1, Munro 7) Big Billy Stanlake TM begins with a huge wide outside off that swings with the breeze. The line is much better to the left-handed Munro who defends and then scampers a leg-bye. Guptill is also becalmed, unable to connect with a backfoot drive and then forced just to nudge a single to mid-on. However, any thoughts this would be Australia’s over are dismissed by Munro picking the ball up off his toes and depositing Stanlake into the crowd behind square leg. The six-fest is underway in earnest.
Here we go. Are we in for a repeat of Friday’s fireworks? It’s Stanlake to Guptill, let’s find out...
Nearing go time in Auckland. Australia’s fielders are out on the Eden Park turf in their largely black uniform with a green and yellow fade. New Zealand’s opening pair are striding towards the middle in their even blacker outfit. How much more black could it be? None, none more black.
England coach Trevor Bayliss caused a bit of a stir during the week with the suggestion T20s should not be played at international level (or played less often) and England should employ a specialist T20 coach (not him). As one would expect, Vic Marks is all over it.
Related: Bayliss makes his point over T20 but the accountants’ minds are made up | Vic Marks
Eden Park’s serene surface and postage stamp outfield provides an added element of excitement to this finale. When these sides met here a few days ago it was practically T-ball with sixes smashed at will to the absurdly short straight boundaries. The bowling attack that copes best with these idiosyncrasies could well prove victorious tonight.
David Warner has already suggested a change of strategy, indicating he may eschew the orthodoxy of square boundary-riders in favour of protecting the sight-screens. “You might have, for the spinners, everyone on the straight boundary and make them try to hit a reverse sweep and maybe get a wicket. You’ve just got to think on your feet when you’re out there,” Warner said. “Where’s a mistimed pull shot going to go? Over the top for six? You might have one just behind the keeper”.
It’s a mild and dry night in Auckland with conditions disturbed only by the stiff westerly blowing across Eden Park. Not too bad at all considering cyclone Gita has been blowing a gale elsewhere in Aotearoa.
Cyclone Gita by the numbers:
A short summary of some of the numbers recorded as #CycloneGita moved over New Zealand is available on the MetService blog at https://t.co/50SrzA5WZZ. ^Lisa pic.twitter.com/0R3OCe9LKp
It’s been a bumper summer for Australian cricket, which means a fierce battle in store for the next round of broadcast rights.
Related: Investment or exposure: Cricket Australia faces big decision over TV rights
One change from when these sides met last week with Mitchell Santner’s guile returning in place of the luckless Ben Wheeler.
NZ: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Seifert (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.
Both skippers see the pitch playing similarly to Friday night. On close inspection Mark Richardson expects plenty of runs again although he suggests the depreciation of the grass covering means there could be less pace, more turn, and potentially the exposure of a crack or two.
As expected, Australia are unchanged, which means an XI of:
Warner (c), Short, Lynn, Maxwell, Finch, Stoinis, Carey (wk), Agar, Tye, Richardson, Stanlake.
Warner giving the team talk with a Steeden under his arm. #NZvAUSpic.twitter.com/Q9Qc0lwm9G
David Warner called incorrectly and Kane Williamson has decided to bat.
The BLACKCAPS have won the toss and will bat first in the Final at Eden Park! #nzvauspic.twitter.com/14uKBH5b9Y
Regardless of the outcome tonight this series should mark a turning point in Australia’s relationship with international T20s. The success of Big Bash League specialists in recent weeks must surely now set the template for how Australia progresses in the format in the coming years.
Form and fitness permitting the biggest challenges facing Australia before hosting the next World T20 in 2020 will be finding room for all the available talent. Presumably space has to be found for Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc, augmenting what is already an extraordinary unit.
Good evening everybody and welcome to the T20I tri-series decider between Australia and New Zealand from Eden Park Auckland. Or as Leftfield might call it, a final hit.
Tonight marks the culmination of a series that has witnessed the terrifying metamorphosis of Australia into a short-form leviathan. Once the ugly duckling of hit and giggle, Australia has belatedly learned to harness the enormous potential of its Big Bash League. Instead of leaning back on long-form stars or old-time favourites this series has proven the value of selecting in-form specialists. The rest of the cricketing world must be looking on in trepidation, fearful of the genie that has escaped from the bottle.
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