A blazing New Zealand ambush has left Australia perched on the precipice of failing to defend their T20 World Cup crown after a comprehensive Kiwi victory at the SCG on Saturday night.
Playing the opening match of the Super 12 stage of the tournament, Australia lost by 89 runs and must win their remaining four groups games to have any chance of making the semi-finals. The big margin will hurt Australia’s net run rate.
Devon Conway on the way to an unbeaten 92 at the SCG.Credit:Getty
Ignited by little-known Finn Allen (42 from 16 balls) and directed by Devon Conway (92 not out from 58 balls), New Zealand charged to 3-200, leaving Australia by far their largest T20 chase on home soil for victory.
Australia collapsed to 3-34 inside five overs attempting to keep up with the run rate to be bowled out for 111. Glenn Maxwell top-scored with 28.
The match was sold out, but with the ever present threat of rain a comfortable 34,756 braved the third successive La Nina which continues to afflict much of eastern Australia.
Australia were under pressure from the outset as Allen, 23, teed off in spectacular fashion against the home side’s premier fast bowling trio after Finch won the toss and bowled.
Allen clubbed the second delivery from Starc in the air to the long-on boundary, lifted a length ball for six over mid-wicket and took the fourth ball down the ground for another boundary.
It was the least expensive of Australia’s first three overs. With a little help from Conway, the world’s top-ranked T20 bowler, Josh Hazlewood, went for 15, then the game’s premier Test bowler, Pat Cummins, gave up 17.
When Allen advanced to Stoinis and lifted him back down the ground into the stands, New Zealand’s 50 came up in 3.5 overs.
It took the perfect inswinging yorker from Hazlewood to remove Allen when he advanced once too often and played over the top of the ball.
The Australians had only seen this burgeoning white ball specialist once before, when he scored 35 from 38 balls opening the batting in the third and final match of a low-key one-day series in Cairns last month.
Josh Hazlewood celebrates with wicket of Finn Allen.Credit:AP
But his T20 international stats offered an indication of what he is capable of, with a strike rate of 162 from 18 games.
The arrival of Kiwi captain Kane Williamson reduced the scoring rate to sane levels. In the five Hazlewood deliveries which followed Allen’s departure Williamson managed just one scoring shot, a clip past point to the boundary.
It took a six from the veteran over backward square leg from a Marcus Stoinis slower ball to lift his runs past balls faced, 18 from 17. It also brought up New Zealand’s 100, 1-103 in 10.1 overs. Stoinis finished with 0-38 from his four overs.
Williamson went for a run a ball 23 attempting to reverse sweep spinner adam Zampa (1-39), and the skipper’s replacement, Glenn Phillips, also made a modest contribution, skying a Hazlewood short ball to be caught and bowled for 12 from 10 deliveries, but the damage had been done.
