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There’s a few umbrellas packing up at the Bay Oval so we hope to have a coin toss and today’s final XIs for you shortly. However, there are a heap of players missing across the board through injury, red-ball focus, parental duties or freak accidents.
Weirdest of all, both squads lost their star allrounders on the eve of the series in bizarre training mishaps. On Tuesday, Black Caps gun Rachin Ravindra collided with an advertising hoarding during a fielding drill and suffered a deep laceration to his face that required stitches and ruled him out for the series.
On the same day, Australian star Glenn Maxwell had one of his meaty wrists broken while bowling in the nets wrist to tonk-happy teammate Mitchell Owen. It means The Big Show is a no-show for this series and may be in doubt for the home summer too.
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Tim Robinson’s first T20I century in Game One was a ripper in a losing cause. The Black Caps were 6-3 in the second over, with Josh Hazlewood removing Tim Seifert in the opening over and Ben Dwarshuis striking twice in two balls to send Devon Conway and Mark Chapman back to the sheds before Robinson swaggered out. Playing his 13th T20I, the tousle-haired 23-year-old scored an unbeaten 106 off 66 balls.
Robinson smashed six fours and five sixes along the way and ended his blitzkrieg in style, with a four and a six from the final two balls!
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Updated at 02.27 EDT
A quick weather forecast…
Unfortunately, it’s a wet day at Mount Maunganui and the drizzle, which stopped an hour ago, has just resumed. Although the radar shows brighter skies coming in, for now the coin toss and announcement of the two XIs for today will be delayed.
However, I’m assured Bay Oval has a drainage system that disposes of liquids like the late great Who drummer Keith Moon so fingers crossed we get some cricket action soon.
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Updated at 02.16 EDT
Preamble
Hello cricket fans! Welcome to game two of the Guardian’s live coverage of Australia v New Zealand in the men’s T20I showdown for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. Angus Fontaine with you for the afternoon of action and feel free to email as it all unfolds.
Australia lead the series 1-0 after trouncing the home side by six wickets in the opener on Wednesday. That victory was built on the broad shoulders of captain Mitchell Marsh who thundered 85 from 43 deliveries with nine fours, five sixes at a strike-rate of 197.67.
New Zealand were hammered with the ball but will take solace from their performance with the bat. Despite losing three wickets in the first 10 balls, they recovered to reach what seemed a competitive 181, led by Tim Robinson’s magnificent maiden century.
Bowling was sub-par from both sides, with the exception of Australia’s opening pair Ben Dwarshuis and Josh Hazlewood and their wily off-spinner Adam Zampa. The green and gold second-stringers were plundered though, as was the entire Black Caps attack.
Today’s a chance to start afresh, albeit at the same venue. Bay Oval remains “Beige Oval”, a retro-tastic tribute to the 20th anniversary of the first T20 international, a spicy clash between these proud nations at Eden Park back in February 2005.
Can New Zealand bounce back and square it up? Or will the Australians continue the demolition job and sweep the series before the finale at this same venue on Saturday?
First ball is scheduled for 4.15pm AEST/ 7.15pm local so batten ‘em down and buckle ‘em up!
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Updated at 02.09 EDT
