\n<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s captain Mitch Marsh has been voted Player of the match<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s really important in a three-match series to start off with a win (and) nice to contribute. Heady and I have a great relationship off the field and tonight was a lot of fun with him. The way we\u2019re playing has happened organically. We do have a lot of power in our batting line-up. Hopefully it can continue. I thought we started really well with the ball tonight. The most pleasing thing was the way we handled the wind. We defended to the big side and backed our skill.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/span>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s round one done, folks. Round two comes Friday and the final showdown of this series is on Saturday. I\u2019ll be back to call the action in the first of those clashes but Saturday I\u2019m covering the Bledisloe. Thanks for your company today and adieu!<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n After a comprehensive defeat in the first of this three-match series, New Zealand\u2019s stand-in skipper Michael Bracewell is clinging to silver linings\u2026<\/p>\n In the powerplays in both innings we fell behind in the game. We did well as a batting unit to put a competitive total on the board. Ultimately Mitch and Travis took the game away from us. I think we can take a lot of positives. Those partnerships through the middle were particularly impressive. Tim Robinson played beautifully. He and Daryl took the game on from a difficult position.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s captain Mitch Marsh has been voted Player of the match<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s really important in a three-match series to start off with a win (and) nice to contribute. Heady and I have a great relationship off the field and tonight was a lot of fun with him. The way we\u2019re playing has happened organically. We do have a lot of power in our batting line-up. Hopefully it can continue. I thought we started really well with the ball tonight. The most pleasing thing was the way we handled the wind. We defended to the big side and backed our skill.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Well that was cold-blooded cricketing murder in the first degree. Australia have simply strolled to victory in the first of this three-match series at Bay Oval. In the end they had 185 runs on the board with 21 balls up their sleeves and six wickets in hand<\/strong> and New Zealand had no answers to the slaughter unfolding before their eyes.<\/p>\n The carnage was led by Australia\u2019s captain Mitchell Marsh who clouted a match-winning 85 came from 43 balls with nine fours, five sixes and came at a strike rate of 197.67. He had great support from Travis Head<\/strong> (31 from 18), Matt Short<\/strong> (29 from 18) and an unbeaten cameo from Tim David<\/strong> (21 not out).<\/p>\n New Zealand were blown away from the get-go, with Matt Henry<\/strong> the best of a bad lot with 2-43 and Zak Foulkes<\/strong> and Kyle Jamieson<\/strong> chiming in with a (very expensive) wicket each. The home side can take confidence from their batting, with Tim Robinson<\/strong>\u2019s magnificent maiden T20I century \u2013 just the third New Zealander to achieve the feat against Australia \u2013 showing his Kiwi comrades that they can take it to the Aussie attack.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 17th over: Australia 185-4 (David 21, Stoinis 4) <\/strong>David tries to end it with a final strike but the Foulkes ball is slower and the big Aussie miscues the killing blow. Another bouncer, this time to Alex Carey and it\u2019s caught the edge! It leaves Marcus Stoinis to swagger out as if he\u2019s on a Mount Maunganui dance floor. He duly does the twist to the first delivery he faces and swings it to the rope to end the bloodbath.<\/p>\n <\/span>Devon Conway congratulates Marcus Stoinis on hitting the winning runs in Australia\u2019s big victory.<\/span> Photograph: Aaron Gillions\/ShutterstockShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.02 EDT<\/p>\n That ends a rotten week for Alex Carey. One run for victory and he\u2019s played a half shot to a wild bouncer and tapped it straight to the \u2018keeper. Awful to watch and even worse to experience. Our condolences, Alex.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 16th over: Australia 180-3 (David 20, Carey 7) <\/strong>Australia need 14 from these final 30 balls. Can new Zealand conjure a miracle? Bracewell tries floating it full and wide to David and it works once until the umpire calls him on it and requests a reprise. David is okay with that. He jumps on the ensuring short ball and swings it to the crowd on the hill at deep square. Two runs to win.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 15th over: Australia 168-3 (David 13, Carey 6) <\/strong>Tim David has a job to do now. He\u2019s looking a bit sheepish after sending Marsh back on a certain run the ball before his dismissal. Did his brain fade pay a partt in his skipper\u2019s dismissal? Alex Carey is the new batter and he taps his welcome bouncer to the fence for a tidy FOUR. David finishes the over with an explosive SIX over midwicket. That sounded like a rifle-shot off the bat.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Mitch Marsh mauls it over the infield but is caught on the deep cover fence by Matt henry. Good catch and the end of an incredible power hitting display by the Australian captain. His 85 came from 43 balls and featured nine fours, five sixes and came at the piffling strike rate of 197.67.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 14th over: Australia 157-2 (Marsh 85, David 8) <\/strong>Normal service resumes as Mitch Marsh dances down to Kyle Jamieson and sends a legside half-volley through cover for FOUR. Tim David clearly doesn\u2019t want to break a sweat tonight. He taps a couple of singles and thinks about moving his dinner reservation forward an hour.<\/p>\n Pow! Biff! Boff! I knew this batting reminded me of something\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 13th over: Australia 150-2 (Marsh 79, David 6) <\/strong>A shock as New Zealand yield only five runs from an over and Marsh and David fail to hit a boundary.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 12th over: Australia 145-2 (Marsh 75, David 5)<\/strong> The Singapore Sting known as Tim David walks out and gets going with a single, leaving Mitch Marsh to roll on with a cleaved pull shot behind square which beats the desperate dive of the sweeper. Thart\u2019s his eight four of the innings and he\u2019s getting a tad tired so he lets David swing one to the midwicket fence to finish another desultory New Zealand over.<\/p>\n Australia now need 37 runs from 48 balls for victory.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Slower ball by Kyle Jamieson does the job on Matt Short! He\u2019s gone for a well made 29 from 18 balls. New Zealand strike again but it\u2019s too little too late at this stage. And it brings Australia\u2019s form batter, Tim David, to the slaughter.<\/p>\n <\/span>Matthew Short made a quickfire 29 in the first T20I after a six-month injury lay-off.<\/span> Photograph: Aaron Gillions\/ShutterstockShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.00 EDT<\/p>\n 11th over: Australia 135-1 (Marsh 70, Short 29) <\/strong>Australia need 60 runs from 60 balls. Matt Henry has the 11th over and Matt Short rolls his wrists on the first for a single to deep square leg. That brings Marsh on strike. He swings hard but hits it into his own feet. A single ensues. Short picks up the cudgels on the third. Henry tries an off-cutter but it\u2019s wide and Short meets it on the up and puts it into the fence on the bounce. He takes a breather and lets Marsh get back to the buffet. And the big man fills his boots, standing tall and clattering that into the wind and onto the hill.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 10th over: Australia 122-1 (Marsh 63, Short 23) <\/strong>Bracewell is back to apply the brakes. But cruising to victory isn\u2019t Mitch Marsh\u2019s style, he prefers to crash his way to wins. And so it goes as Bracewell puts it on leg stump and Marsh shuffles those big hooves outside the line and pulverises it down the ground for his fourth SIX of this innings! But Bracewell recovers well from that early brutalisation, yielding three stolen singles and a leg-bye to keep the damage to 11-runs.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 9th over: Australia 111-1 (Marsh 55, Short 21) <\/strong>Short takes a single from Foulkes\u2019 first. Marsh takes a quicker path to glory, crashing the second ball off the tee, down the ground and over the fence for a magnificent SIX. Hold the pose, Bison. That was glorious. So why not try it again? This time he pumps Foulkes over deep cover for anotjer maximum. That\u2019s MItch Marsh\u2019s FIFTY and it comes from just 23 balls.<\/p>\n Australia need 71 runs from 66 balls for the win.<\/p>\n <\/span>Mitchell Marsh celebrates his 50 runs against New Zealand as Australia crash to a six-wicket victory.<\/span> Photograph: Aaron Gillions\/ShutterstockShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.58 EDT<\/p>\n 8th over: Australia 90-1 (Marsh 42, Short 14) <\/strong>Time for a change of pace. Michael Bracewell, the right-arm off-spinner from Wairarapa is into the attack. And with immediate effect as Marsh tries to whack him down the ground but only find Matt henry on the half-volley. Good effort from the fielder there who could\u2019ve backed off and saved the boundary but chose to attack the ball to give himself a chance at the catch. No dice but positive intent goes a long way. Six singles from this sublime slow over.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 7th over: Australia 84-1 (Marsh 39, Short 11) <\/strong>That\u2019s one way to shuck the rust! Matt Short takes Jamieson\u2019s fast first ball on off stump and crashes it down the ground with a beautiful straight drive. And that\u2019s another way to do it! Second ball is short of a length and Short, steady as a sniper, steps down and launches it over the midwicket fence for SIX. <\/strong>A run bye brings Marsh on strike and he continues on his merry way by carving Jamieson over the off-side infield for another boundary, his eighth of the innings.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 6th over: Australia 71-0 (Marsh 34, Short 1) <\/strong>Can Matt Henry stop this onslaught? Not on the evidence of his first ball which is wide and which Head dispatches to the rope at third man. Second ball, same result but a different shot. This time Head hops onto one foot to heave it over mid-on for another FOUR. Three times lucky? No. This time he\u2019s skied it. Head\u2019s dismissal brings Matt Short to the crease for his first innings since February. Can he shuck the rust and start his quest for the World Cup tonight?<\/p>\n <\/span>Australia\u2019s Travis Head walks off for 31 after trying for a third straight boundary off Matt Henry. Updated at\u00a005.56 EDT<\/p>\n Third time lucky it isn\u2019t for Travis Head. Henry belts it into the deck but it\u2019s a slow-ball bouncer and Head falls for it, hook, line and sinker. His pull shot hits the splice and sails into the safe hands of Chapman. The Black Caps have their first! And didn\u2019t they need it?<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 5th over: Australia 59-0 (Marsh 34, Head 27) <\/strong>Duffy gets a second over but after coughing up 12 from his over, he\u2019s immediately thumped over the infield for FOUR by Head. A lot of hanging heads and teapot stances among the New Zealand players right now. How do they stop this onslaught? The Australian FIFTY is up and it\u2019s come from 27 balls at a run-rate of 11.33. And now Marsh makes it another double-digit over with a glorious drive over mid-off for FOUR. He ices that shot with another from the top-shelf, a lofted wedge that trickles to the boundary.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 4th over: Australia 45-0 (Marsh 25, Head 18) <\/strong>It was never going to last. And sure enough, after seven circumspect deliveries for four runs, Travis Head opens the shoulders and tonks Kyle Jamieson down the ground for FOUR. That flew back over the bowler\u2019s head, no mean feat given Jamieson stands six-foot-six in the old measure. Like all good quicks he digs the next one in short. And like all master batters, Head leans back and ramps him to the fence for FOUR. Now Head is really away as he hoiks it over point for another boundary. A little luck and a lot of skills in that flurry but it leaves Australia flying at 45 without loss and two overs to go in the PowerPlay.<\/p>\n <\/span>Australia\u2019s captain Mitchell Marsh goes the tonk against New Zealand in the first T20I.<\/span> Photograph: Aaron Gillions\/ShutterstockShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.55 EDT<\/p>\n 3rd over: Australia 31-0 (Marsh 25, Head 4) <\/strong>Almost a run-out! Head dropped and ran and mid-on swooped and threw, narrowly missing the stumps at the bowler\u2019s end. Zakary Foulkes has zip and swing already here and he hoops one back at Head who is so far content to push singles. And why not, when Mitch Marsh is walloping massive shots down the ground for SIX. You don\u2019t bowl slower balls to the Bison, young fella.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 2nd over: Australia 22-0 (Marsh 18, Head 2) <\/strong>Big appeal to the first ball of the Jacob Duffy spell which Marsh chased down the legside. But it had the thud<\/em> of pad rather than the click<\/em> of willow and the umpire shows nil interest. Marsh dead-bats a late cut for a single from the fourth to give Head a sniff at the burly Southlander. Head isn\u2019t fussed. He taps a run and leaves Marsh to face the final balls with a BANG over mid-on and a BIFF over point for back-to-back boundaries.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n 1st over: Australia 10-0 (Marsh 9, Head 1)<\/strong> Captain Mitch Marsh will face the first over and it\u2019s from Matt Henry. He tests the measure of this pitch with a look at the first and then has a heave at the second, cutting hard and onerous to the rope for FOUR. Third ball is straighter but Marsh cleaves it off the inside edge to the onside boundary. How does Henry answer this? He takes out his slip and puts it wide. Marsh, content, taps a single. Here\u2019s Travis Head. He flashes at the first, which is tight and dipping back. But the moustachioed slugger squeaks it backward of square for a cheeky run anyway.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n That was a good ding-dong battle between these ancient rivals. Australia threw the early punches and had New Zealand reeling at 6-3 after 10 deliveries. But Tim Robinson led the fightback. The 23-year-old was in just his 13th T20I for his country but he batted like a seasoned pro to strike a maiden century and lead his side to a strong total of 181. Daryl Mitchell (34) and Bevon Jacobs (20) lent a hand but it was Robinson\u2019s show.<\/p>\n Australia would\u2019ve enjoyed the early work of Josh Hazlewood and Ben Dwarshius as they took three early wickets. But when the change bowlers arrived they got punished as Robinson and Mitchell piled on a 92-run partnership. Adam Zampa bowled superbly, put the stoppers on the gush of runs and his 0-27 should\u2019ve read 2-27 if not for some clumsy catching in the field. But 181 is very achievable for this stacked Australian side.<\/p>\n Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh have the pads on. How will they play this chase?<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.05 EDT<\/p>\n 20th over: New Zealand 181-6 (Robinson 106, Foulkes 0) <\/strong>Final over. Can Robinson get his century? Or will the Australians deny him in this superb rearguard action? After three singles from Dwarshuis, captain Bracewell attempts a suicidal run and is caught short by the fast throw by Matt Short to the bowler who whips the bails off. Gone! What can Robinson muster? Fifth ball? A flicked FOUR and a CENTURY to Tim Robinson! Well done young man. 100 off 65 balls and a maiden T20I century. And why n ot celebrate with a SIX from the final delivery? Dwarshuis celebrates his rival\u2019s feat with full bunger which the Kiwi striker smashes over forward square for SIX. Nice finish, New Zealand!<\/p>\n <\/span>Tim Robinson celebrates his maiden T20I century for New Zealand at the Bay Oval against Australia.<\/span> Photograph: Aaron Gillions\/ShutterstockShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.53 EDT<\/p>\n Captain Bracewell is gone! That was great work in the field by the Aussies after some blown chances. New Zealand crumbling at the close.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Jacobs is run out trying for three! Brilliant from Stoinis and Head combining in the outfield. Stoinis dived and flicked it through the legs to Head who, angry after grassing two catches, fired the throw to Carey whose fast gloves beat the batter\u2019s dive.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.49 EDT<\/p>\n 19th over: New Zealand 158-4 (Robinson 91, Jacobs 19) <\/strong>Australia have recovcered well in this second half of this innings. Remember, New Zealand had 93 tuns on the board with seven in wickets in hand at the halfway mark. But despite Robinson advancing to 92, they\u2019ve been pegged back by Zampa, Hazlewood and Bartlett. The latter has a third over now and he leaks two singles before a dot. Now there\u2019s a bash to the boundary where Stoinis cruises around, hurls it back before crashing into the rope. Head recovers the ball to throw a thunderbolt return to Carey who whips off the bails. Jacobs dives but the bails are alight and this will be very close\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.47 EDT<\/p>\n 18th over: New Zealand 158-4 (Robinson 91, Jacobs 19) <\/strong>The Hoff returns for the all-important 18th over. Two runs follows two dot balls before Robinson opens the shoulders and biffs a thick edge over slips to the third man boundary. He\u2019s in the nineties! Hazlewood recovers to give up only a single from his final two deliveries and closes his account at 1-23, another excellent return.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.45 EDT<\/p>\n 17th over: New Zealand 151-4 (Robinson 84, Jacobs 19) <\/strong>Bevon Jacobs is a big-hitter but he hasn\u2019t got going yet and sits on a paltry 17 from 18 balls. But his luck is in as Travis Head DROPS another catch in the deep. Head was chasing and leaping and grassing. Hells bells. Now Tim David has DROPPED ANOTHER CATCH on the rope. That was straight down his throat but David somehow let it loose as he fell. He confesses straight-up, waves the umpires away. Two spilled chances in two balls for Australia. What\u2019s going on out there? Robinson doesn\u2019t care. He cashes in with a massive SIX five rows back. Run rate is 8.80.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.39 EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Australia\u2019s captain Mitch Marsh has been voted Player of the match It\u2019s really important in a three-match series to start off with a win (and) nice to contribute. Heady and I have a great relationship off the field and tonight was a lot of fun with him. The way we\u2019re playing has happened organically. We<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[346,1144,531,132,1143,2441,1905,1971],"class_list":{"0":"post-25104","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-australia","9":"tag-cricket","10":"tag-international","11":"tag-live","12":"tag-mens","13":"tag-t20","14":"tag-team","15":"tag-zealand"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25104\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Australia defeat New Zealand in first T20I by six wickets<\/h2>\n
WICKET! Carey c Chapman b Foulkes 7 (Australia 181-4)<\/h2>\n
WICKET! Marsh c Robinson b Henry 85 (Australia 157-2)<\/h2>\n
WICKET! Short lbw b Jamieson 29 (Australia 135-2)<\/h2>\n
<\/span> Photograph: Aaron Gillions\/ShutterstockShare<\/p>\nWICKET! Head c Chapman b Henry 31 (Australia 67-1)<\/h2>\n
New Zealand set Australia 182 for victory in first T20I<\/h2>\n
WICKET! Bracewell run out Short\/ Dwarshuis 9 (New Zealand 171-6)<\/h2>\n
WICKET! Jacobs run out Carey\/ Head) 20 (New Zealand 162-5)<\/h2>\n