Defending champions Australia were cut down to almost nothing in a flurry of New Zealand frolics in their opening Group 1 match of the T20 Cricket World Cup in Sydney yesterday.
In retrospect Australia lost the match even before New Zealand could set them a target of 201 after they conceded 50 runs inside the first four overs after winning the toss and deciding to bowl first.
Having conceded a total of 200 Australia needed to take the match up-front from the first over, but instead they just scraped through to a paltry 37 runs in the first six power-player overs while losing three wickets and with it the writing was on the wall for defeat.
A super special catch taken by Glenn Philipps who flew into a shot played by Marcus Stoinis at deep extra-cover spoke volumes of the way New Zealand played to demolish and dismantle a team that had only 12 months ago humiliated them in the 2021 T20 World Cup final.
With David Warner (5), Aaron Finch (13), Mitchell Marsh (16), Glenn Maxwell (28) and Matthew Wade (2) caving in tamely against the spirited Kiwis, Australia’s defeat marked one of the worst in a T20 World Cup as New Zealand had it so easy to win by 89 runs.
Earlier New Zealand put into bat relished the occasion when they got off to a rousing start to keep up the momentum until the very end of the innings as Jimmy Neesham slammed the last ball from fast bowler Josh Hazlewood into the stands for his second six as the Kiwis posted 200 for 3 in the 20 overs.
But it was opener Devon Conway who anchored New Zealand’s innings while making an unbeaten 92 from 58 balls with seven fours and two sixes as Australia’s bowlers had no formula to counter him.
Put into bat New Zealand did not put a foot wrong and raced to 56 in just four overs before Finn Allen was bowled by Hazlewood for 42 made in just 16 balls that set the tempo with five fours and three sixes.
Hazlewood and Pat Cummings proved to be the most expensive of the Australian bowlers as the two combined conceded 87 runs from eight overs, a far cry from the likes of a champion team they were moving into the Super 12 curtain raiser.