Geoff Lemon's match report
Summary
Thanks for joining me tonight on a superb occasion for New Zealand, and a result that jump-starts this T20 World Cup. Stay tuned for all the reaction from Geoff Lemon, Simon Burnton, and the rest of the team.
There’ll be plenty more OBOs like this to keep an eye on as the tournament progresses and I look forward to catching you back here when I’m on the tools.
The action isn’t over just yet. The context of Australia’s thrashing will become clearer after group rivals England take on Afghanistan in Perth. That one gets underway shortly and you can follow all the action here:
Kane Williamson was chill:
It was one of those days, an outstanding day. Finn Allen at the top set the tone and another class innings from Devon and a lot of contributions throughout to get to a very good total. And I thought the fielding and the bowling was outstanding. The boys showed a lot of technical ability and held the catches. It’s a funny game… It was a really clinical performance and something to build on for our next ones.
The skippers have had their say. Aaron Finch was magnanimous in defeat:
They were in front of the game the whole way and we were chasing the whole way. We were totally outplayed in all aspects…
You have to plan to win the next four games and get a bit of luck along the way. We’ve got belief in our group, that we got this right team in the right place to be able to do that. Tonight was just a disappointing one.
Peter Ashby is understandably thrilled. “This is big,” he emails. “In tournaments and on home soil they usually do a number on us. NZ beat Aus in a tournament on home soil. That is a huge hoodoo beaten.”
New Zealand win their first men's international game on Australian soil since 2011 🔥#T20WorldCup | #AUSvNZ | 📝 Scorecard: https://t.co/1mYxKgn4aP pic.twitter.com/D784MzZbam
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 22, 2022
Updated
Devon Conway has spoken about New Zealand’s performance.
Special performance by the boys tonight. Credit has to go Finn [Allen], to how he started, he got that momentum for us, then it was a good performance from everyone. It was pretty special. I’ve seen him do it time and time again. Quite a young guy in his career but he is very exposed, is fearless. Credit to the way he played.
Certainly, the way Finn Allen plays his game complements my game. I know I batted around him. The surface was really good to bat on so I just felt timing the ball was probably going to give us the chance of success.
It means a lot to us. Especially at the SCG. To beat Australia on any occasion is a big up for us. We will take this momentum into the next game.
Devon Conway Player of the Match
The opener’s 92 was 50 more than any other batter. He started strongly then went on to anchor the innings, hitting boundaries at crucial moments to keep the momentum flowing New Zealand’s way.
While Australia’s disappointment will take the headlines, New Zealand deserve all the credit. They did the small things well all night – running between the wickets, holding their catches, executing smart bowling changes – in a very polished performance. In Finn Allen they could have the star of the tournament, while in Devon Conway, Trent Boult, and Tim Southee they have T20 performers of the highest order.
That really was a humiliating night from start to finish for Australia. They batted for just 103 legal deliveries. 28 top-scored. 25 was the highest partnership.
And that came after their much vaunted bowling attack was put to the sword by Finn Allen and Devon Conway.
New Zealand win by 89 runs
That was a statement victory from the Black Caps, one that all-but guarantees them a spot in the semi-finals, and simultaneously means Australia need results to go their way for them to get out of the group.
WICKET! Cummins c Conway b Southee 21 (Australia 111)
Tim Southee returns to finish the job. Cummins tries to go big but can only sky a top edge that Conway pouches comfortably. What a rout.
17th over: Australia 111-9 (Cummins 21, Hazlewood 1) Trent Boult ends with 2/24. He has played his part, as he always does.
WICKET! Zampa b Boult 0 (Australia 109-9)
Zampa lasts two balls, the second of which is a Boult knuckleball that’s much too good for the Australian tailender and smacks into leg stump.
WICKET! Starc b Boult 4 (Australia 109-8)
Starc misses, Boult hits. New Zealand’s premier paceman belatedly gets in on the act with as simple a dismissal as you can imagine, hitting a full length and crashing into the middle of middle. The SCG raises barely a murmur.
This is an absolute shellacking. Australia are deep, deep in it with this NRR hit.
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) October 22, 2022
Updated
16th over: Australia 109-7 (Cummins 20, Starc 4) Cummins somehow forces Ferguson over the offside ring and away for four, a manufactured stroke quickly forgotten when the Test skipper stands his ground and plucks a half-volley off his stumps and deposits it into the pavilion. 12 from a rare successful over for the hosts.
15th over: Australia 97-7 (Cummins 9, Starc 3) New Zealand have dominated so far without Trent Boult landing a blow. The star left-armer returns for his third over but he remains wicketless for the time being.
“Morning Jonathan,” greetings Adam Hirst. “All very enjoyable so far. With seven down, NZ should try and bowl as many dots as possible, not bother with wickets. Try and get the Australian net RR as low as possible, they might need it on countback later.” Excellent strategy. That Boult over just now suggests that may well be the tactic.
14th over: Australia 91-7 (Cummins 7, Starc 1) Sodhi finishes with 1/29. Already discussion of the context of this match is around how the net run rate damage Australia will suffer could already all-but rule them out of the semi-finals. A catastrophic night for the hosts.
WICKET! Maxwell b Sodhi 28 (Australia 89-7)
Maxwell’s vigil at the non-striker’s end continues to the midpoint of Sodhi’s over. His frustration is writ large when he aims yet another massive switch hit only to miss the ball and hear the dreaded death rattle behind him. Brave from Sodhi. Brilliant from New Zealand. This is a night to remember for the Black Caps.
13th over: Australia 87-6 (Maxwell 28, Cummins 5) After three deliveries without a run to begin the over, Ferguson concedes a boundary when Cummins swings him to leg off an inside edge. A beautifully disguised slower ball almost exacts revenge but Williamson will be happy with a single from the last delivery that sees Cummins farm the strike – to end an over that saw Maxwell marooned at the non-striker’s end throughout.
Australia probably need to have one eye on their NRR for the remainder of this chase. A big loss here and they could still go out with a 4-1 record like South Africa did last year.
— Kieran (@kieran_cricket) October 22, 2022
WICKET! Wade c Conway b Ferguson 2 (Australia 82-6)
Back to the pace of Lockie Ferguson, and immediately he hurries up Wade with one that skids off the dewy deck. He backs that up with a scorcher that kisses the deck, pecks the outside edge, and snuggles into Conway’s gloves. Superb seam bowling. Australia are in all sorts.
12th over: Australia 82-5 (Maxwell 28, Wade 2) MAXWELLBALL continues at the SCG! A switch-hit slog sweep sends Sodhi 95m over cover/midwicket. That was a ridiculous hit. Sodhit doesn’t lose his cool though and around that maximum there’s three dot balls before a single brings Wade on strike. The wicket keeper punches a single to farm the strike.
Australia's probability of qualifying for the SFs will go from 55% before today to 34% if they lose & that's not even factoring in the potential NRR hit. As discussed in this thread last night: this is a brutal tournament format. #T20WorldCup https://t.co/bxA4zxrqnX
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) October 22, 2022
11th over: Australia 74-5 (Maxwell 21, Wade 1) Where there’s a Maxi there’s a way, and the virtuoso Victorian peels off another reverse hit for four, this time a bottom edged reverse sweep to third/fine leg. If Australia win then we’ll have witnessed one of the all-time great innings. Santner ends with 3/30.
WICKET! David c Neesham b Santner 11 (Australia 68-5)
The wheels are coming off now. Tim David comes out after drinks and slog sweeps Santner for six with strong forearms. He tries agin next delivery but Santner saw him coming, dragged it down, and the ball flew in Neesham’s direction who held onto his second excellent catch of the night, low diving forward.
Updated
WinViz has New Zealand a 93% chance to win.
Still no rain. The SCG must be the only dry square metres in the entirety of New South Wales.
10th over: Australia 62-4 (Maxwell 16, David 5) Maxwell again goes to the switch-hit to Sodhi, but there’s a sweeper on that cover/midwicket boundary in preparation. David is far less assured against the Kiwi tweaker, only just surviving a legspinner that clips the merest outside edge to avoid an LBW. Maxwell shows his junior partner how it’s done, stepping to leg and carving a muscular boundary over extra cover. Australia are miles behind with a quarter of the match still to go, but with Glenn Maxwell at the crease they can’t be written off.
9th over: Australia 54-4 (Maxwell 10, David 3) Santner has 2/19 from his three overs. Australia need a miracle. Every replay makes Phillips’s catch to dismiss Santner look even better. Full length, mid-air, hitting the ball on the run, just incredible.
Have a look at what your boy has done now @JohnCena pic.twitter.com/aKLW3gCu7I
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) October 22, 2022
Updated
WICKET! Stoinis c Phillips b Santner 7 (Australia 50-4)
Mark Howard reckons we’ve already seen the shot of the tournament, well that might genuinely be the catch of the tournament. Take a bow Glenn Phillips. Stoinis tried to carve a loopy Santner delivery over the covers but didn’t get all of the shot. Phillips tore in from his station at deep point and flew full length to hold on to an absolute screamer at full length. New Zealand are on fire tonight.
8th over: Australia 49-3 (Maxwell 9, Stoinis 6) Ish Sodhi’s turn to make something happen, from the Paddington end. Williamson looking to capitalise on Stoinis’s slow start. Sodhi turns the ball into the right-handers from over the wicket, going for a run-a-ball for five deliveries before MAXWELLBALL arrives and the maverick switch hits for four with the dexterity of Victorian seamstress stitching the monogram of a minor royal onto some shirt cuffs.
7th over: Australia 41-3 (Maxwell 4, Stoinis 3) With WinViz favouring New Zealand 81/19% Santner gets another whirl. He starts with some fortune as Maxwell slips turning for a second, and then almost does for Stoinis, beating the outside edge, then inducing an inside-edge that almost plays on. Stoinis is treading water and does not look like he’s reading the pace of the pitch just yet. He’s three from eight as New Zealand continue to turn the screw.
Updated
6th over: Australia 37-3 (Maxwell 2, Stoinis 1) Santner’s spin is replaced by the raw pace of Lockie Ferguson, and the speedster hits his marks conceding just three singles as Australia’s right-handers consolidate.
5th over: Australia 34-3 (Maxwell 0, Stoinis 0) Southee has 2/6 from his two overs. The run-rate is above 11. If the rain ever does come, the points are New Zealand’s.
After the Kiwis expertly picked off the short 63-metre square boundary, the Aussies' top three have all gone out in the Powerplay trying to clear it #T20WorldCup
— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) October 22, 2022
Updated
WICKET! Marsh c Neesham b Southee 16 (Australia 34-3)
The good news is Glenn Maxwell is in early. The bad news is Glenn Maxwell is in early. Will we see the usual freedom from the most entertaining batter in the game? Southee continues his good form, going for four from four and howling for an LBW appeal that’s declined on-field and not reviewed.
No bother, next ball Marsh tries to slog his way into rhythm but he doesn’t pick the slower off-cutter and can only sky a drive into the safe hands of Jimmy Neesham at cow corner. That was not an easy catch under the lights, but it continues New Zealand’s dream night.
WICKET! Finch c Williamson b Santner 13 (Australia 30-2)
A surprising move from Williamson, bringing Mitchell Santner into the attack early, perhaps goading Marsh to take the spinner on before he’s set. And that’s exactly what the No 3 does, fetching a sweep from outside off and whipping it behind square leg for four. He doesn’t look to be reading the ball out of Santner’s left hand though, nervously prodding at a couple of dots before making Australia’s Mark Howard on commentary declare he’s already seen the shot of the tournament when he opens his shoulders and hits a massive high drive over square cover. It was good, but, um, yeah, 23 overs into the tournament proper…
Anyway, Finch tries to do the same but can only drill the ball straight to extra-cover. A great over for Australia turns into a disaster. Finch’s poor run continues.
4th over: Australia 30-2 (Marsh 12)
3rd over: Australia 19-1 (Finch 13, Marsh 1) BOSH! Who’s out of form? Not Aaron Finch. He absolutely belts the cover off a length Southee delivery and it flies 102m into the cheap seats. The follow up is a classical straight drive for four. He, and his country, needed that. Boult replies with a couple of deck-hitting dot balls then finds Finch’s outside edge but it trickles wide of the cordon for runs – only two – with Australia labouring between the wickets.
2nd over: Australia 7-1 (Finch 1, Marsh 1) Southee hits his marks to Mitchell Marsh and Aaron Finch, nipping the ball back into the two right-handers from over the wicket. Finch tries to fight fire with fire, advancing down the pitch, but he can only find mid-off with a mistimed drive. New Zealand well on top.
It's hard to overstate the importance of that wicket. Not only is Warner a brilliant player but with Australia's lone top order left-hander gone Sodhi & Santner can now operate freely against the right-handers, who largely struggle against away spin. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) October 22, 2022
WICKET! Warner b Southee 5 (Australia 5-1)
Light night follows day Southee follows Boult – and he gets the breakthrough! That was one heck of an ugly wicket. Not a great delivery, on a length around leg stump, Warner drops to one knee to larrup a mow over midwicket, only to bottom edge onto his pad, the ball lobbing up and catching another under-edge in his follow through and down onto the stumps. Plenty of luck two deliveries ago edging through second slip, then the absolute worst luck imaginable. He has the wherewithal to smile at his misfortune.
1st over: Australia 5-0 (Warner 5, Finch 0) Trent Boult opens with a trio of dots, the second of which nips off the seam and induces a play and miss from David Warner. Then there’s a huge let-off for the Australian opener. He’s squared up by Boult and edges straight to where second slip was standing for the first three balls and away for a boundary. A single rotates the strike allowing Boult to rip one past the out-of-touch Finch’s backfoot prod. Not the forceful start the home side were looking for.
It is now pitch black above the SCG, with the ground bathed in floodlight. It’s still dry.
Australia’s chase will begin in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.
It is still dry at the SCG, and may well remain dry long enough to force a DLS outcome. However, the radar reveals the Sydney metro area being encircled by storm clouds, so it’s a matter of when, not if, there’s a downpour.
New Zealand 200-3
The Black Caps will be delighted with that total after being inserted by Aaron Finch. Finn Allen set the tone with a blistering opening, Devon Conway anchored the innings superbly, and Jimmy Neesham added the gloss with some late biff.
The rain has held off long enough to suggest a result is in sight, and with a round 200 on the board New Zealand will be favourites to secure an early win.
That's a huge score from NZ. Allen & Conway were outstanding. Our PitchViz model forecasts that 173 is par - you can add around 10 for irregular dimensions but that still leaves NZ a healthy 20 above par. Slower balls went at 6 runs per over; pace on went at 12.60. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) October 22, 2022
Updated
20th over: New Zealand 200-3 (Conway 92, Nessham 26) Hazlewood to bowl the final over, and he begins with a perfectly executed wide yorker. He follows that up with a tighter yorker that Neesham does well to engineer two from. The big allrounder then gets under a length delivery but he doesn’t get all of it and has to settle for a single. Ball four is a long-read all by itself as Conway moves to the offside, Hazlewood follows him, the batter flinches and somehow edge-scoops a loopy two over gully. A hard run two keeps Neesham on strike for the final delivery – and he smites it for six over cow corner! Brilliant finish to a brilliant innings for the Black Caps!
Hazlewood, by some margin the pick of the attack ends with 2/41.
Devon Conway's T20I average is an obscene 57.39 #AUSvNZ #T20WorldCup
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) October 22, 2022
Updated
19th over: New Zealand 186-3 (Conway 89, Nessham 15) Starc pounds in over the wicket to the pair of lefties, getting the ball to tail in towards leg stump. Two singles precede a loopy top-edge from Conway that lands just short of the diving Stoinis in the deep. Another single follows as Starc’s length proves impossible to lever away. He then benefits from Neesham failing to time a full toss, but then feels the wrath of fate when Conway creams his final delivery through the covers.
Starc ends with 0/36, a good comeback of sorts after being taken to the cleaners by Allen in the opening over.
18th over: New Zealand 176-3 (Conway 81, Nessham 13) New Zealand are on the tonk now. Neesham starts by clouting Cummins over cow corner for six, then slices behind point but it’s worth only one. The bowler tries to limit the damage using width but ends up flinging down two wides. Neesham continues his aggressive approach but again hits the field, this time long-off, but he runs hard for two. New Zealand’s running has been a feature of the night. Neesham picks up another two, this time in more fortunate fashion as a miscued slap lands safely where a standard midwicket would usually patrol.
Cummins ends with the unfamiliar figures of 0/46.
Updated
17th over: New Zealand 161-3 (Conway 79, Nessham 2) Not for the first time tonight Conway sets up a cruise of an over by stroking the opening delivery for a boundary, this time a classical off drive just wide of the diving mid-off. Jimmy Neesham, promoted to No 5, tries to loft his first delivery from Stoinis over the sight-screen but can only get enough on it to earn a single, one of five to see off the over.
Stoinis 0/38 from his four.
Looks like Australia will go through with just the five bowlers. Marcus Stoinis to bowl out. Comes just a couple of days after the coach talked up how important Glenn Maxwell is to the bowling unit. #AUSvNZ #T20WorldCup
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) October 22, 2022
Updated
WICKET! Phillips c&b Hazlewood 12 (New Zealand 152-3)
Hazlewood tears into his third over, hitting the deck hard, and he beats Phillips for pace with a back-of-length delivery. He reckons Phillips actually feathered that through to the nonplussed Wade – and if Wade is nonplussed, you know you’re on thin ice – and it’s no surprise when the third umpire confirms on review there was daylight between bat and ball. Phillips rubs salt into the wound with a baseball-style straight slap to the sight-screen for four from a near identical delivery. Hazlewood is nothing if not consistent though, persisting with the strategy until he gets his reward! Phillips is late onto another bunt, lobbing a simple return catch to the fast bowler.
16th over: New Zealand 152-3 (Conway 72)
15th over: New Zealand 144-2 (Conway 70, Phillips 7) Zampa beats the outside edge of Conway’s bat with a wrong’un but the opener’s back foot remains grounded as Wade removes the bails. Next up the Kiwi lefty finds the middle of the blade to send the ball back over the bowler’s head for a one bounce four.
Ten from Zampa’s final over. He finishes with 1/39.
14th over: New Zealand 134-2 (Conway 62, Phillips 6) Conway ignores the dismissal and welcomes Cummins to the attack with a crisp cover drive for three. Glenn Phillips defends his first two deliveries from the crease, then times a gentle square drive that skips away for an unexpected boundary. Phillips’s arrival continues the right-left combination that has allowed Australia’s bowlers no opportunity to settle into a line and length.
Economy rate today
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 22, 2022
Balls above 140 kph: 17.14
Balls between 120 and 139 kph: 10.28
Balls below 120 kph: 5.45#T20WorldCup
WICKET! Williamson LBW Zampa 23 (New Zealand 125-2)
Finch turns to Zampa and in turn Conway turns to the visiting balcony to raise his bat after slapping with his arc for a six over cow corner. Five more unfussy runs follow before Williamson unfurls a reverse sweep from nowhere, misses the ball, and is given out LBW. The Kiwi skipper reviews, but it’s to no avail. A stodgy innings ends in innocuous fashion. Not a great start to the tournament from one of New Zealand’s key players.
13th over: New Zealand 125-2 (Conway 59)
Surely it was in NZ's interests for Williamson to be dismissed then regardless - lose the anchor and let the finishers have a proper crack. #T20WorldCup
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) October 22, 2022
Updated
12th over: New Zealand 112-1 (Conway 48, Williamson 21) Starc remains in the attack as the floodlights take full effect and it’s a superb over full of pace and swing, keeping the Black Caps honest and threatening the stumps with every delivery. That was the first time tonight ball looked on top of bat with the length deliveries coming off the pitch hard. Williamson is really chewing up some time now, he needs to motor.
11th over: New Zealand 109-1 (Conway 46, Williamson 20) Immediately after the mid-innings drinks break Williamson carts a Stoinis legside delivery over the square-leg fence in a statement of intent. The Aussie allrounder mixes up the remainder of his over and the variability makes him hard to line up and despite plenty of aggression the Kiwis have to settle for ones and twos.
It’s still dry as we hit the 7pm mark when the rain was due.
10th over: New Zealand 97-1 (Conway 42, Williamson 12) Starc returns after his opening over savaging, and does not concede a boundary. He almost does for Conway with a trademark heatseeking in-swinging toe-crusher, but the opener survives. At the halfway mark New Zealand are well set for a healthy total but they need to be careful they don’t lose too much momentum.
9th over: New Zealand 90-1 (Conway 37, Williamson 10) Zampa continues and his first four deliveries go for just three runs as this partnership hits the doldrums, only for Conway to seize the initiative and hammer a long straight handsome six. Zampa follows up with one that just clips the pad before bat with Conway pressing forward. He appeals with gusto, to no avail, but Finch reviews! Pitching in line… struck in line… bouncing over! Conway survives, but that was a narrow escape.
New Zealand have to be careful of sleepwalking through these early middle overs. They've got an opportunity to post a huge total but pairing Williamson & Conway could see a lull. They need to keep their foot on the gas - particularly against the fifth bowler. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) October 22, 2022
8th over: New Zealand 81-1 (Conway 30, Williamson 8) Zampa’s great mate Stoinis is thrown the ball again as the weather radar shows the rain cloouds reaching urban Sydney. Conway and Williamson are happy to deal in ones and twos with the latter (eight from 12) still yet to find his timing, especially to the off-pace deliveries. I wonder if New Zealand might reflect later on that another dasher might have been the order to replace Finn to maintain the ascendancy?
7th over: New Zealand 74-1 (Conway 26, Williamson 6) As the field spreads, Conway welcomes Adam Zampa to the attack by carving a sumptuous cover drive for four. The left-right partnership are then happy to deal in singles to keep the scoreboard moving.
New Zealand were 57-1 off 10 overs in last year's World Cup final; only need 5 overs to pass that against Australia this time - emphatically vindicated for bringing the explosive Finn Allen into the side recognising that this tournament is likely to be higher scoring
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) October 22, 2022
6th over: New Zealand 65-1 (Conway 19, Williamson 4) Cummins begins his second over with a dot but Conway responds with an inventive bunt for four down to third, stepping to leg, then reaching to deflect a delivery barely on the cut strip. But without Allen at the other end the Black Caps are less explosive and Williamson is happy to soak up a couple of dots as the run-rate returns to something more realistic. It is still New Zealand’s highest ever World Cup powerplay total.
5th over: New Zealand 60-1 (Conway 14, Williamson 4) There’s a delay after the wicket as some glitchy signage is dealt with, robbing the match of some momentum, and increasing the potential damage of rain later-on. Eventually Hazlewood backs up his wicket with three dots to Williamson, hitting the deck hard and cramping the Kiwi skipper for room. Williamson doesn’t panic and guides some width behind point for four.
Australia’s best over of the night by a mile. Will it significantly shift the momentum?
WICKET! Allen b Hazlewood 42 (New Zealand 56-1)
Hazlewood returns. Allen advances. Ball beats bat. Stumps rearranged. Finn Allen’s magnificent innings ends on 42 from 16 deliveries. Excellent “if he misses you hit” comeback from the top-ranked bowler in T20 cricket.
4th over: New Zealand 56-0 (Allen 42, Conway 14) Marcus Stoinis is called on much earlier than he imagined, and after Conway strokes a couple through the covers there’s a shout for a catch behind but the ball clipped the batter’s grille, not his gloves, as a loopy bouncer arced through to Matthew Wade. Another dot follows, after a break in play for the bowler’s footholes to be repaired. Conway recognises he needs to rotate the strike, which he does, allowing Allen to sashay down the pitch and calmly loft a six-iron over the sight-screen. Majestic batting.
Following Finn Allen last few years has been like waiting for a much-hyped band to deliver the album following up the killer debut single. Desperately hoping the next month sees that release https://t.co/Xemqj84InK
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) October 22, 2022
3rd over: New Zealand 46-0 (Allen 35, Conway 11) Can Pat Cummins change the momentum? Almost! After Conway gets off strike Allen fails to get all of a hook to a slower bouncer and it’s straight IN AND OUT of Zampa’s grasp at backward square leg. The ball trickles away for four and is subsequently belted to the opposite segment of the boundary with a glorious lofted cover drive. And now a classical pull for six, waiting back in his crease! This is Australia’s first choice pace attack, in Sydney, and Finn Allen is making them look village.
Robert Speed, who is definitely not from Perth, is not happy with Australia’s uniform. “Did Western Australia take the place of Australia in this tournament?” he asks with scorn. “Is green and gold not good enough for the Australian cricket team? They look like the sandgropers. It’s a disgrace.”
Australia have been in mostly black throughout the T-20 era, haven’t they? Baggy green caps in Tests, gold and green in ODIs, black and yellow in T20s.
2nd over: New Zealand 29-0 (Allen 19, Conway 10) The boundaries keep acoming for the Kiwis! Josh Hazlewood begins on Devon Conway’s pads and the number 88 (one of the all-time bingo calling numbers) tickles the delivery to fine-leg for four. Conway, a left-hander, then tips and runs to bring the right-handed Allen on strike. As he has all match so far Allen goes the tonk to length, but he can only skew a bottom edge to midwicket for another single. No bother, Conway skips down the track and checks an off drive to the long-off fence. Another single rotates the left-right strike and Allen capitalises on Hazlewood dropping a touch short and a smidgen wide with a punishing square cut that leaves the SCG turf blistered.
This is proactive, forceful, brilliant batting.
1st over: New Zealand 14-0 (Allen 14, Conway 0) Starc begins on a good line and length over the wicket to the right-handed Allen for a dot. The wicket is straw coloured and dry, and Allen believes it’s going to play truly, swatting the second ball for a one-bounce four over wide long-on, then a third ball six with an even cleaner smite. That was a beautiful clackety whack. A slower ball yorker denies a hat-trick of boundaries, but the SCG rope is bruised a delivery later with a straight drive that almost decapitated Conway at the non-striker’s end. A slower-ball bouncer ends the over with a dot that had a hint of a wide, but not called.
Superb start for the Black Caps!
The teams are out in the middle. Mitchell Starc has the new white ball in his hand. Finn Allen is on strike. Here we go!
Your umpires tonight are Adrian Holdstock from South Africa and Kumar Dharmasena from Sri Lanka.
The teams are out for the anthems. New Zealand lock arms in a retro-themed grey and black uniform. Australia stand side-by-side in a First Nations-inspired yellow top and black pants, the material of which is rustling as the wind howls across the SCG.
I’m here for commemorative tankards. New Zealand continuing to set the standards for off-field culture.
A special moment for two former @aucklandcricket Aces teammates at the @scg. @glenndominic159 receiving a commemorative tankard to mark his 50th T20I for NZ from the team's most capped T20I player, @Martyguptill. #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/nS8vMJZvKe
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 22, 2022
One of Australia’s key performers early on with the ball will be the accurate paceman Josh Hazlewood. He spoke to Simon Burnton recently about his long career on the fringes of T20 before his sudden ascendancy.
One thing that makes his explosive return to T20s all the more remarkable is that during his time in the wilderness he not only did not train specifically for it, he did not even watch the shorter-form games. “I don’t watch much cricket in general, to be honest,” he says. “If we’re coming up against Sri Lanka down the track I might watch a little bit of their games but usually there’s enough footage to watch in bowling meetings. So yeah, I hardly watch any cricket.”
James Wallace has picked out some names to pay close attention to over the next few weeks, and of those, Australia’s Tim David, is the one to watch tonight.
Born in Singapore but raised in Australia, David had a spluttering start to his career – a so-so stint with Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash and a handful of games for his birth country didn’t mark him out as anything special. All that changed in 2020-21 when he signed for Hobart Hurricanes and in modern cricketing parlance “started pulling up trees”.
New Zealand XI
Finn Allen gets the nod over Martin Guptill, and Mark Chapman has been favoured over Michael Bracewell. It is a less familiar XI for the Kiwis, reflecting the start of a changing of the guard for the Black Caps.
Batting first at the @scg! A toss win for Aaron Finch and Australia to start the @T20WorldCup. @glenndominic159 playing his 50th T20I for New Zealand today. Follow play LIVE in NZ with @skysportnz and @SENZ_Radio. #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/DdoRMnaAn3
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 22, 2022
Australia XI
As expected, Steve Smith has been left out of the Australian XI in favour of Tim David. Cameron Green has yet to do enough to force his way into the line-up, but he is knocking on the door. It is a powerful batting order and fearsome bowling attack.
1. Aaron Finch (c)
2. David Warner
3. Mitchell Marsh
4. Glenn Maxwell
5. Marcus Stoinis
6. Tim David
7. Matthew Wade (wk)
8. Mitchell Starc
9. Pat Cummins
10. Adam Zampa
11. Josh Hazlewood
Australia won the toss and will bowl first
Aaron Finch is mindful of the weather and made the obvious choice to chase. He also reckons the pitch will improve later on. A phlegmatic Kane Williamson concurred with Finch’s logic.
Updated
Weather
Bands of heavy rain are drenching swathes of Australia’s east coast but Sydney’s inner-east has somehow managed to stay dry… for now.
We should start on time but thunderstorms are predicted from around 7pm, helped along by a gale that’s blowing across the SCG. It’ll then be in the lap of the gods whether a result can be reached.
Hopefully there’s enough play to entertain the sell-out crowd.
⚠️UPDATE: Severe Thunderstorm Warning extended to parts of #CentralWestSlopes, #NorthWestSlopes for heavy #rain leading to flash #flooding. Storms continuing #Illawarra, with radar showing further storm development about northern parts of #Illawarra. Radar:https://t.co/agvuf4TDvw pic.twitter.com/QCdK7tGVff
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) October 22, 2022
If you like tactics and strategy, Freddie Wilde from CricViz has everything you need in one handy Twitter thread.
🇦🇺- 🇳🇿 tactics thread. With 80% chance of rain forecast both sides should consider XIs for a shortened game with a frontline bowler for an all rounder the obvious move with five proper bowlers more important than batting depth as the game gets shorter. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) October 22, 2022
The Australian perspective is, as ever, provided by Geoff Lemon, and true to form he reckons the defending champions will opt not to try and fix something that isn’t broken.
… for the T20 World Cup about to start, Bailey doesn’t have to do much other than press copy and paste from last year’s corresponding tournament. He can do so in the confidence that home conditions should, in theory, suit them and their style of play far better than the surfaces of the Arabian Gulf, where Australia’s quick bowlers went against orthodoxy and odds to take the tournament.
If you’ve yet to get your head around this event, fear not, because Simon Burnton has put down everything you need to know right here:
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to the opening match of the Super 12 stage of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Weather permitting, Australia vs New Zealand begins at the Sydney Cricket Ground at 6pm local time (8pm NZDT/8am BST).
The trans-Tasman rivals have been paired in Group 1, and will expect to compete for the two semi-final spots on offer with fellow heavyweights England. Afghanistan, Ireland, and Sri Lanka, will hope to have something to say on the matter as well, albeit with less expectation.
Ireland and Sri Lanka have already played three times this World Cup, successfully navigating the first round of group matches. Ireland prospered at the expense of West Indies, the two-time champions having been humiliated by both the Irish and Scotland.
Tonight’s match is a repeat of last year’s World Cup final when Mitchell Marsh, supported by David Warner and Glenn Maxwell, steered Australia to a comfortable victory. Both countries should again be among the favourites to reach the business end of the competition.
The Black Caps won three of six warm-up fixtures, the hosts three of eight, indicating neither have hit top form, and also that the top tier of international T20 is pretty even. Tonight’s winner will gain not only an important advantage in the group, but also a major psychological boost at the start of a wide-open tournament.
As always, you can contribute by sending me an email or directing any tweets to @JPHowcroft. With La Niña continuing to wreak havoc on Australia’s east coast, I might need your help getting through some rain breaks.
