Australia thrash New Zealand in 2nd T20I, seal series: Stats
Australia thrashed New Zealand by 72 runs to win the second T20I at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday. With the win, the visitors have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series. The Australian batters managed to compile 174 in 19.5 overs before their bowlers bowled exceptionally well to bundle out the Kiwis for only 102. Here are the key stats.
Australia post a competitive total
Travis Head's blazing 22-ball 45, gave Australia a fine start in the second T20I. Head and Mitchell Marsh added 53 runs together. But after Head's dismissal, Australia kept losing wickets. Marsh scored 26, while Pat Cummins also made a valuable contribution of 28 runs as Australia posted a total of 174. Lockie Ferguson starred for NZ with 4/12 in 3.5 overs.
Here's the NZ innings
Chasing 175, New Zealand batters never got going as they were 27/3 in the first six overs. They were soon reduced to 29/4 in the seventh over. Glenn Phillips added 45 runs with Josh Clarkson in an attempt to bring stability, but a masterful spell from Adam Zampa dimmed their hopes. The Kiwis were bundled out for 102 as Zampa scalped four wickets.
A blazing knock from Head
Head handed Australia a brilliant start as he hammered 20 runs off Trent Boult's first over. Although he lost his partner Steve Smith in the third over, Head continued his onslaught. He later added 52 runs with Marsh as Australia were 74/1 in the powerplay overs. He slammed a 22-ball 45 studded with five sixes and two boundaries.
An excellent bowling effort from Ferguson
Ferguson rattled Australia with his exceptional figures of 4/12. He removed Smith with his first delivery before scalping the wickets of Josh Inglis, Zampa and Josh Hazlewood. He bowled in the right channels and created pressure which resulted in wickets. This was his second four-wicket haul in T20Is as he raced to 54 wickets in 38 matches at an average of 18.83.
Kiwi bowlers chipped in with wickets
Apart from Ferguson's 4/12, other Kiwi bowlers also bowled well to restrict Australia to 174. Ben Sears returned with 2/29 from his four overs as he removed Head and Glenn Maxwell. Adam Milne and Mitchell Santner also claimed two wickets each.
New Zealand lost three wickets in powerplay overs
Chasing 175, NZ were off to a torrid start as they were reduced to 27/3 in the first six overs. Hazlewood scalped Finn Allen in the first over before Cummins dismissed Will Young in the fourth over. The hosts also lost their skipper Santner in the sixth over as he fell to Nathan Ellis. Whenever they tried to attack, Australia replied with wickets.
A match-winning spell from Zampa
Zampa, who went for a lot of runs in the first T20I, redeemed himself by picking up 4/34 from his four overs. The leg-spinner turned the game in Australia's favor in the middle overs. Zampa removed Clarkson and Milne in consecutive deliveries in the 12th over. He later returned to dismiss Phillips and Trent Boult. Zampa has raced to 91 T20I wickets.
An excellent bowling display from Australia
Like their opponents, Australia's bowlers also stepped up to the task. Starting from Hazlewood and Cummins with the new ball to Zampa ruling the roost in the middle overs. Marsh and Nathan Ellis also supported them brilliantly. Ellis finished with figures of 2/16 from his three overs while Hazlewood, Cummins and Marsh also returned with a wicket apiece.
Do you know?
Maxwell with 126 sixes in his T20I career, has surpassed former Australian captain Aaron Finch's tally of 125 maximums in this format. He now owns the most T20I sixes for Australia. Overall, Maxwell owns the third-most T20I sixes behind Rohit Sharma and Martin Guptill.
