Reigning T20 World Cup champions Australia thrashed by New Zealand at SCG in opening game of Super 12s; New Zealand exact revenge for defeat in last year's final; Black Caps pile on 200-3, before Australia slump to 111 all out
Saturday 22 October 2022 20:29, UK
Australia's T20 World Cup title defence got off to a dreadful start with Aaron Finch's men tumbling to a crushing 89-run defeat against a clinical New Zealand in Sydney.
Australia had trounced New Zealand by eight wickets in last year's final in the UAE but were blown away by the Black Caps on Saturday as the Kiwis beat their opponents in Australia for the first time in any format since 2011.
New Zealand blazed their way to 200-3 after being inserted with Finn Allen crunching 42 from just 16 deliveries and opening partner Devon Conway top-scoring with 92 from 58 balls, before Australia crumpled to 111 all out in 17.1 overs at the SCG.
The hosts and pre-tournament favourites suffered a huge blow early on as David Warner (5) was bowled in freakish style off the back of his bat by Tim Southee and the wickets continued to tumble, with a stunning, leaping catch from Glenn Phillips at deep cover accounting for Marcus Stoinis (7) in the ninth over.
Glenn Maxwell (28 off 20) top-scored for Australia with the home side razed principally by Southee and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, both of whom picked up three wickets.
Australia and New Zealand are alongside England, Ireland, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in Group 1, with Group 2 featuring India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Zimbabwe.
The top two sides in each group will qualify for the semi-finals - and Australia are already on the backfoot in their pursuit of one of those spots after being utterly demolished by their Trans-Tasman rivals.
The hosts' form had been patchy with a 2-0 reverse against England in a bilateral series followed by defeat to India in a warm-up match but the manner and margin of the loss to New Zealand was still a shock, showing that Finch's men have a huge amount of work to do and that the Black Caps could be real contenders in this tournament.
New Zealand, unlike Australia later on, were brutal in the powerplay - Allen and Conway nailing their fifty partnership in just 3.5 overs, with the milestone clinched as Allen smashed Stoinis back over his head for six, one of eight boundaries (three sixes, five fours) the 23-year-old crunched in a thrilling cameo.
Allen - who took 14 off Mitchell Starc in the first over of the match to set the tone, before being dropped by Adam Zampa at short fine leg when he was on 19 - was bowled by Josh Hazlewood's off-stump yorker at the start of the fifth over, but Conway pressed on.
The left-hander added 69 for the second wicket with skipper Kane Williamson (23 off 23) and also received support from Phillips (12 off 10) and Jimmy Neesham (26no off 13) - Neesham sending the final ball of the innings, bowled by Hazlewood, over long-on for the eighth team six.
Starc was the most economical of the Australia bowlers at nine runs an over, while Pat Cummins' four overs were tonked for 46 as Allen ensured his first went for 17, before his final one was plundered for 15 amid a Neesham six and a couple of wides.
Australia's chase never really got going with Warner's bizarre exit at the start of the second over followed by skipper Finch (13) and Mitchell Marsh (16) holing out in the powerplay.
Stoinis, Tim David (11) and Matthew Wade (2) came and went, before Maxwell's exit - bowled on the reverse sweep by leg-spinner Ish Sodhi - left Australia 89-7 in the 14th over and the game gone.
Trent Boult then castled Starc and Zampa in the 17th over, before Southee clinched New Zealand's victory in the 18th when he had Cummins caught behind by Conway.
Australia's next match is against Sri Lanka in Perth on Tuesday (12pm UK time), with New Zealand in action against Afghanistan in Melbourne on Wednesday (9am UK time).
