Geoff Lemon's Blog, page 60
April 10, 2021
Australia extend winning record to 24 consecutive games – as it happened
10.40am BST
I have to admit that I thought after Australia’s innings that New Zealand were all over this and would at least make Australia fight to the very last ball. But it’s very hard to beat a team with this much confidence and belief in themselves and Australia will be very happy they pulled that victory off. It’s been a sensational series, especially considering the team came straight out of 14 days quarantine to play the first T20 game. The WBBL season in the bubble would have served them well to prepare for this challenging circumstances and they weren’t prepared to use it as an excuse. Instead they stood up and fought in their usual style and well and truly reaped the rewards.
Thanks so much for joining us for this last game of the Rose Bowl. I’m very glad we got some cricket in, it was looking pretty touch and go for a while there! It’ll be a while until we see some women’s cricket again, but until then, carry on bowling and try and do that thing with your hand and your wrist where you make it bounce funny.
10.30am BST
It’s a comprehensive victory from Australia considering their low total - an incredibly dominant bowling performance to lock down their 24th consecutive win. This is a team that simply knows how to win and they never lose confidence or feel a total is too low to defend. The winning culture of the team is something special to watch and it will take something quite incredible to break this streak.
10.27am BST
25th over: New Zealand 128-9 (Tahuhu 21, Mair 0 )
Schutt gets the honour of finishing off the game and the season and it’s well deserved after her bowling today. She starts with a great yorker and forces Tahuhu to dig it out for a single, but Down isn’t finished with this game yet and drives a length ball past third for four next ball. Schutt picks up a well deserved wicket and then Gardner chips in with a run out and the game is over without much of a fight from New Zealand in the end.
10.26am BST
Just to make matters worse for the Ferns, Kasperek is gone for a diamond duck after a pinpoint accurate throw from Gardner sees her off without facing a ball.
10.25am BST
To her credit, Down keeps fighting to the end, but she can’t make it to the end of the game, edging the ball to point and the safe hands of Rachael Haynes.
10.21am BST
24th over: New Zealand 121-7 (Tahuhu 18, Down 12 )
Gardner gives away a few more runs from this over than she has been accustomed to, but the damage was done long ago. Two boundaries from Tahuhu are admirable, but it’s too little, too late.
10.19am BST
23rd over: New Zealand 109-7 (Tahuhu 7, Down 11 )
Megan Schutt is back - it’s strange to see her with so few overs, especially after bowling so well - but understandable considering the turn this pitch has offered the spinners. She picks up where she left off with a tight start to the over, but Tahuhu dispatches her for six, driving over long off.
10.15am BST
22nd over: New Zealand 100-7 (J Kerr 5 , Down 8)
I’ve never been so happy to see Nicola Carey in my life. Here she is to bowl the 22nd over and look to push Australia’s dominance even further. Kerr grabs another boundary, Carey has picked up Wareham’s generous spirit. Kerr takes full advantage and follows it up with a six - she’s been a real ray of sunshine in this cloudy day for the Ferns. Unfortunately she can’t continue on with it and Carey gets her wicket and finishes with a dot ball.
10.14am BST
Jess Kerr has been brilliant but she has had to take a lot of risks and the last one doesn’t quite pay off and Carey gets her wicket.
10.10am BST
21st over: New Zealand 87-6 (J Kerr 5 , Down 8)
Wareham starts the over economically, but Down snaffles a thick outside edge for a boundary that she very gratefully accepts from the second ball. A full toss from the fourth ball lets Jess Kerr have a boundary as well - Wareham is in a generous mood after the rough day the Ferns have had. But she can’t give them too much and finishes with two dots.
10.07am BST
20th over: New Zealand 77-6 (J Kerr 0 , Down 3)
Lanning says “More spin! I must have more!” like some kind of spin hungry monster and Jonassen bowls another over. It’s almost like she doesn’t care about my live blogging welfare at all. Just one run and a wicket from the over and it’s all looking pretty clinical from the Australians now.
10.06am BST
Maddy Green did what she needed to do and tried to push the run rate up, but Gardner is unstoppable today and she was all over that catch.
10.02am BST
19th over: New Zealand 76-5 (Green 8 , Down 2)
Well that was a quick break from spin - now Wareham is back. But Halliday has had enough of dots and singles and starts the over with a six. She can’t keep up the momentum though and is gone next ball. Lauren Down comes to the crease, but it’s a very tough ask from here and there’s not much she can do.
10.00am BST
Halliday gets a bit too confident after hitting Wareham for six and she can’t get the next shot past Gardner. She mis-times her pull shot and Gardner gobbles it up gratefully.
9.58am BST
18th over: New Zealand 67-4 (Green 7 , Halliday 9)
I know I just said it was a spinners’ game, but I’m honestly quite relieved to see a bit of pace back in the form of Carey because it’s incredibly tough to live blog spin over after spin over - especially in a women’s game where they do not muck around between deliveries! Carey is determined to not to let the spinners get all the glory and pulls off a very tight over to frustrate the Kiwi batters.
9.54am BST
17th over: New Zealand 63-4 (Green 5 , Halliday 7)
The required run rate is now up to 9.9 for New Zealand and the commentators are a lot less confident than they were. Wareham comes back on to bowl and this is certainly a spinners’ game, so no surprises that is where Lanning has gone. She’s getting excellent turn and Green is really struggling to pick each ball. It’s another fantastic over from the Renegades star, with four dots and two singles from it.
9.51am BST
16th over: New Zealand 61-4 (Green 4 , Halliday 6)
Jonassen continues with her excellent bowling and nearly picks up a wicket from her second ball, but it falls short of Schutt in the field. It’s very tidy over, just the three from it.
9.49am BST
15th over: New Zealand 58-4 (Green 3 , Halliday 4)
Gardner returns and she is getting a lot of turn out of this pitch. She hasn’t bowled a great deal during this series, but Lanning knows she’s in fine form today and is taking advantage of it. A misfield from Jonassen is unfortunate for Gardner’s figures, but she is unperturbed and finishes the over with a dot.
9.47am BST
14th over: New Zealand 54-4 (Green 1 , Halliday 2)
Jonassen continues the spin onslaught and the Ferns look in a lot of trouble. Her length is sensational and a wide is the only sign of weakness this over.
9.44am BST
13th over: New Zealand 51-4 (Green 0 , Halliday 1)
Gardner puts the pressure on Halliday from the outset, but eventually she manages to get herself off strike with a neatly timed single. However that plays straight into Gardner’s hands and she finally gets her woman.
9.43am BST
Australia forced the match up they wanted between Gardner and Satterthwaite and it paid off. The Ferns captain never looked confident against the spinner and eventually she fell into her trap, edging to Lanning at first slip.
9.39am BST
12th over: New Zealand 36-3 (Satterthwaite 18 , Halliday 0)
The Kiwi commentators are very confident that the Ferns are in control - a confidence I admire, even if I don’t share it. However I have no idea why they insist on calling the batters “batsmen” - a truly baffling decision for a country that is known for its support of women in sport. Schutt comes back into the attack and continues on her merry way, making it hard for the batters to eke out many runs. The Kiwis push for two off the last ball and lose Amelia Kerr in the process.
9.39am BST
Satterthwaite loses her nerve as the batters go for two runs and sends Kerr back to the danger end and it’s a very easy run out to get from there.
9.35am BST
11th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Satterthwaite 16 , A Kerr 2)
Wareham starts the over with a wicket and keeps the pressure on from there, only allowing singles through off the next three balls, before a dot and another single to finish the over. She’ll be very pleased with that start, the Ferns are starting to feel very much under pressure as the required run rate creeps up.
9.32am BST
Wareham takes a wicket with her first ball of the game as Jensen mis-times her pull shot and sends it straight to Brown at mid on. Former Australian captain Alex Blackwell noted in the pre-game that Australia didn’t celebrate particularly hard in their previous two wins and again it’s a muted celebration for the wicket here.
9.30am BST
10th over: New Zealand 36-1 (Satterthwaite 14 , Jensen 13)
Carey continues, but the Ferns look determined to increase the run rate and take seven from her first three balls. There’s a big shout for LBW from the fourth ball of the over, but the umpire says it’s sliding down leg. Carey tightens it up to finish off the over and keeps the pressure on NZ.
9.27am BST
9th over: New Zealand 27-1 (Satterthwaite 7 , Jensen 11)
Gardner nearly gets a caught and bowled from her second ball, but only managed to parry it over for a single. It’s a good over nonetheless and she will feel buoyed by the almost wicket.
9.24am BST
8th over: New Zealand 23-1 (Satterthwaite 5 , Jensen 9)
Carey continues with her strong, tight bowling - very unlucky to not take a wicket on her fourth ball after three consecutive dots to build the pressure. Her length balls are looking very impressive and she gets another close one on the final ball of her over, but can’t pick up the wicket.
9.21am BST
7th over: New Zealand 21-1 (Satterthwaite 4 , Jensen 9)
Gardner gets her first over after a disappointing batting performance by her standards. The Ferns are picking up their scoring rate a little and with a low total to chase, it’s not panic stations yet, but Australia will be feeling a lot more confident than they were at the end of their innings.
9.17am BST
6th over: New Zealand 17-1 (Satterthwaite 3 , Jensen 6)
Carey enters the attack now, after a decent batting performance. As is the theme so far, she starts with a dot ball, before Jensen guides one behind the wicket for a single. There is some rain falling now, New Zealand will be hoping it keeps at bay long enough for them to get in front of the DLS par score after a slow start. Carey doesn’t give them any assistance with that, only giving away two runs from her first over.
9.14am BST
5th over: New Zealand 15-1 (Satterthwaite 2 , Jensen 5)
A very tidy over from Jonassen, only the two runs from it as Satterthwaite sizes up the pitch and Jensen plays conservatively, hoping not to go the same way as her opening partner.
9.12am BST
4th over: New Zealand 13-1 (Satterthwaite 0 , Jensen 5)
Schutt returns after her brilliant first over and picks up where she left off. A couple of length balls give her good reason to appeal for the LBW but the umpire isn’t interested. New Zealand look to be trying to see her off, grabbing quick singles where they can, but not taking an overly attacking position against Australia’s strike bowler. Martin perishes trying to do just that on the last ball.
9.11am BST
Schutt gifts Martin a full toss, but Martin mistimes her slog and sends it straight to Perry at long on.
9.07am BST
3rd over: New Zealand 11-0 (Martin 5 , Jensen 4)
Jonassen enters the attack now, giving the Ferns something else to think about and not letting them settle into their innings. She also starts with a couple of dots, before Martin picks up a single to keep the score ticking over. Jensen looks determined to put Jonassen away, but she can’t quite get hold of it for two balls and then finally gets it to the boundary on the last ball of the over.
9.04am BST
2nd over: New Zealand 6-0 (Martin 4 , Jensen 0)
Brown’s South Australian captain Megan Schutt takes over, looking to get some really good swing early in this innings. She starts very well with two dot balls before a beautiful slower ball deceives Jensen - she’s finding form very early today. A maiden from Schutt will fill the Australians with a lot more confidence and their heads are up now.
9.01am BST
1st over: New Zealand 6-0 (Martin 4 , Jensen 0)
Darcie Brown is tossed the ball to open in her ODI debut and she starts with a wide, before reeling it back with two dots and then handing over another wide. It’s a nervous start from the 18 year old, but the confidence shown in her will hopefully pay off later in the game. She nearly gives away another wide from the second last ball, but gets away with it, before Martin picks up a handy boundary from the last.
8.52am BST
Well that was an innings that swung wildly. From a brilliant opening partnership between Healy and Mooney, the White Ferns refused to be deterred and took regular wickets to keep Australia to a very chaseable total. However the game isn’t over just yet, New Zealand have been a bit light on in the batting department and Australia have a bowling attack that would make any team sweat. It will be a cracker of an innings coming up - stay with us as we follow it!
8.48am BST
25th over: Australia 149-7 (Wareham 18 , Jonassen 9)
Mair is given the last over - a great demonstration of faith by Satterthwaite. Mair hasn’t been on fire today, but she is a classy bowler and her captain knows she can deliver a strong last over. She starts it very well with two dots before Jonassen picks up a single from the third ball. Mair is keeping the pace off, which is making it very tough for the Australians to score at the rate they want to. Jonassen manages to finish with a four, but the total isn’t what they would have been aiming for and it will take a strong bowling effort to defend it.
8.44am BST
24th over: Australia 141-7 (Wareham 17 , Jonassen 2)
Jess Kerr takes the penultimate over and sees off Carey early to force Jonassen to come in and try to score fast. Wareham is throwing all her weight behind the ball, but it’s just not falling for her and she can’t push it past the field. Incredible economy from Kerr who has been sensational today, despite only taking the one wicket.
8.41am BST
Carey needed to take a risk there, but it didn’t pay off with a little nick to Martin making the White Ferns feel very confident with less than two overs to go.
8.38am BST
23rd over: Australia 135-6 (Wareham 13 , Carey 13)
The dangerous Tahuhu is back for her final over and the Kiwis look hungry in the field. They can smell a low total and they’re desperate to cut off every run scoring opportunity for the Australians. Wareham and Carey keep pushing the singles, but the desperation is clear in their eyes - they want to score more quickly, but the White Ferns aren’t letting them. It would be a decent over from Australia at another point of the game, but at this stage they need to be smashing it.
8.34am BST
22nd over: Australia 129-6 (Wareham 11 , Carey 9)
Mair comes back into the attack and Carey looks more comfortable straight away, pulling the ball to deep mid wicket, but once again it’s only for a single. Finally Wareham picks up a much-needed boundary - driving past long off for four. Mair recovers with another single, before Carey looks to push up the run rate but can’t get the ball past the field.
8.30am BST
21st over: Australia 122-6 (Wareham 6 , Carey 7)
Some more Kerr action, with Amelia picking up where her sister left off only giving away a single from the first ball of her over. The run rate is well down now and the pressure is mounting for Wareham and Carey to accelerate. They have shown the ability to do so in the WBBL, but this is a different situation. Not even a full toss can be dispatched for a boundary, with Wareham only able to pick up a single from Kerr’s gift from the penultimate ball of the over, before Carey finishes with another single.
8.26am BST
20th over: Australia 116-6 (Wareham 2 , Carey 5)
NZ have done so well to take regular wickets, they’re just not letting partnerships form since that brilliant opening one between Healy and Mooney. None of the batters have been able to settle and find time to open up, they just keep going out as quickly as they come in. Wareham and Carey are good strikers of the ball, but it’s not the role they usually play for Australia, so the pressure is on. Jess Kerr ensures that pressure stays high with some tight bowling, not willing to give up more than a single.
8.23am BST
19th over: Australia 113-6 (Wareham 0 , Carey 4)
Tahuhu returns and Carey works hard to get Lanning on strike from a short ball on the first delivery. Lanning continues in her unhurried manner, but time is getting away from her. Obviously another wicket wouldn’t be ideal, but there isn’t much time left to boost the score. Carey and Lanning keep up the singles, but as soon as Lanning looks to open up, she’s gone from the final ball of the over.
8.23am BST
Lanning finally opens up but she doesn’t get enough of it and she offers an easy catch to Maddy Green. This is not looking great for the Australians right now.
8.18am BST
18th over: Australia 110-5 ( Lanning 14, Carey 2)
Kasperek comes in after taking that great catch - she can’t stay out of the game at the moment. She gives away a wide, which is first sign of giving Australia anything she’s shown for many overs. But it’s a nice tight over from her as Lanning and Carey fight to keep Australia in the match.
8.16am BST
17th over: Australia 103-5 ( Lanning 10, Carey 0 )
Amelia Kerr continues and is pretty happy to keep the pressure on with good line and length, giving away a couple of singles, but not letting the batters get away with more than that. She frustrates Perry into giving up her wicket and it’s a very tidy over.
8.15am BST
Some discussion about whether that one was a no ball, but no such luck for Perry who hands Kasperek a fairly easy catch at backward point.
8.11am BST
16th over: Australia 100-4 ( Lanning 8, Perry 12 )
This partnership is looking a bit more settled now, but they haven’t opened up yet, which they will need to do soon in this shortened match. Mair comes back after her previous less than ideal performance and starts with a dot and a single to give her back some confidence. There’s not a lot of hustle from Lanning and Perry, but they are snatching every single they can get to keep the score ticking over. They bring up Australia’s 100 from the second last ball of the over, before Mair finishes it off with a nice dot ball.
8.07am BST
15th over: Australia 96-4 ( Lanning 6, Perry 10 )
Perry nearly picks up her first boundary from the third ball of Amelia Kerr’s over, then does grab one through backward point off the next ball - Australia’s first boundary since the 11th over.
8.04am BST
14th over: Australia 89-4 ( Lanning 6, Perry 3 )
Kasperek is back naturally and the Australians look wary of her - with good cause! Lanning looks a little lost still, she’s certainly playing with intent, but it’s not always coming off. However, she’s very likely to bounce back and change the game at any moment.
8.01am BST
13th over: Australia 86-4 ( Lanning 4, Perry 2 )
Well we all catch our breath after that action packed over. Two of Australia’s most experienced players are at the crease now to see out this very fast Tahuhu over. Lanning doesn’t look comfortable yet, but she gets through the over and picks up a run a ball to get her innings underway.
7.58am BST
12th over: Australia 80-4 ( Lanning 0, Perry 0 )
A three wicket maiden for Kasperek - what an over! I’ll claim credit for that after saying she didn’t look as dangerous today, she has really set out to prove me wrong.
7.56am BST
Kasperek is on a hat trick! A very clever balls gets Haynes to chop on and she has to depart for a golden duck.
7.55am BST
Australia in some trouble now as Kasperek turns this match around! She draws Gardner way down the wicket and Martin obliges with a neat stumping.
7.53am BST
A dangerous shot approaching her half century, but that’s the way Healy plays. Kerr picks up an easy catch at long on.
7.51am BST
11th over: Australia 80-1 ( Healy 46, Gardner 1 )
Tahuhu comes back into the attack with the Kiwi commentators almost willing her to take a wicket, which she does almost straight away. Mooney is gone and in comes Ash Gardner at number three, not necessarily a familiar position for her in this Australian team. She gets off strike fairly quickly rather than face too much of Tahuhu’s fast bowling and Healy repays her with a boundary, pulling it four four past deep mid-wicket. A good short ball to finish keeps the over very respectable following the wicket of Mooney.
7.48am BST
Finally this partnership is broken - NZ needed that wicket to stay in the game. Tahuhu has been a little expensive, but she is a genuine wicket taker and this was exactly what her team needed.
7.45am BST
10th over: Australia 73-0 ( Healy 42, Mooney 28 )
This is a solid partnership between Healy and Mooney, despite it being only the third time the two have batted together in ODIs. Jess Kerr nearly puts an end to it, but Tahuhu can’t hold the catch at extra cover. Healy gets creative with a lap shot off the third ball, but it’s not a pretty one. Mooney gets more traditional with a gentle flick to mid-wicket for a single. It was a more dangerous looking over for the Australians, they will likely keep things a bit more conservative for an over or two.
7.40am BST
9th over: Australia 67-0 ( Healy 38, Mooney 26 )
Amelia Kerr stays in the attack and she thinks she’s got Healy off the third ball of the over, but the umpire rules it a leg bye. It’s a much tighter over from Kerr this time, even a beautiful sweep from Mooney off the last ball can only pick up a single.
7.37am BST
8th over: Australia 61-0 ( Healy 35, Mooney 24 )
Kasperek returns - she had an outstanding game earlier this week, taking six wickets, but hasn’t looked as convincing so far today. With a good run rate on the board already, Australia are content to start the over with four singles ebfore picking up a two thanks to a slippery field. They finish with another single off a very slow ball from Kasperek - just 38 km/hr.
7.34am BST
7th over: Australia 54-0 ( Healy 33, Mooney 19 )
Australia are making a habit of hitting boundaries from the first ball of the over, which is setting them up for success and lets them deal in ones and twos late in the over without building pressure. Amelia Kerr bowls her first over and gets hit for four from her first delivery, before a few quick singles. A throw from Lauren Down catches Kerr on the forehead as she fields it at the stumps and she gets a quick check over from the medical staff, but she’s all good to continue. Healy has no sympathy and comes down the wicket for another four off the very next ball.
7.28am BST
6th over: Australia 43-0 ( Healy 28, Mooney 13 )
Mair returns after a couple of overs to get a look at what the batters are doing. Healy isn’t too keen to let her get settled back in though, clipping the ball over to the legside for four with some lovely footwork. Mair follows it up with a slower ball, which looks like a better option before Healy pushes another one through the gap for a very quick two. A tighter finish to the over, but the bowlers don’t look to be troubling the Australians as yet.
7.23am BST
5th over: Australia 35-0 ( Healy 21, Mooney 12 )
Leah Tahuhu enters the bowling attack now after missing the second ODI. Mooney does her job and gets Healy back on strike after the first ball - at the moment she looks very happy in that support role. Healy then faces a dot as she gets a look at Tahuhu before pulling her for a nice single off the next ball. The commentators are telling us that this is the best draining ground in NZ, which is why we were able to get a match on - it’s basically built on a sandpit. NZ don’t seem too interested in stopping Mooney’s singles at the moment, they are quite prepared to let her hand the strike over to the in form Healy - it will be interesting to see if they change this tactic in the next couple of overs. Mooney gets a thick outside edge from the last ball of the over, but it sails wide of Katey Martin for four.
7.18am BST
4th over: Australia 26-0 ( Healy 19, Mooney 6 )
Mair is subbed out for now and Kasperek takes her first over, but it’s hard going with Healy in this kind of touch. Some beautiful footwork from the third ball of the over picks up another boundary. The next ball is a much better one, but a lucky outside edge prevents the stumping opportunity. A single from Mooney from the final ball gets her back on strike, which NZ won’t mind too much at the moment.
7.13am BST
3rd over: Australia 19-0 ( Healy 14, Mooney 4 )
Jess Kerr returns for her second over and the Australians look determined to bleed every run they can out of this NZ bowling attack with a very quick single from the second delivery of the over. Healy looks for another boundary but in a good illustration of how strong that wind is, she’s unable to get it to make the distance batting into the wind and has to settle for a two. It’s a fairly tidy over for Kerr, just the three from it.
7.10am BST
2nd over: Australia 16-0 ( Healy 12, Mooney 3 )
A strong breeze is blowing down at Mt Manganui and Healy is looking to use it to her advantage. Mooney gets off strike first ball and Healy faces a dot and sneaks another single. We get our first extra of the match with Mair bowling a wide from her fourth delivery. From the second last ball of the over, Healy comes down the wicket to Mair and hits the first boundary of the game and followed it up with another four - she’s found her rhythm.
7.05am BST
1st over: Australia 4-0 ( Healy 3, Mooney 1 )
A nice start from Jess Kerr with three dot balls before Healy finds one she can hit and gets off the mark with a well-placed two. A quick dash gets her third and puts Mooney on strike for her first ball for the last of the over, where she also gets herself off the mark and back on strike.
7.01am BST
Thanks so much to the always wonderful Geoff who has guided us through that rain delay with his usual beautiful style. I have the privilege of actually getting to talk you through the game as Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy come in to bat for Australia.
6.56am BST
Righto, that’s enough from me. For the match itself, I’ll hand you over to Megan Maurice.
6.56am BST
A debut for Darcie Brown, fast bowler at 18 years of age. Here is how the teams would line up for a 50-over match. But they’re effectively playing a long T20, so I wonder whether they’ll change their order to be more like a T20 order. Mooney and Healy at the top, with Haynes in the middle.
Australia
Alyssa Healy
Rachael Haynes
Meg Lanning
Ellyse Perry
Beth Mooney
Ash Gardner
Nicola Carey
Jess Jonassen
Georgia Wareham
Megan Schutt
Darcie Brown
6.51am BST
25 overs per side. New Zealand win the toss and will bowl, which makes sense when revised targets come into play. Hopefully there’s enough time to get a match in.
6.33am BST
And that’s the story of how Australia’s team made everyone sick of them. While also recording a remarkable achievement. I suppose if you’re coming late to this live blog then you can read it down the page and it will be chronological. Perfect. We’re having an umpire inspection shortly at Mount M. Which I assume means that someone will inspect the umpires.
6.30am BST
Win #1 - India at Vadodara, 12th March 2018
It all started here. Bowling out India via a run out from the last ball of the innings for an even 200, with Australia’s spinners in the ascendancy: Amanda Wellington taking 3 for 24 and Jess Jonassen 4 for 30. Then Nicole Bolton making an even 100 in reply as Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, and Ellyse Perry helped her run down that target two wickets down.
6.21am BST
Win #4 - Pakistan at Kuala Lumpur, 18th October 2018
Not entirely Australia’s own way, even though they bowled out Pakistan for 95 with Megan Schutt’s 3 for 17 earning her the player of the match gong. Australia lost five wickets chasing that small target, with Pakistan’s greatest player Sana Mir taking 3 for 26. Healy top scored with 26.
5.59am BST
Win #7 - New Zealand at Perth, 22nd February 2019
New Zealand should have won this one, to start the Rose Bowl. Dismissed Australia for 241, just short of facing 50 overs. Haynes with 67 scored the only half-century. Kiwis cruising needing 53 at a run a ball with four wickets down. Then Jonassen happens. Gets Katie Perkins for 48. Wickets start falling. Dots start mounting. Amy Satterthwaite has 92 to her name, but needs 18 off 8 balls and gets out. They fall 5 runs short. What a choke. Jess Jonassen with 4 for 43 has done them again. Don’t forget her late 36 runs with the bat that gave her enough to bowl against, too.
5.45am BST
Win #10 - England at Leicester, 2nd July 2019
The Women’s Ashes began in England while the men’s World Cup was still going on nearby. This was one of the few close matches in Australia’s streak, though it looks closer on paper than it felt at the ground.
5.15am BST
Win #13 - West Indies at Coolidge, 5th September 2019
Jesus, this was a battering, the Australian juggernaut at full steam. Especially given West Indies were playing at home after being competitive in the T20 World Cup that was held in the Caribbean in November 2018.
4.40am BST
Win #16 - Sri Lanka at Brisbane, 5th October 2019
Let’s be honest, this series was a mismatch. Sri Lankan women’s cricket gets barely any funding, no priority, and very little player development. The player base relies on the handful of players who really want to play the game, after finding it via their own devices. The team has one standout player, Chamari Attapatu. It’s hard work otherwise.
4.20am BST
March 2020 - There was a cancelled tour to South Africa that would have involved three ODIs.
4.19am BST
Win #19 - New Zealand at Brisbane, 3rd October 2020
New Zealand were nowhere to start this series: bowled out for 180 with Maddy Green top-scoring with 35. Try these figures: Wareham, 10 overs, 2 for 23. Couldn’t hit her. Molineux 2 for 28, the left-arm spinner. Jonassen 2 for 29 with the same style. A wicket each for the seamers Carey, Schutt, Sutherland. Australia chased it with Lanning 62 not out and Haynes 44. Easy.
4.14am BST
Win #21 - New Zealand at Brisbane, 7th October 2020
This more than any was the win that underlined Australia’s dominance. Not just that it was the win that equalled the 21-win streak by Ricky Ponting’s team. But that in pursuing that win, Meg Lanning was absent injured, and Australia just threw in Annabel Sutherland to bat at No.3. Lanning’s spot, Ponting’s spot, and no worries, just throw in a 19-year-old all-rounder known for her bowling.
4.07am BST
Win #22 - New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, 4th April 2021
This win was all about Australia’s seam bowlers, Megan Schutt with 4 for 32 and Nicola Carey with 3 for 34. Never let NZ get going. Lauren Down made 90 at the top of the order, by far her best score in what is so far a statistically ropey career. Amy Satterthwaite made 32 and Amelia Kerr 33. But the scoring was stodgy and the total was 213.
4.02am BST
While we’re waiting, we might as well look at some of the matches that made up this 23-match winning streak Australia. Yeah?
Win #23 - New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, April 7
3.42am BST
Still twiddling our thumbs waiting for news from the Mountain. But the Bay of Plenty Rain Radar could be read as the Bay of Plenty of Rain Radar.
Here, if you want to stare at it too.
3.24am BST
That is one of the remarkable things about that winning streak. In cricket, you don’t just have to keep beating the teams you play. You have to get lucky enough not to have any non-results during your period of dominance.
3.23am BST
Starting to sound like we might get started soon. But here’s an interesting consideration. If we get part of a match today and then it gets called off... that will end Australia’s winning streak at 23 ODIs. Sure, the sports pages can start going to some technicality like “24 matches unbeaten”, but as far as the record books go with a pure winning streak, that would be it.
Right now, that’s not yet the case, because the toss hasn’t been held so the match hasn’t officially started. If it were called off now, there would be no match entry in the record books or on player profiles. But if they hold the toss, then it’s officially a match, meaning Australia then has to win that match in the time available to keep the record alive.
3.07am BST
New Zealand of course is where the Women’s World Cup was supposed to be held this year, for the 50-over format. It’s been postponed until February and March next year. But that’s not all that far away now, so every ODI match and series at the moment has a particular significance as teams work out how to tackle that tournament.
2.55am BST
Just seeing a clip from the second match, where Leigh Kasperek tried a big dive to save some runs off her own bowling, and ended up more or less faceplanted in the rough turf on the next pitch across. The texture didn’t make for sliding. Her teammate Katey Martin behind the stumps first of all burst out laughing, then asked if she was ok, then very kindly said loud enough for the stump mic to pick up, “Beached as, bro.”
Quite the internet callback, for those of us who remember this.
2.48am BST
Anyway, what did I just say about third matches being rained off? Today’s game might suffer the same fate. The toss has been delayed at Mount Maunganui due to rain. The covers are still on, there are a few ground staff wandering around the surface, and the umpires are keeping an eye on things. There’s more rain forecast for later in the day as well. So the question will be whether we can actually get on for long enough to get a semblance of a match in.
2.35am BST
Game 3, and it’s a familiar situation for New Zealand in the Rose Bowl ODI series: outclassed, trophy gone, nothing to play for but pride. The Australians have won this thing every time dating back to 1999. A proud record for one side and a sorry record for the other, a team that has been broadly competitive across that period, a team that won the 50-over World Cup in 2000, but that can’t put it together consistently against the Aussies.
In the first match of this series New Zealand couldn’t set a testing target to chase. In the second match they couldn’t chase a taller one themselves. There have been some moments of excellent bowling and fielding for the Kiwis but they haven’t done much with the bat. Two of their three senior guns are missing – Sophie Devine with fatigue and Suzie Bates still recovering from a long-term shoulder injury – which doesn’t help, although their presence hasn’t tipped the scales in many previous Rose Bowls contests.
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Australia extends winning record to 24 consecutive games – as it happened
10.40am BST
I have to admit that I thought after Australia’s innings that New Zealand were all over this and would at least make Australia fight to the very last ball. But it’s very hard to beat a team with this much confidence and belief in themselves and Australia will be very happy they pulled that victory off. It’s been a sensational series, especially considering the team came straight out of 14 days quarantine to play the first T20 game. The WBBL season in the bubble would have served them well to prepare for this challenging circumstances and they weren’t prepared to use it as an excuse. Instead they stood up and fought in their usual style and well and truly reaped the rewards.
Thanks so much for joining us for this last game of the Rose Bowl. I’m very glad we got some cricket in, it was looking pretty touch and go for a while there! It’ll be a while until we see some women’s cricket again, but until then, carry on bowling and try and do that thing with your hand and your wrist where you make it bounce funny.
10.30am BST
It’s a comprehensive victory from Australia considering their low total - an incredibly dominant bowling performance to lock down their 24th consecutive win. This is a team that simply knows how to win and they never lose confidence or feel a total is too low to defend. The winning culture of the team is something special to watch and it will take something quite incredible to break this streak.
10.27am BST
25th over: New Zealand 128-9 (Tahuhu 21, Mair 0 )
Schutt gets the honour of finishing off the game and the season and it’s well deserved after her bowling today. She starts with a great yorker and forces Tahuhu to dig it out for a single, but Down isn’t finished with this game yet and drives a length ball past third for four next ball. Schutt picks up a well deserved wicket and then Gardner chips in with a run out and the game is over without much of a fight from New Zealand in the end.
10.26am BST
Just to make matters worse for the Ferns, Kasperek is gone for a diamond duck after a pinpoint accurate throw from Gardner sees her off without facing a ball.
10.25am BST
To her credit, Down keeps fighting to the end, but she can’t make it to the end of the game, edging the ball to point and the safe hands of Rachael Haynes.
10.21am BST
24th over: New Zealand 121-7 (Tahuhu 18, Down 12 )
Gardner gives away a few more runs from this over than she has been accustomed to, but the damage was done long ago. Two boundaries from Tahuhu are admirable, but it’s too little, too late.
10.19am BST
23rd over: New Zealand 109-7 (Tahuhu 7, Down 11 )
Megan Schutt is back - it’s strange to see her with so few overs, especially after bowling so well - but understandable considering the turn this pitch has offered the spinners. She picks up where she left off with a tight start to the over, but Tahuhu dispatches her for six, driving over long off.
10.15am BST
22nd over: New Zealand 100-7 (J Kerr 5 , Down 8)
I’ve never been so happy to see Nicola Carey in my life. Here she is to bowl the 22nd over and look to push Australia’s dominance even further. Kerr grabs another boundary, Carey has picked up Wareham’s generous spirit. Kerr takes full advantage and follows it up with a six - she’s been a real ray of sunshine in this cloudy day for the Ferns. Unfortunately she can’t continue on with it and Carey gets her wicket and finishes with a dot ball.
10.14am BST
Jess Kerr has been brilliant but she has had to take a lot of risks and the last one doesn’t quite pay off and Carey gets her wicket.
10.10am BST
21st over: New Zealand 87-6 (J Kerr 5 , Down 8)
Wareham starts the over economically, but Down snaffles a thick outside edge for a boundary that she very gratefully accepts from the second ball. A full toss from the fourth ball lets Jess Kerr have a boundary as well - Wareham is in a generous mood after the rough day the Ferns have had. But she can’t give them too much and finishes with two dots.
10.07am BST
20th over: New Zealand 77-6 (J Kerr 0 , Down 3)
Lanning says “More spin! I must have more!” like some kind of spin hungry monster and Jonassen bowls another over. It’s almost like she doesn’t care about my live blogging welfare at all. Just one run and a wicket from the over and it’s all looking pretty clinical from the Australians now.
10.06am BST
Maddy Green did what she needed to do and tried to push the run rate up, but Gardner is unstoppable today and she was all over that catch.
10.02am BST
19th over: New Zealand 76-5 (Green 8 , Down 2)
Well that was a quick break from spin - now Wareham is back. But Halliday has had enough of dots and singles and starts the over with a six. She can’t keep up the momentum though and is gone next ball. Lauren Down comes to the crease, but it’s a very tough ask from here and there’s not much she can do.
10.00am BST
Halliday gets a bit too confident after hitting Wareham for six and she can’t get the next shot past Gardner. She mis-times her pull shot and Gardner gobbles it up gratefully.
9.58am BST
18th over: New Zealand 67-4 (Green 7 , Halliday 9)
I know I just said it was a spinners’ game, but I’m honestly quite relieved to see a bit of pace back in the form of Carey because it’s incredibly tough to live blog spin over after spin over - especially in a women’s game where they do not muck around between deliveries! Carey is determined to not to let the spinners get all the glory and pulls off a very tight over to frustrate the Kiwi batters.
9.54am BST
17th over: New Zealand 63-4 (Green 5 , Halliday 7)
The required run rate is now up to 9.9 for New Zealand and the commentators are a lot less confident than they were. Wareham comes back on to bowl and this is certainly a spinners’ game, so no surprises that is where Lanning has gone. She’s getting excellent turn and Green is really struggling to pick each ball. It’s another fantastic over from the Renegades star, with four dots and two singles from it.
9.51am BST
16th over: New Zealand 61-4 (Green 4 , Halliday 6)
Jonassen continues with her excellent bowling and nearly picks up a wicket from her second ball, but it falls short of Schutt in the field. It’s very tidy over, just the three from it.
9.49am BST
15th over: New Zealand 58-4 (Green 3 , Halliday 4)
Gardner returns and she is getting a lot of turn out of this pitch. She hasn’t bowled a great deal during this series, but Lanning knows she’s in fine form today and is taking advantage of it. A misfield from Jonassen is unfortunate for Gardner’s figures, but she is unperturbed and finishes the over with a dot.
9.47am BST
14th over: New Zealand 54-4 (Green 1 , Halliday 2)
Jonassen continues the spin onslaught and the Ferns look in a lot of trouble. Her length is sensational and a wide is the only sign of weakness this over.
9.44am BST
13th over: New Zealand 51-4 (Green 0 , Halliday 1)
Gardner puts the pressure on Halliday from the outset, but eventually she manages to get herself off strike with a neatly timed single. However that plays straight into Gardner’s hands and she finally gets her woman.
9.43am BST
Australia forced the match up they wanted between Gardner and Satterthwaite and it paid off. The Ferns captain never looked confident against the spinner and eventually she fell into her trap, edging to Lanning at first slip.
9.39am BST
12th over: New Zealand 36-3 (Satterthwaite 18 , Halliday 0)
The Kiwi commentators are very confident that the Ferns are in control - a confidence I admire, even if I don’t share it. However I have no idea why they insist on calling the batters “batsmen” - a truly baffling decision for a country that is known for its support of women in sport. Schutt comes back into the attack and continues on her merry way, making it hard for the batters to eke out many runs. The Kiwis push for two off the last ball and lose Amelia Kerr in the process.
9.39am BST
Satterthwaite loses her nerve as the batters go for two runs and sends Kerr back to the danger end and it’s a very easy run out to get from there.
9.35am BST
11th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Satterthwaite 16 , A Kerr 2)
Wareham starts the over with a wicket and keeps the pressure on from there, only allowing singles through off the next three balls, before a dot and another single to finish the over. She’ll be very pleased with that start, the Ferns are starting to feel very much under pressure as the required run rate creeps up.
9.32am BST
Wareham takes a wicket with her first ball of the game as Jensen mis-times her pull shot and sends it straight to Brown at mid on. Former Australian captain Alex Blackwell noted in the pre-game that Australia didn’t celebrate particularly hard in their previous two wins and again it’s a muted celebration for the wicket here.
9.30am BST
10th over: New Zealand 36-1 (Satterthwaite 14 , Jensen 13)
Carey continues, but the Ferns look determined to increase the run rate and take seven from her first three balls. There’s a big shout for LBW from the fourth ball of the over, but the umpire says it’s sliding down leg. Carey tightens it up to finish off the over and keeps the pressure on NZ.
9.27am BST
9th over: New Zealand 27-1 (Satterthwaite 7 , Jensen 11)
Gardner nearly gets a caught and bowled from her second ball, but only managed to parry it over for a single. It’s a good over nonetheless and she will feel buoyed by the almost wicket.
9.24am BST
8th over: New Zealand 23-1 (Satterthwaite 5 , Jensen 9)
Carey continues with her strong, tight bowling - very unlucky to not take a wicket on her fourth ball after three consecutive dots to build the pressure. Her length balls are looking very impressive and she gets another close one on the final ball of her over, but can’t pick up the wicket.
9.21am BST
7th over: New Zealand 21-1 (Satterthwaite 4 , Jensen 9)
Gardner gets her first over after a disappointing batting performance by her standards. The Ferns are picking up their scoring rate a little and with a low total to chase, it’s not panic stations yet, but Australia will be feeling a lot more confident than they were at the end of their innings.
9.17am BST
6th over: New Zealand 17-1 (Satterthwaite 3 , Jensen 6)
Carey enters the attack now, after a decent batting performance. As is the theme so far, she starts with a dot ball, before Jensen guides one behind the wicket for a single. There is some rain falling now, New Zealand will be hoping it keeps at bay long enough for them to get in front of the DLS par score after a slow start. Carey doesn’t give them any assistance with that, only giving away two runs from her first over.
9.14am BST
5th over: New Zealand 15-1 (Satterthwaite 2 , Jensen 5)
A very tidy over from Jonassen, only the two runs from it as Satterthwaite sizes up the pitch and Jensen plays conservatively, hoping not to go the same way as her opening partner.
9.12am BST
4th over: New Zealand 13-1 (Satterthwaite 0 , Jensen 5)
Schutt returns after her brilliant first over and picks up where she left off. A couple of length balls give her good reason to appeal for the LBW but the umpire isn’t interested. New Zealand look to be trying to see her off, grabbing quick singles where they can, but not taking an overly attacking position against Australia’s strike bowler. Martin perishes trying to do just that on the last ball.
9.11am BST
Schutt gifts Martin a full toss, but Martin mistimes her slog and sends it straight to Perry at long on.
9.07am BST
3rd over: New Zealand 11-0 (Martin 5 , Jensen 4)
Jonassen enters the attack now, giving the Ferns something else to think about and not letting them settle into their innings. She also starts with a couple of dots, before Martin picks up a single to keep the score ticking over. Jensen looks determined to put Jonassen away, but she can’t quite get hold of it for two balls and then finally gets it to the boundary on the last ball of the over.
9.04am BST
2nd over: New Zealand 6-0 (Martin 4 , Jensen 0)
Brown’s South Australian captain Megan Schutt takes over, looking to get some really good swing early in this innings. She starts very well with two dot balls before a beautiful slower ball deceives Jensen - she’s finding form very early today. A maiden from Schutt will fill the Australians with a lot more confidence and their heads are up now.
9.01am BST
1st over: New Zealand 6-0 (Martin 4 , Jensen 0)
Darcie Brown is tossed the ball to open in her ODI debut and she starts with a wide, before reeling it back with two dots and then handing over another wide. It’s a nervous start from the 18 year old, but the confidence shown in her will hopefully pay off later in the game. She nearly gives away another wide from the second last ball, but gets away with it, before Martin picks up a handy boundary from the last.
8.52am BST
Well that was an innings that swung wildly. From a brilliant opening partnership between Healy and Mooney, the White Ferns refused to be deterred and took regular wickets to keep Australia to a very chaseable total. However the game isn’t over just yet, New Zealand have been a bit light on in the batting department and Australia have a bowling attack that would make any team sweat. It will be a cracker of an innings coming up - stay with us as we follow it!
8.48am BST
25th over: Australia 149-7 (Wareham 18 , Jonassen 9)
Mair is given the last over - a great demonstration of faith by Satterthwaite. Mair hasn’t been on fire today, but she is a classy bowler and her captain knows she can deliver a strong last over. She starts it very well with two dots before Jonassen picks up a single from the third ball. Mair is keeping the pace off, which is making it very tough for the Australians to score at the rate they want to. Jonassen manages to finish with a four, but the total isn’t what they would have been aiming for and it will take a strong bowling effort to defend it.
8.44am BST
24th over: Australia 141-7 (Wareham 17 , Jonassen 2)
Jess Kerr takes the penultimate over and sees off Carey early to force Jonassen to come in and try to score fast. Wareham is throwing all her weight behind the ball, but it’s just not falling for her and she can’t push it past the field. Incredible economy from Kerr who has been sensational today, despite only taking the one wicket.
8.41am BST
Carey needed to take a risk there, but it didn’t pay off with a little nick to Martin making the White Ferns feel very confident with less than two overs to go.
8.38am BST
23rd over: Australia 135-6 (Wareham 13 , Carey 13)
The dangerous Tahuhu is back for her final over and the Kiwis look hungry in the field. They can smell a low total and they’re desperate to cut off every run scoring opportunity for the Australians. Wareham and Carey keep pushing the singles, but the desperation is clear in their eyes - they want to score more quickly, but the White Ferns aren’t letting them. It would be a decent over from Australia at another point of the game, but at this stage they need to be smashing it.
8.34am BST
22nd over: Australia 129-6 (Wareham 11 , Carey 9)
Mair comes back into the attack and Carey looks more comfortable straight away, pulling the ball to deep mid wicket, but once again it’s only for a single. Finally Wareham picks up a much-needed boundary - driving past long off for four. Mair recovers with another single, before Carey looks to push up the run rate but can’t get the ball past the field.
8.30am BST
21st over: Australia 122-6 (Wareham 6 , Carey 7)
Some more Kerr action, with Amelia picking up where her sister left off only giving away a single from the first ball of her over. The run rate is well down now and the pressure is mounting for Wareham and Carey to accelerate. They have shown the ability to do so in the WBBL, but this is a different situation. Not even a full toss can be dispatched for a boundary, with Wareham only able to pick up a single from Kerr’s gift from the penultimate ball of the over, before Carey finishes with another single.
8.26am BST
20th over: Australia 116-6 (Wareham 2 , Carey 5)
NZ have done so well to take regular wickets, they’re just not letting partnerships form since that brilliant opening one between Healy and Mooney. None of the batters have been able to settle and find time to open up, they just keep going out as quickly as they come in. Wareham and Carey are good strikers of the ball, but it’s not the role they usually play for Australia, so the pressure is on. Jess Kerr ensures that pressure stays high with some tight bowling, not willing to give up more than a single.
8.23am BST
19th over: Australia 113-6 (Wareham 0 , Carey 4)
Tahuhu returns and Carey works hard to get Lanning on strike from a short ball on the first delivery. Lanning continues in her unhurried manner, but time is getting away from her. Obviously another wicket wouldn’t be ideal, but there isn’t much time left to boost the score. Carey and Lanning keep up the singles, but as soon as Lanning looks to open up, she’s gone from the final ball of the over.
8.23am BST
Lanning finally opens up but she doesn’t get enough of it and she offers an easy catch to Maddy Green. This is not looking great for the Australians right now.
8.18am BST
18th over: Australia 110-5 ( Lanning 14, Carey 2)
Kasperek comes in after taking that great catch - she can’t stay out of the game at the moment. She gives away a wide, which is first sign of giving Australia anything she’s shown for many overs. But it’s a nice tight over from her as Lanning and Carey fight to keep Australia in the match.
8.16am BST
17th over: Australia 103-5 ( Lanning 10, Carey 0 )
Amelia Kerr continues and is pretty happy to keep the pressure on with good line and length, giving away a couple of singles, but not letting the batters get away with more than that. She frustrates Perry into giving up her wicket and it’s a very tidy over.
8.15am BST
Some discussion about whether that one was a no ball, but no such luck for Perry who hands Kasperek a fairly easy catch at backward point.
8.11am BST
16th over: Australia 100-4 ( Lanning 8, Perry 12 )
This partnership is looking a bit more settled now, but they haven’t opened up yet, which they will need to do soon in this shortened match. Mair comes back after her previous less than ideal performance and starts with a dot and a single to give her back some confidence. There’s not a lot of hustle from Lanning and Perry, but they are snatching every single they can get to keep the score ticking over. They bring up Australia’s 100 from the second last ball of the over, before Mair finishes it off with a nice dot ball.
8.07am BST
15th over: Australia 96-4 ( Lanning 6, Perry 10 )
Perry nearly picks up her first boundary from the third ball of Amelia Kerr’s over, then does grab one through backward point off the next ball - Australia’s first boundary since the 11th over.
8.04am BST
14th over: Australia 89-4 ( Lanning 6, Perry 3 )
Kasperek is back naturally and the Australians look wary of her - with good cause! Lanning looks a little lost still, she’s certainly playing with intent, but it’s not always coming off. However, she’s very likely to bounce back and change the game at any moment.
8.01am BST
13th over: Australia 86-4 ( Lanning 4, Perry 2 )
Well we all catch our breath after that action packed over. Two of Australia’s most experienced players are at the crease now to see out this very fast Tahuhu over. Lanning doesn’t look comfortable yet, but she gets through the over and picks up a run a ball to get her innings underway.
7.58am BST
12th over: Australia 80-4 ( Lanning 0, Perry 0 )
A three wicket maiden for Kasperek - what an over! I’ll claim credit for that after saying she didn’t look as dangerous today, she has really set out to prove me wrong.
7.56am BST
Kasperek is on a hat trick! A very clever balls gets Haynes to chop on and she has to depart for a golden duck.
7.55am BST
Australia in some trouble now as Kasperek turns this match around! She draws Gardner way down the wicket and Martin obliges with a neat stumping.
7.53am BST
A dangerous shot approaching her half century, but that’s the way Healy plays. Kerr picks up an easy catch at long on.
7.51am BST
11th over: Australia 80-1 ( Healy 46, Gardner 1 )
Tahuhu comes back into the attack with the Kiwi commentators almost willing her to take a wicket, which she does almost straight away. Mooney is gone and in comes Ash Gardner at number three, not necessarily a familiar position for her in this Australian team. She gets off strike fairly quickly rather than face too much of Tahuhu’s fast bowling and Healy repays her with a boundary, pulling it four four past deep mid-wicket. A good short ball to finish keeps the over very respectable following the wicket of Mooney.
7.48am BST
Finally this partnership is broken - NZ needed that wicket to stay in the game. Tahuhu has been a little expensive, but she is a genuine wicket taker and this was exactly what her team needed.
7.45am BST
10th over: Australia 73-0 ( Healy 42, Mooney 28 )
This is a solid partnership between Healy and Mooney, despite it being only the third time the two have batted together in ODIs. Jess Kerr nearly puts an end to it, but Tahuhu can’t hold the catch at extra cover. Healy gets creative with a lap shot off the third ball, but it’s not a pretty one. Mooney gets more traditional with a gentle flick to mid-wicket for a single. It was a more dangerous looking over for the Australians, they will likely keep things a bit more conservative for an over or two.
7.40am BST
9th over: Australia 67-0 ( Healy 38, Mooney 26 )
Amelia Kerr stays in the attack and she thinks she’s got Healy off the third ball of the over, but the umpire rules it a leg bye. It’s a much tighter over from Kerr this time, even a beautiful sweep from Mooney off the last ball can only pick up a single.
7.37am BST
8th over: Australia 61-0 ( Healy 35, Mooney 24 )
Kasperek returns - she had an outstanding game earlier this week, taking six wickets, but hasn’t looked as convincing so far today. With a good run rate on the board already, Australia are content to start the over with four singles ebfore picking up a two thanks to a slippery field. They finish with another single off a very slow ball from Kasperek - just 38 km/hr.
7.34am BST
7th over: Australia 54-0 ( Healy 33, Mooney 19 )
Australia are making a habit of hitting boundaries from the first ball of the over, which is setting them up for success and lets them deal in ones and twos late in the over without building pressure. Amelia Kerr bowls her first over and gets hit for four from her first delivery, before a few quick singles. A throw from Lauren Down catches Kerr on the forehead as she fields it at the stumps and she gets a quick check over from the medical staff, but she’s all good to continue. Healy has no sympathy and comes down the wicket for another four off the very next ball.
7.28am BST
6th over: Australia 43-0 ( Healy 28, Mooney 13 )
Mair returns after a couple of overs to get a look at what the batters are doing. Healy isn’t too keen to let her get settled back in though, clipping the ball over to the legside for four with some lovely footwork. Mair follows it up with a slower ball, which looks like a better option before Healy pushes another one through the gap for a very quick two. A tighter finish to the over, but the bowlers don’t look to be troubling the Australians as yet.
7.23am BST
5th over: Australia 35-0 ( Healy 21, Mooney 12 )
Leah Tahuhu enters the bowling attack now after missing the second ODI. Mooney does her job and gets Healy back on strike after the first ball - at the moment she looks very happy in that support role. Healy then faces a dot as she gets a look at Tahuhu before pulling her for a nice single off the next ball. The commentators are telling us that this is the best draining ground in NZ, which is why we were able to get a match on - it’s basically built on a sandpit. NZ don’t seem too interested in stopping Mooney’s singles at the moment, they are quite prepared to let her hand the strike over to the in form Healy - it will be interesting to see if they change this tactic in the next couple of overs. Mooney gets a thick outside edge from the last ball of the over, but it sails wide of Katey Martin for four.
7.18am BST
4th over: Australia 26-0 ( Healy 19, Mooney 6 )
Mair is subbed out for now and Kasperek takes her first over, but it’s hard going with Healy in this kind of touch. Some beautiful footwork from the third ball of the over picks up another boundary. The next ball is a much better one, but a lucky outside edge prevents the stumping opportunity. A single from Mooney from the final ball gets her back on strike, which NZ won’t mind too much at the moment.
7.13am BST
3rd over: Australia 19-0 ( Healy 14, Mooney 4 )
Jess Kerr returns for her second over and the Australians look determined to bleed every run they can out of this NZ bowling attack with a very quick single from the second delivery of the over. Healy looks for another boundary but in a good illustration of how strong that wind is, she’s unable to get it to make the distance batting into the wind and has to settle for a two. It’s a fairly tidy over for Kerr, just the three from it.
7.10am BST
2nd over: Australia 16-0 ( Healy 12, Mooney 3 )
A strong breeze is blowing down at Mt Manganui and Healy is looking to use it to her advantage. Mooney gets off strike first ball and Healy faces a dot and sneaks another single. We get our first extra of the match with Mair bowling a wide from her fourth delivery. From the second last ball of the over, Healy comes down the wicket to Mair and hits the first boundary of the game and followed it up with another four - she’s found her rhythm.
7.05am BST
1st over: Australia 4-0 ( Healy 3, Mooney 1 )
A nice start from Jess Kerr with three dot balls before Healy finds one she can hit and gets off the mark with a well-placed two. A quick dash gets her third and puts Mooney on strike for her first ball for the last of the over, where she also gets herself off the mark and back on strike.
7.01am BST
Thanks so much to the always wonderful Geoff who has guided us through that rain delay with his usual beautiful style. I have the privilege of actually getting to talk you through the game as Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy come in to bat for Australia.
6.56am BST
Righto, that’s enough from me. For the match itself, I’ll hand you over to Megan Maurice.
6.56am BST
A debut for Darcie Brown, fast bowler at 18 years of age. Here is how the teams would line up for a 50-over match. But they’re effectively playing a long T20, so I wonder whether they’ll change their order to be more like a T20 order. Mooney and Healy at the top, with Haynes in the middle.
Australia
Alyssa Healy
Rachael Haynes
Meg Lanning
Ellyse Perry
Beth Mooney
Ash Gardner
Nicola Carey
Jess Jonassen
Georgia Wareham
Megan Schutt
Darcie Brown
6.51am BST
25 overs per side. New Zealand win the toss and will bowl, which makes sense when revised targets come into play. Hopefully there’s enough time to get a match in.
6.33am BST
And that’s the story of how Australia’s team made everyone sick of them. While also recording a remarkable achievement. I suppose if you’re coming late to this live blog then you can read it down the page and it will be chronological. Perfect. We’re having an umpire inspection shortly at Mount M. Which I assume means that someone will inspect the umpires.
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Win #1 - India at Vadodara, 12th March 2018
It all started here. Bowling out India via a run out from the last ball of the innings for an even 200, with Australia’s spinners in the ascendancy: Amanda Wellington taking 3 for 24 and Jess Jonassen 4 for 30. Then Nicole Bolton making an even 100 in reply as Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, and Ellyse Perry helped her run down that target two wickets down.
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Win #4 - Pakistan at Kuala Lumpur, 18th October 2018
Not entirely Australia’s own way, even though they bowled out Pakistan for 95 with Megan Schutt’s 3 for 17 earning her the player of the match gong. Australia lost five wickets chasing that small target, with Pakistan’s greatest player Sana Mir taking 3 for 26. Healy top scored with 26.
5.59am BST
Win #7 - New Zealand at Perth, 22nd February 2019
New Zealand should have won this one, to start the Rose Bowl. Dismissed Australia for 241, just short of facing 50 overs. Haynes with 67 scored the only half-century. Kiwis cruising needing 53 at a run a ball with four wickets down. Then Jonassen happens. Gets Katie Perkins for 48. Wickets start falling. Dots start mounting. Amy Satterthwaite has 92 to her name, but needs 18 off 8 balls and gets out. They fall 5 runs short. What a choke. Jess Jonassen with 4 for 43 has done them again. Don’t forget her late 36 runs with the bat that gave her enough to bowl against, too.
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Win #10 - England at Leicester, 2nd July 2019
The Women’s Ashes began in England while the men’s World Cup was still going on nearby. This was one of the few close matches in Australia’s streak, though it looks closer on paper than it felt at the ground.
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Win #13 - West Indies at Coolidge, 5th September 2019
Jesus, this was a battering, the Australian juggernaut at full steam. Especially given West Indies were playing at home after being competitive in the T20 World Cup that was held in the Caribbean in November 2018.
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Win #16 - Sri Lanka at Brisbane, 5th October 2019
Let’s be honest, this series was a mismatch. Sri Lankan women’s cricket gets barely any funding, no priority, and very little player development. The player base relies on the handful of players who really want to play the game, after finding it via their own devices. The team has one standout player, Chamari Attapatu. It’s hard work otherwise.
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March 2020 - There was a cancelled tour to South Africa that would have involved three ODIs.
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Win #19 - New Zealand at Brisbane, 3rd October 2020
New Zealand were nowhere to start this series: bowled out for 180 with Maddy Green top-scoring with 35. Try these figures: Wareham, 10 overs, 2 for 23. Couldn’t hit her. Molineux 2 for 28, the left-arm spinner. Jonassen 2 for 29 with the same style. A wicket each for the seamers Carey, Schutt, Sutherland. Australia chased it with Lanning 62 not out and Haynes 44. Easy.
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Win #21 - New Zealand at Brisbane, 7th October 2020
This more than any was the win that underlined Australia’s dominance. Not just that it was the win that equalled the 21-win streak by Ricky Ponting’s team. But that in pursuing that win, Meg Lanning was absent injured, and Australia just threw in Annabel Sutherland to bat at No.3. Lanning’s spot, Ponting’s spot, and no worries, just throw in a 19-year-old all-rounder known for her bowling.
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Win #22 - New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, 4th April 2021
This win was all about Australia’s seam bowlers, Megan Schutt with 4 for 32 and Nicola Carey with 3 for 34. Never let NZ get going. Lauren Down made 90 at the top of the order, by far her best score in what is so far a statistically ropey career. Amy Satterthwaite made 32 and Amelia Kerr 33. But the scoring was stodgy and the total was 213.
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While we’re waiting, we might as well look at some of the matches that made up this 23-match winning streak Australia. Yeah?
Win #23 - New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, April 7
3.42am BST
Still twiddling our thumbs waiting for news from the Mountain. But the Bay of Plenty Rain Radar could be read as the Bay of Plenty of Rain Radar.
Here, if you want to stare at it too.
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That is one of the remarkable things about that winning streak. In cricket, you don’t just have to keep beating the teams you play. You have to get lucky enough not to have any non-results during your period of dominance.
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Starting to sound like we might get started soon. But here’s an interesting consideration. If we get part of a match today and then it gets called off... that will end Australia’s winning streak at 23 ODIs. Sure, the sports pages can start going to some technicality like “24 matches unbeaten”, but as far as the record books go with a pure winning streak, that would be it.
Right now, that’s not yet the case, because the toss hasn’t been held so the match hasn’t officially started. If it were called off now, there would be no match entry in the record books or on player profiles. But if they hold the toss, then it’s officially a match, meaning Australia then has to win that match in the time available to keep the record alive.
3.07am BST
New Zealand of course is where the Women’s World Cup was supposed to be held this year, for the 50-over format. It’s been postponed until February and March next year. But that’s not all that far away now, so every ODI match and series at the moment has a particular significance as teams work out how to tackle that tournament.
2.55am BST
Just seeing a clip from the second match, where Leigh Kasperek tried a big dive to save some runs off her own bowling, and ended up more or less faceplanted in the rough turf on the next pitch across. The texture didn’t make for sliding. Her teammate Katey Martin behind the stumps first of all burst out laughing, then asked if she was ok, then very kindly said loud enough for the stump mic to pick up, “Beached as, bro.”
Quite the internet callback, for those of us who remember this.
2.48am BST
Anyway, what did I just say about third matches being rained off? Today’s game might suffer the same fate. The toss has been delayed at Mount Maunganui due to rain. The covers are still on, there are a few ground staff wandering around the surface, and the umpires are keeping an eye on things. There’s more rain forecast for later in the day as well. So the question will be whether we can actually get on for long enough to get a semblance of a match in.
2.35am BST
Game 3, and it’s a familiar situation for New Zealand in the Rose Bowl ODI series: outclassed, trophy gone, nothing to play for but pride. The Australians have won this thing every time dating back to 1999. A proud record for one side and a sorry record for the other, a team that has been broadly competitive across that period, a team that won the 50-over World Cup in 2000, but that can’t put it together consistently against the Aussies.
In the first match of this series New Zealand couldn’t set a testing target to chase. In the second match they couldn’t chase a taller one themselves. There have been some moments of excellent bowling and fielding for the Kiwis but they haven’t done much with the bat. Two of their three senior guns are missing – Sophie Devine with fatigue and Suzie Bates still recovering from a long-term shoulder injury – which doesn’t help, although their presence hasn’t tipped the scales in many previous Rose Bowls contests.
Continue reading...April 7, 2021
Australia extend record ODI winning streak against New Zealand – as it happened
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That’ll be all from us today. Match report on the way for a quick round-up of all the action, and see you back here on Saturday when the White Ferns will play for pride. Thanks and goodnight.
9.54am BST
Australia retain the Rose Bowl again and Haynes is player of the match for her crucial 87-run knock and some superb fielding.
“I just wanted to give myself a little bit of time early,” Haynes says. “Learning from game one there was a little bit of swing and it was tough to get started. I was just trying to hang in there ... and was probably afforded a little bit of time early to bat on. Just disappointing I wasn’t able to bat a little bit deeper.
9.49am BST
45th over: New Zealand 200-10 And there it is. Four straight singles off Jonassen brings the Kiwis to the 200 mark, then a dot ball. but the Aussie’s next ball signals the end. Kasperek sends the bowler’s delivery back to her. She attempts the low catch, fumbles. But she retrieves it in time to furl it the metre or so to the stumps. And that’s all she wrote. Australia win by 71 runs.
9.44am BST
44th over: New Zealand 196-9 (Kasperek 4, Mair 4) Only a matter of time now though before Australia can claim their 23rd ODI win on the bounce. How long until the record is extended.
9.41am BST
43rd over: New Zealand 190-9 (Kasperek 3, Mair 3) Mair almost runs herself out at the end of the over but survives another day. Another ball, at least.
9.39am BST
42nd over: New Zealand 185-9 (Kasperek 0, Mair 1) This is officially a collapse. Wareham outfoxes Martin, who moves forward to play the ball but is deceived and also catches a thick outside edge. The ball head straight to backward point, and to Haynes, which means that’s usually that – and it is. The run rate needed is over 10 now.
9.34am BST
41st over: New Zealand 184-8 (Martin 20, Kasperek 0) Kerr walks now, a few short minutes after coming on. She tries to play a Jonassen delivery big but catches a thick outside edge and it spikes into the air and skews to Haynes. That may have been due to the pressure to start scoring big as this quickly slips from the hosts’ grasp.
9.30am BST
40th over: New Zealand 181-7 (J Kerr 5, Martin 18) Kerr makes her presence known with a four – the first boundary for the White Ferns since the 32nd over. She’ll need a few more of those.
9.29am BST
39th over: New Zealand 175-7 (J Kerr 0, Martin 17) Yikes, this isn’t pretty. Jonassen has Rowe on the back foot and is driving up the run rate needed so save this series. Four dot balls and on the fifth that’s it for Rowe, who is already walking before the reply shows she was easily run out. Jess Kerr is in but it’s dire straights for NZ now with 97 runs needed from 68 deliveries.
9.23am BST
39th over: New Zealand 174-6 Jonassen is back in the attack and makes good on her first delivery with a stumping of Green. So simple yet so brutal. Here comes Rowe.
9.20am BST
38th over: New Zealand 174-5 (Green 27, Martin 17) Behold the Perry’s moment of magic ...
Ellyse Perry, ladies and gentlemen.#NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/Qf26KBDT8k
9.17am BST
37th over: New Zealand 169-5 (Green 22, Martin 13) That’s a better cut from Martin against Wareham. And now Green pumps the ball down the green and ut’s surely a six! But no! Perry makes an almighty leap right on the boundary, rediverting the ball into play before falling in a heap over the boards. That’s a brave attempt at a catch. The question now is whether her heel has made contact with the boundary but the final ruling is she’s clear.
9.13am BST
36th over: New Zealand 163-5 (Green 18, Martin 11) Schutt expertly turns a ball away from Martin and it puts her off. The bowler changes it up again, and then again, making Martin reach for the shot. She’s using the leg cutter to her advantage. A masterclass ceding four runs, including two leg byes.
9.08am BST
35th over: New Zealand 159-5 (Green 17, Martin 10) Wareham is back and giving the ball plenty of flight to encourage the shot from Martin. She is not playing ball it is pressure built all the same. There are 15 overs remaining and the White Ferns need 113 runs from 90 balls at 7.53 per over.
9.05am BST
34th over: New Zealand 155-5 (Green 15, Martin 8) Some indecision from Green results in a shot to nowhere. Her next elicits an “oh, you are kidding me” from Healy. They steal four runs off Schutt.
9.03am BST
33rd over: New Zealand 151-5 (Green 13, Martin 6) Some excellent sliding work from Vlaeminck stops a boundary right on the ropes.
Here’s a still of that stumping ...
Direct hit by Haynes! Halliday's gone for 32!
Live #NZvAUS scores: https://t.co/3P7ZHeXcx2 pic.twitter.com/yH4uAfFOum
9.00am BST
32nd over: New Zealand 148-5 (Green 12, Martin 4) Schutt returns to the attack to try and exert some pressure on the partnership and she’s setting her field just how she likes it, hops to it and goes for one run to square leg. One run to Green. Dot ball to Halliday. One run to Halliday. Now Green tries to go long but Haynes displays incredible balance to retrieve the ball low and then release it against the momentum of her body for a direct hit of the stumps. That was so, so sweet to watch. Just as I was thinking NZ were really in this. Martin is up and is clearly unhappy with this remark, starting her innings with a four to third man.
8.50am BST
31st over: New Zealand 142-4 (Halliday 31, Green 11) NZ need a run rate of 6.7, which is achievable. They could probably push that down a bit if they stuck their necks out but probably don’t need to at this point. Australia’s 22-match ODI winning streak is at risk now. Halliday pops up a Carey delivery but yields nothing from it.
8.48am BST
30th over: New Zealand 138-4 (Halliday 31, Green 10) Big shout for lbw on Green off a Jonassen delivery during which the bounce sucked all pace off the ball. The umpire is having none of it. Green responds by moving her feet beautifully and guiding the next ball through opposing fielders to deep extra cover.
8.43am BST
29th over: New Zealand 131-4 (Halliday 31, Green 4) Green and Halliday have already got some good energy going in both communication and running. Halliday is playing balls late, almost too late but not quite, deliberately coming down with her bat on top of them. She’s in complete control.
8.39am BST
28th over: New Zealand 126-4 (Halliday 28, Green 2) Here’s that moment from before when Halliday could seemingly not find her crease but did so faster than Healy located her stumps.
A LIFE!
Brooke Halliday gets a reprieve after being caught down the crease, with Alyssa Healy missing the stumping not once, but twice! Her uncle Ian wouldn't be very happy with that.
Catch it live now, only on Spark Sport #NZvAUS ⭕️ pic.twitter.com/Yga9fxgOyn
8.37am BST
27th over: New Zealand 122-4 (Halliday 25, Green 1) Well and truly into the middle order now but Green’s experience will no doubt help the White Ferns. She has more than enough overs to build an innings and then go hell for leather at the death. Another efficient Carey over cedes only two runs.
8.34am BST
26th over: New Zealand 120-4 (Halliday 24) Kerr air swings off Jonassen. She’s a little off kilter and appears to be getting some advice on field. In the very next ball, having played five dot balls, she tries to whip it onto the on side but gets an outside edge and Gardner is standing underneath in wait. Three runs before her 50. That has to hurt.
8.30am BST
25th over: New Zealand 120-3 (A Kerr 47 Halliday 24) Lovely innovative shot from Kerr, who moves her feet early, gets the middle of her bat on it as she pivots for a very cute four indeed to fine leg. That is basically the only way through Carey, who has been efficient but cedes another two runs this over.
8.27am BST
24th over: New Zealand 114-3 (A Kerr 42 Halliday 23) Halliday gets a low full toss from Gardner and takes the opportunity via a gap through the covers that can’t be hauled in. That was an expensive nine-run over but the rest of those were relatively constrained. The New Zealanders are entering an important passage of play here.
8.23am BST
23rd over: New Zealand 105-3 (A Kerr 41 Halliday 15) Here’s Carey, one good at breaking up seemingly solid partnerships who was 3-34 in the first ODI on Sunday. Has that delivery tickled Halliday’s bat on its way through? The camera checks and it’s a no. Still, she’s effective here with four dots and two runs.
8.21am BST
22nd over: New Zealand 103-3 (A Kerr 40 Halliday 14) A smooth no-nonsense over from Gardner still with a slip in keeps this one to two.
8.19am BST
21st over: New Zealand 101-3 (A Kerr 39 Halliday 13) Kerr is a good person to have around for Halliday. Not necessarily just because of luck, but due to the fact she has been involved in six of the Kiwis’ last seven 50 partnerships in all formats Wareham is getting into some fancy footwork but Halliday uses the width and works it off her pads as the White Ferns tick over the 100 mark.
8.17am BST
20th over: New Zealand 97-3 (A Kerr 38 Halliday 10) Wow, how has that missed!? Gardner’s ball is heading for the stumps. It is on target. It will nick the top ... nope, it will sail just over. To rub salt into Australia’s wounds, Halliday makes her next shot a four to long-on. Now she could be stumped though. The camera shows she has a heel hovering over the line but her toes are outside. She manages to remove herself assisted by the fact Healy misplaces the stumps and has to go again.
8.11am BST
19th over: New Zealand 92-3 (A Kerr 37 Halliday 6) Kerr and Halliday are settling in, they hope, for the long haul. Another wicket would not be ideal right now but they are probably just about on par with Australia and could yet do something. Plenty of time yet. Wareham keeps them to three runs this over.
8.09am BST
18th over: New Zealand 89-3 (A Kerr 35 Halliday 5 )
Isn't there another camera angle for that Lanning save . #NZvAUS.
8.06am BST
17th over: New Zealand 86-3 (A Kerr 33 Halliday 4) A drinks break gets Wareham ready for her latest stint in attack and she’s receiving some advice from Schutt. Six runs scored in this over from this new partnership.
8.03am BST
16th over: New Zealand 80-3 (A Kerr 31 Halliday 1) A cool first over from Gardner, and one in which Halliday almost does the splits, having moved forward to play at a ball and air swinging a smidgeon before Healy collects behind the wicket.
8.00am BST
15th over: New Zealand 79-3 (A Kerr 30 Halliday 1) Yikes, Jensen hits Wareham on the half-bounce with such power and that would have been some shot except for Lanning’s hand of God which intervened. Jensen and Kerr opt for a risky third run and make it ... just. Wareham has another crack and the leg spinner gets more bang for her buck this time as Jensen skies the ball to where Vlaeminck is waiting at mid-off with open hands. That is a big breakthrough for Australia and a grand shame for the White Ferns, who welcome Halliday to the middle. She gets her first run on the board early and is in the middle with a high-risk one after Kerr hit to silly mid-on when the ball comes back from the outfield and bounces in front of Healy begging for a stumping. But she can’t quite collect. My my. Near miss that.
7.51am BST
14th over: New Zealand 72-2 (A Kerr 27, Jensen 25) How’s this for a stat ...
Amelia Kerr has been involved in six of NZ women's last seven 50+ partnerships in all-formats.#NZvAUS https://t.co/HqmGfFbWV2
7.48am BST
13th over: New Zealand 66-2 (A Kerr 27, Jensen 24) Wareham has a crack now and keeps her opening six to two singles.
7.44am BST
12th over: New Zealand 64-2 (A Kerr 26, Jensen 23) Kerr hits Perry for four, uses the pace to cut away for her fourth boundary of her shift which might not have hit the ropes had an approaching Gardner managed to scoop it up. But she doesn’t, even though she is there.
7.38am BST
11th over: New Zealand 58-2 (A Kerr 21, Jensen 22) Darkness falls over Bay Oval as Jonassen makes her entrance. Could be chilly, though google tells me it’s 19 degrees which is positively balmy. Four runs.
7.33am BST
10th over: New Zealand 54-2 (A Kerr 19, Jensen 20) These two are settling in for the long haul. Kerr digs a single out of Perry. She will no doubt be aiming for a similar innings to the 70 she racked up against England in the third ODI, a breakthrough that helped NZ to the win.
7.29am BST
9th over: New Zealand 51-2 (A Kerr 18, Jensen 18) This is turning into a bit of a recovery. Jensen appears relaxed but focused. A lethal mix. A short Vlaeminck delivery comes straight off the batter’s gloves and gets enough air for a four down fine leg. That’s the second time that has happened.
7.25am BST
8th over: New Zealand 45-2 (A Kerr 17, Jensen 13) Here’s Perry for her first over at the crease, looking every bit ready and no doubt looking for movement off this wicket. She keeps Kerr to a single and then Jensen to two successive dot balls before the latter gets away a smooth four. A lovely shot with fast hands.
7.20am BST
7th over: New Zealand 38-2 (A Kerr 16, Jensen 7) That’s not to say the run rate here is below par. It is laudable, probably, given those early two wickets. As I write this Kerr says thank you very much to another four of Vlaeminck. They always help.
7.18am BST
6th over: New Zealand 31-2 (A Kerr 10, Jensen 6) New Zealand’s boundary percentage dipped over the past few years and they will have to keep the runs ticking over. But more to the point, they have to survive. There’s little room for error now if the top order is to work some magic and get purring. Schutt sends down ANOTHER wide. That’s five from the Aussie bowlers already.
7.14am BST
5th over: New Zealand 26-2 (A Kerr 9, Jensen 4) A markedly stronger run rate in that last over is not built upon here, when Jensen manages just a single off Vlaeminck.
7.12am BST
4th over: New Zealand 25-2 (Jensen 3, A Kerr 9) Schutt bowls a wide before Kerr stays put for one and then punts the next to backward square leg for a single. A couple of ho-hum balls including another Schutt wide is followed by a boundary for Kerr to deep backward point. That’s her second. Here’s her first off her second ball a couple of overs back ...
A couple of early wickets (Down & Satterthwaite) have us on the back foot early, but Melie Kerr has come to the crease and looks in the mood
Follow in NZ LIVE on @sparknzsport + Rova App #NZvAUS #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/pr6Wuv21C0
7.07am BST
3rd over: New Zealand 15-2 (Jensen 2, A Kerr 4) New Zealand at 11/2 after the first 12 balls of the chase is still sending shockwaves throughout Bay Oval (I imagine). Vlaeminck bowls two wides but keeps her over to one run.
7.04am BST
2nd over: New Zealand 11-2 (Jensen 1, Kerr 4) Satterthwaite is facing Schutt. Can the quick adjust her line to the left-hander? Apparently yes! Her third delivery goes across Satterthwaite and it’s heading wide just as she flings her bat at it to pop the ball straight to Healy. Well Schutt took four wickets on Sunday to claim player of the match and she’s already getting started here. The wheels are coming off early for New Zealand, and we’re seeing Amelia Kerr in just the second over.
6.56am BST
1st over: New Zealand 4-1 (Jensen 0, Satterthwaite 4) Openers Down and Jensen are out to start the chase and Vlaeminck gets Australia’s bowling attack under way. She’s persistent with her line and length, fishing for something off Down, outside the off stump. Down is yet to warm up, and she won’t have a chance now because she is OUT! A wide line does the job and the ball flies away towards Lanning in the slips. The captain makes no mistakes. Down lasted all of five balls. Less-than-ideal start for the Kiwis. Out comes Satterthwaite, who gets her first ball away for four.
6.20am BST
What does one make of that? Party Time never got started, Australia added only 58 in the last 10 overs. Wickets kept falling, and nobody was able to score freely from the off. Only four boundaries in the last 10 overs, and only one six in the entire innings. Solid contributions off the top from Haynes, Healy, and Lanning, but all of them fell when they tried to accelerate.
Nonetheless, 271 is still an imposing total. New Zealand’s women have only once in their history chased a bigger score to win a match. That was the slightly bigger 276 they scored in Auckland in 2017, when Amy Satterthwaite made a ton and Katey Martin gave invaluable support. They’ll need something very similar today to repeat that result.
6.17am BST
50th over: Australia 271-7 (Wareham 11, Jonassen 1) Jess Jonassen to the middle, a much better player with the bat than getting four balls at the end of the day suggest. A couple of hurried singles, a dot ball, two runs from a midwicket swipe, and Australia’s hurried and harried final overs come to an end.
6.14am BST
Last over of the day to be bowled by Kasperek, with five of the six wickets to fall. Can she grab another? Wareham gets low to sweep powerfully, but just one run to midwicket. Five balls to go. Mooney comes down, drives over cover... and is caught! Sliced the shot, Satterthwaite running back with the flight of the ball flings out her arms, and Kasperek does get her best figures in ODIs. She has 6 for 42 right now.
6.11am BST
49th over: Australia 266-6 (Mooney 26, Wareham 7) Another run out goes begging, this time the ball bouncing off Jess Kerr’s hands at the stumps. There was gas on the throw from Halliday. Some late sun comes out as Wareham smears across the line. She’s a powerful striker. Neither she nor Mooney can beat the outfielders though. Twos, ones, nothing bigger. Jess Kerr finishes off her day with 0 for 51 from her 10 overs.
6.09am BST
48th over: Australia 259-6 (Mooney 24, Wareham 2) Kasperek does indeed concede three more singles in her wicket-taking over to take her figures to 5 for 40, making this her second-best ODI performance. Then she gets a leading edge from Georgia Wareham that only just clears mid-off! Which would have made today her best figures once again, with six wickets. The ball eludes Rowe’s grasping fingers though. 5 for 41 with one over to come in her allotment.
6.06am BST
Five wickets for Leigh Kasperek! Currently her best figures, but she’ll probably concede three more runs today to make it her second-best. She’s done a great job to keep Australia somewhat in check. Carey comes down to hit over midwicket, doing what she has to do, but Green is right back on the rope, takes the snare, tiptoes near the line, and looks back to make sure she won’t step on the padding to concede a six. Safe.
6.04am BST
47th over: Australia 255-5 (Mooney 22, Carey 14) Jess Kerr returns, bowled very tidily earlier. Singles, then a fast two to midwicket. Still no flurry of fours for Australia. Kerr around the wicket to the left-handers. A chance of a run out as Carey clubs over midwicket and they come back for two: Hannah Rowe’s throw to the bowler’s end was a couple of feet too far from the stumps for Kerr to gather with enough time. Eight from the over. The partnership 35.
5.58am BST
46th over: Australia 247-5 (Mooney 20, Carey 8) Mooney going nicely. Places Satterthwaite really well towards square leg, softly enough to get back for two. Then just bangs her down the ground, no finesse but enough power on the drive that nearly carries for six. Three singles follow.
5.57am BST
45th over: Australia 238-5 (Mooney 12, Carey 7) Lovely stuff from Mooney to start the over against Mair, using her opening batting style. Advances and drives the bowler along the ground through extra cover for four. Then walks down again and taps a single off her ankle to square leg. Three singles and a wide to follow, there hasn’t been a really big over for Australia all day. Healy with a dozen from the second over of the day was the peak.
5.52am BST
44th over: Australia 230-5 (Mooney 6, Carey 6) Satterthwaite bowling deep into the day drags one down, giving Carey the chance to swivel and pull a boundary, but the Kiwi skipper comes back well, diving to field off her own bowling, then beating the attempted cut. Seven from the over.
5.47am BST
43rd over: Australia 223-5 (Mooney 4, Carey 1) Two left-handers at the crease. Amelia Kerr is using the wrong ‘un extensively to move the ball away from their outside edges. Using that looped yorker as well. Three singles from her final over! No wickets for her today, but she’s conceded 41 from 10 overs, a good contribution.
5.45am BST
42nd over: Australia 220-5 (Mooney 2, Carey 0) Another new bat to the crease in the form of Nicola Carey. Great opportunity for the Kiwis to keep up the squeeze. No one has found it easy to start, even Gardner to an extent.
5.43am BST
Terrific stuff from Kasperek. It starts with the early deliveries of the over has Mooney driving to mid off, no run. To point, no run. To cover, no run! More flight, tipped to the leg side and Mooney is sprinting to beat the bowler. Four balls for one run, and Perry feels that she has to go. Kasperek has come back over the wicket, given more air, lots of width, and Perry’s attempted cover loft instead gets an outside slice, landing in the hands of backward point.
5.38am BST
41st over: Australia 219-4 (Perry 16, Mooney 1) Into the last 10 overs now, not quite party time with a couple of recently arrived guests at the crease. Perry throws a few shapes though as Amelia Kerr drops short, Perry pounding a sweep shot for four.
5.36am BST
40th over: Australia 213-4 (Perry 11, Mooney 0) Beth Mooney to the crease, then. It’s her 100th match for Australia today, and Alyssa Healy’s 200th.
5.34am BST
Caught behind! Huge wicket for New Zealand, the key one remaining. The likely difference between chasing over 300 or something more attainable. Kasperek has been giving the ball air, drawing shots over cover and the like. This ball she skids through faster. Gardner tries to cut, but it’s through her. Thick edge. Bounces off Martin’s palm, off again, taken on the third juggle. Gardner throws her head back and walks before the umpire’s finger goes up.
5.30am BST
39th over: Australia 209-3 (Perry 10, Gardner 16) Against Mair, Perry plays the glide to deep third to turn over the strike as soon as she gets it. Mair tries the bouncer again, but this time outside off stump, and it works as Gardner’s uppercut misses. Too straight with the next short ball, a slower one that Gardner waits on and swats away, but Amelia Kerr at long leg is able to slap the ball back into play as it bounces, reaching over the rope to drag it back and save two runs. Perry then opens up and lofts two runs over cover, using a big gap there skilfully.
5.27am BST
38th over: Australia 202-3 (Perry 7, Gardner 12) The fast movement continues for Gardner, slashing away two runs, fiercely flicking another off her leg stump that gets saved in the deep. Again Perry slows things down, a single and a couple of dots from the balls she faces. Gardner 12 off 7, Perry 7 off 15.
5.23am BST
37th over: Australia 197-3 (Perry 6, Gardner 8) Expressed yet? We’ve gone 36 overs so far today without seeing a six. Gardner hits one from her third ball. A short ball from Mair, and Gardner waits back and absolutely cleans out the pull shot, over backward square. Puts Perry on strike after that, who is content to see out the over.
5.20am BST
36th over: Australia 189-3 (Perry 6, Gardner 1) Five from the Kasperek over, and the wicket of Haynes, who pushed through a difficult beginning to be the centre of this innings. Lots of time left for Gardner now to express herself.
5.18am BST
There’ll be no second century for Haynes today. She wants to attack Kasperek again, but long on and long off are both back. Haynes advances but doesn’t get a good piece of it, and the drive hangs in the air long enough for long on to get in comfortably. New Zealand fighting their way back into the contest. Will need to get through Perry and Gardner though for their work so far to pay off.
Just catching the replay, that looked like the carrom ball from Kasperek. Flicked off the middle finger and floating down, less pace on the ball. Good variation! Didn’t know she had that one in her kit bag.
5.14am BST
35th over: Australia 184-2 (Haynes 87, Perry 2) Amelia Kerr back on immediately after the wicket falls, ties down Perry for three balls at the cost of a single. Still has the left-hander to deal with. And nearly catches Haynes! Hard to call that a dropped catch. Driven, low, very hard. Kerr dives across one-handed and touches it. Saves four runs, can’t hang onto the chance. Haynes cuts two from the last ball, so that’s three from the over.
5.10am BST
34th over: Australia 181-2 (Haynes 85, Perry 1) Ellyse Perry to the middle then, and off the mark quickly with a pull shot. The final stages will be interesting.
5.09am BST
That whooshing sound is the huge sigh of relief coming from Rosemary Mair. Satterthwaite nearly gets Haynes with the second ball of the over, as Haynes shapes to play a reverse lap shot and Katey Martin anticipates the path of the ball, stepping across and nearly catching the ball clean off the face of the bat. It goes just wide. But Lanning goes next ball, skipping down and trying to clear the bowler, but finding mid off instead. Just a cloughed shot.
5.06am BST
33rd over: Australia 179-1 (Haynes 84, Lanning 49) Jensen in again, and Lanning is dropped! That is an absolute shocker from Rosemary Mair. Lanning flicks the ball off her pads, high to deep square leg. Mair doesn’t have to move. Stands, waits. Then inexplicably drops to her knees, but keeps her hands pointing upwards. Gets stuck in this awkward halfway position, fends her palms at the ball instead of waiting, and parries it down. She did every possible thing wrong there, and gives the best ODI batter in the world a second chance. The runs keep coming.
5.00am BST
32nd over: Australia 171-1 (Haynes 77, Lanning 48) Some good ground fielding from New Zealand during Satterthwaite’s over. Amelia Kerr is fast at midwicket to cut off a shot and throw at the stumps. Would have had Lanning out had the throw hit. Then Brooke Halliday at deep backward point saves a boundary with a one-handed flick back, and Lauren Down at mid off dives across to keep the last ball to one.
4.57am BST
31st over: Australia 164-1 (Haynes 73, Lanning 45) Hayley Jensen on for her first over. Interesting that it has taken so long. She’s opening the batting at the moment, but very much as a pinch-hitting experiment. Has always been around this team as a bowler foremost, and has a non-existent batting record. But can be a very tidy operator with the ball, especially in T20 formats. Perhaps that’s the thinking, to use her late in the innings when there are more attacking shots flying around. Lanning chops away a boundary first ball, behind point, but dots and ones thereafter.
4.53am BST
30th over: Australia 157-1 (Haynes 72, Lanning 39) Four runs from Satterthwaite’s over, including a run of three dot balls when Lanning keeps missing or finding the field, but it doesn’t help much. Australia with all the ingredients for a 300+ total given their wickets in hand and the hitting ability of players to come in, especially Ash Gardner.
4.51am BST
29th over: Australia 153-1 (Haynes 69, Lanning 38) Finally, the Aussies get hold of Jess Kerr! She’s been parsimonious today but the innings has worn on and the workload has mounted. Drops short and Lanning punishes the pull shot. Gets fuller and Haynes launches down the ground, over mid on. 11 from the over, with two Kerr overs to go.
4.44am BST
28th over: Australia 142-1 (Haynes 63, Lanning 33) A gloved sweep from Haynes lobs over the wicketkeeper from Satterthwaite, and gets the batter a run. Lanning pulls fiercely to midwicket but only for one. Lanning backing away to force to point. Haynes pulls out the lap sweep for a double, then a cut for a single. Runs all around the ground for this pair, they scored from every ball in the over.
4.42am BST
27th over: Australia 135-1 (Haynes 58, Lanning 31) It’s all about the favoured area behind point for Lanning, with Jess Kerr operating outside the off stump. Her square drives, her steers. Then Haynes drives a couple of balls through the covers. Six from the over, a fifty partnership comes up. Still going at exactly 5 per over across the innings.
4.39am BST
26th over: Australia 129-1 (Haynes 55, Lanning 28) Amy Satterthwaite comes on for a bowl. Has bowled very little even when she’s been playing for the last three or four years, but bowled well in the second T20 match the other day. Off-spin is her trade. The Aussies slice a few singles but nothing further.
4.35am BST
25th over: Australia 125-1 (Haynes 53, Lanning 26) Jess Kerr returns, with five overs left to bowl today, and Lanning gets more luck first ball. Drives it behind point, deep third comes around to field, and fumbles it onto the rope. Brooke Halliday the culprit. Conversely, when a full toss slips out of Kerr’s hand, Lanning can’t put it away and finds that deep backward point fielder for one run. Still, 8 from the over with a stack of singles. The run rate is up to five an over, and Australia’s position looks better and better.
4.30am BST
24th over: Australia 117-1 (Haynes 51, Lanning 20) The leg-stump whip works for Lanning this time, going along the ground rather than airborne and speeding away for four. Seven runs from Mair’s over.
4.28am BST
23rd over: Australia 110-1 (Haynes 50, Lanning 14) A measured fifty comes up for Haynes, working away a single as she’s done most of the day. The 15th fifty of her ODI career. Amelia Kerr doing a good job on Lanning at the moment. Making her defend from the crease, play out three dots through the middle of the over before pulling one run.
4.25am BST
22nd over: Australia 107-1 (Haynes 49, Lanning 12) Rosemary Mair returns, and as she did earlier, starts her spell with a boundary. A touch short and Haynes pulls her fine. Mair comes back well though: squeezes one between Lanning’s bat and pad, nearly yorks Haynes, then has a false shot from Lanning hanging high over backward square leg but no one can catch it. That was the attempted flick off leg stump. Hayley Jensen was just trotting in from the deep, thinking that the keeper was running back. That should have been Jensen’s attempt and she should have been full throttle at it. Might not have got there, but it was poor understanding from the fielders.
4.20am BST
21st over: Australia 99-1 (Haynes 43, Lanning 10) A strange one for wicketkeeper Katey Martin: the attempted stumping via the header. Amelia Kerr gets bounce, hits Martin in the grille and back onto the stumps. Haynes’ foot was down though. Finds the field, misses a sweep, and it’s a quiet over for Kerr and NZ.
4.15am BST
20th over: Australia 96-1 (Haynes 40, Lanning 10) Haynes will have to take the lead now. Skips down to Kasperek to drive a single. Actually, scrap that. Lanning will take the lead. Just shuffles at Kasperek and clubs over the bowler’s head for four. Next ball, yanks it a bit more, over long on this time, but good enough to clear the field. Welcome to the arena!
4.13am BST
19th over: Australia 82-1 (Haynes 39, Lanning 1) Amelia Kerr nearly makes it two. Should have been two, really. She turns a wrong ‘un into Meg Lanning, hits her on the back leg in front of off stump, and Umpire Cotton says not out. Maybe thought the impact might have been outside the line, as Lanning was moving across? But it looked out to me. Kerr throws her head back. There’s no DRS for this match.
4.10am BST
18th over: Australia 82-1 (Haynes 36)
At last!
4.02am BST
17th over: Australia 80-0 (Haynes 35, Healy 43) Alyssa Healy keeps backing away to try to make room, Amelia Kerr keeps following her with the wrong ‘un. Eventually Healy has to charge to drive a single through cover. Cat and mouse. Haynes sweeps a couple more. The left-hander is playing the leg-spinner more convincingly at the moment. Drinks.
3.59am BST
16th over: Australia 76-0 (Haynes 32, Healy 42) Time to go for Haynes. She steps down the pitch and smears Kasperek over long on, one bounce for four. Turns over strike. Healy tries something similar, over cover, but doesn’t get it. Slices the ball high and it lands between cover and mid off. Lucky to get away with it. The partnership endures though, up to 4.75 per over, and plenty of headroom if no wicket falls.
3.56am BST
15th over: Australia 69-0 (Haynes 26, Healy 41) Haynes is starting to run well, reaches for a cut shot and hares back for the second to the deep. Healy misreads a couple from Amelia Kerr in this over. Got out to her last match. This could be an interesting match-up.
3.52am BST
14th over: Australia 65-0 (Haynes 23, Healy 40) Bowling change, Leigh Kasperek with her off-spin. Doesn’t do anything fancy with the ball, just lands it on a good length consistently with a bit of flight, sometimes some turn. Healy drives a single, Haynes plays a reverse for two runs trickling towards deep third, and that’s all she wrote for the over.
3.50am BST
13th over: Australia 62-0 (Haynes 21, Healy 39) So much air from Amelia Kerr this morning. It’s like she’s trying to loop up the ball underneath the bat, yorking these players rather than deceiving them with turn. Drags one down when trying the googly, but deep midwicket protects the fence. No such luck when Kerr bowls a big full toss though, and Haynes sinks to one knee to play the lap shot over her own shoulder through deep fine. Another over tending towards expensiveness, seven from it.
3.47am BST
12th over: Australia 55-0 (Haynes 16, Healy 37) Understatement from Healy, which does occasionally happen, playing an on-drive with very little backlift or follow-through that speeds for four. That followed a more airy shot over midwicket to the fence. Rowe attempts a bouncer to respond but it digs into the surface and balloons miles over the batter and wide of her. The over costs 10 and the 50 partnership comes up. Rowe has been the one to let the tap open.
3.43am BST
11th over: Australia 45-0 (Haynes 16, Healy 28) Fielding restrictions off, and here’s Amelia Kerr with her leg-spin. First ball is a real looper that Haynes pushes back. One short ball is cut for four by Haynes, but the rest are up at her toes and giving her no room to do anything, worried about being beaten by the flight.
3.38am BST
10th over: Australia 42-0 (Haynes 12, Healy 28) First bowling change. Hannah Rowe comes on for Mair, a tall right-arm seamer with a long ponytail. She batted really well to win the second T20 match for NZ. Has to do it with the ball now. Gives Haynes a half-volley first up, and the batter gratefully drives it through cover for four. A wide and a few singles and the scoring pressure eases a bit for Australia. Still no wickets down with 41 on the board after the first 10 overs: it’s a good position to be in despite some excellent opening bowling.
3.34am BST
9th over: Australia 33-0 (Haynes 6, Healy 27) Ball on a string now from Jess Kerr! Healy can’t read her swing. Kerr has been getting the ball to swing in a long way, and this over makes that swing less pronounced. Three times Healy goes pushing at it, three times it beats her outside edge. Satterthwaite brings up the deep third and pushes mid on back to the boundary, in case there’s a big shot. Healy plays smart and pushes at the ball instead, deliberately edging it through the newly vacant region for four.
3.29am BST
8th over: Australia 29-0 (Haynes 6, Healy 23) Mair goes in at the pads of Healy who is trying to be aggressive again, but smacks it with a straight bat at short midwicket on the bounce. Defends the next, on the off stump. Healy will have to go soon, it’s in her nature. Like the scorpion and the frog. She defends the third ball too. How long can she hold back? Opens the face and glides a single, keeps her cool. Haynes finds the field with the remaining two deliveries, she’s 6 from 25 now. One run from the over.
3.26am BST
7th over: Australia 28-0 (Haynes 6, Healy 22) Jess Kerr comes around the wicket to the left-hander, looking to swing the ball away and find the edge. But bowls a surprise ball second up, swinging into the pads. Haynes gets a little edge on it, otherwise the lbw appeal would have been louder. Another inswinger and Haynes edges into the ground and back towards the stumps, the batter having to knock it away with her club. This has been great stuff from Kerr the Elder. Stops a Haynes drive off her own bowling, then ties up Haynes on off stump with a good length, and finishes with a forward defensive. No runs at all, her second scoreless over for the innings, and this one far more threatening than the first.
3.23am BST
6th over: Australia 28-0 (Haynes 6, Healy 22) Mair has settled things down, giving Healy a single early in the over and then keeping Haynes quiet again. The Aussie vice-captain has 6 from 17 by the time she gets off strike. Plenty of ability to catch up, but the slow start might create opportunities for NZ. Healy tries the pull shot again from the sixth ball and it’s too full, she plays over the top of it and it passes by her off stump.
3.21am BST
5th over: Australia 26-0 (Haynes 5, Healy 21) A good back and forth between Jess Kerr and Healy, who is trying to drive the swing bowler out through cover. Aims one huge shot, misses. Kerr floats one up to follow that holds its line, beating the edge. Healy takes guard further across, so Kerr bowls wider still, outside the tram tracks but legal because of the batter’s movement, and still has Healy reaching and unable to do anything but squeeze a run to deep third. Kerr’s first hittable delivery to Haynes follows though, just short enough for Haynes to dip her knees and pul through long leg for four.
3.15am BST
4th over: Australia 21-0 (Haynes 1, Healy 20) Mair lands one on her length so that Healy defends, but loses her line thereafter and gets glanced for two. Then the perfect delivery, belatedly, and it’s edged past the keeper! Not even a full shot, just a push looking for a run, and a thick edge flies off the Kookaburra bat for four. NZ captain Amy Satterthwaite had recently taken out the slip in favour of a short cover, given Healy’s strokeplay, and that would have been the simplest catch for first slip. Instead it’s four runs. A single to follow.
3.12am BST
3rd over: Australia 14-0 (Haynes 1, Healy 13) Haynes gets her first run of the day, nudging Jess Kerr to the leg side. Healy again plays a different style from the start, that crisp pull shot to a ball that’s only bouncing hip-high, but they’ve got a deep backward square to protect the boundary. Back to Haynes, stepping across this time to guard her off stump. Misses out on a couple of attempted cuts to the ball angled across her. Haynes 1 from 11, Healy 13 from 7.
3.09am BST
2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Haynes 0, Healy 12) Different strokes for different folks! First ball from Rosemary Mair to Alyssa Healy, it’s right-arm seam on a length outside off stump, and Healy utterly cracks that away with a pull shot for four. Nice clean sound off the bat to deep midwicket. The next ball is that length as well, more in at the body, so the Healy shot this time drags the ball away rather than spanking it, but the same result, through square leg this time. And another four two balls later, full on the pads and tucked through midwicket along the ground, beating the field. Finally Mair finds her line and length, swinging away outside off, and Healy leaves. A dozen runs from the over though, more than making up for the quiet start.
3.04am BST
1st over: Australia 0-0 (Haynes 0, Healy 0) Away we go. Jess Kerr with the ball. She’s a right-armer who swings it in a long way to right-handers. She’s starting with the left-handed Haynes on strike though. The bowler still bowls as she would normally, starting very wide on the crease and getting the ball to swing from well outside leg stump towards the pads. That makes it very hard for Haynes to score, stabbing to the leg side, but it does reduce the dismissal possibilities. No chance of an lbw or a bowled, and no chance of an edge unless there’s a variation ball that swings further across the batter, passing outside her off stump. Kerr tries that variation from the sixth ball, and Haynes leaves. A scoreless over, though an unthreatening one.
2.46am BST
If you’re not up with the news, Sophie Devine ain’t here for the White Ferns. She played the first T20, missed the second with what was described as an illness, withdrew from the third before the washout with what was described as fatigue, and has now gone home to skip the whole ODI series. Must be some longer-term fatigue issue. She’s been playing a lot domestically and internationally this last season, and it is April by now, after all. All the best to Sophie with getting refreshed.
2.41am BST
Australia
Alyssa Healy +
Rachael Haynes
Meg Lanning *
Ellyse Perry
Beth Mooney
Ashleigh Gardner
Nicola Carey
Jess Jonassen
Georgia Wareham
Megan Schutt
Tayla Vlaeminck
New Zealand
Hayley Jensen
Lauren Down
Amy Satterthwaite *
Amelia Kerr
Brooke Halliday
Maddy Green
Katey Martin +
Hannah Rowe
Jess Kerr
Lea Tahuhu
Rosemary Mair
2.40am BST
Chasing preferred for the Kiwis after they weren’t able to set a difficult target the first time around.
2.37am BST
If you’d like more detail on the winning streak itself, and its broader significance, we can offer that option as well. Think of it as a pillow menu, but for cricket articles.
Related: Australia's women a symbol of durability on long world record road
2.36am BST
If you’d like to catch up with the details of the previous match, we can offer that service.
Related: Australia's women break world record with ODI win against New Zealand
2.30am BST
It’s that time once again. After the sugar-high of breaking the record for most wins in a row, this Australian team that is very good at one-day cricket will have to get back to the business of winning more games. They let New Zealand back into the T20 series only to have the third game washed out and the honours shared. So they’ll want to make sure they win this series at the first possibility.
We’ll be bringing you the match from the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, where the day will start in the low 20s before dipping below that into the evening, with a little bit of cloud cover and breeze. No rain forecast. Shall we?
April 4, 2021
Australia's women a symbol of durability on long world record road
Ricky Ponting’s last loss came days before his winning streak started; Meg Lanning’s last came in 2017
In any area of life, women are told to wait. We cannot expect equality to happen overnight; we cannot rush change; we cannot move too quickly otherwise people won’t like it. Women who play cricket have experienced the same: waiting to be allowed to play at Lord’s, waiting to get media coverage, waiting to discard the skirts that amateur players were once made to wear. The professionals of the present day still get plenty of opportunities to exercise their patience.
When Ricky Ponting’s players set a record of 21 consecutive wins in one-day internationals, they did so in a burst. A tri-series at home against England and Sri Lanka, on to an unbeaten run through the 2003 World Cup, then four wins against the West Indies in the Caribbean before losing three more on the bounce. Those 21 wins came between January and May of the same year, with largely the same team getting on a brief and glorious roll.
Related: Australia's women break world record with ODI win against New Zealand
Related: Australia's women's team break ODI world record against New Zealand – as it happened
Continue reading...March 29, 2021
New Zealand beat Australia by four wickets in second women's T20 international – as it happened
6.16am BST
That was a fun day. Swings of fortune, some periods of grind, some flashes of freedom. This series will come down to a decider on Thursday, and we’ll have coverage with Emma Kemp. Thanks for your company today.
Related: New Zealand level T20 series in final-ball thriller against Australia
6.14am BST
Amy Satterthwaite is the stand-in captain. “I felt a bit rusty to begin with, you’re having to think all the time. I spoke about it before the game, said that if everyone executed their role then we’d be in a good position, and everybody did that. We fielded outstanding, all the bowlers did their job. I said before batting that I wanted us to try to get ahead of the rate, and that didn’t happen. But the way that Frankie Mackay stuck in and got us ahead there was important. Opening the batting and opening the bowling, it was a big day for her, but she was brilliant. Stepped up to the challenge and took it with both hands. I’ll take a French cut any day of the week. We’ve lost a game to Australia in that fashion, so we’ll take a win.”
6.10am BST
Meg Lanning says she always thought they were a bit light for runs, though she was confident their bowlers were a decent chance to compete. Bringing the game to the final ball shows that they did. “We felt like we needed to take wickets to stay in the contest, so it was a matter of balancing that with the run rate. That last ball, I don’t think there was too much wrong with it, but that’s the way it goes.”
6.08am BST
Frankie Mackay is player of the match. Opened the batting and the bowling. “It’s a little bit tender, to be honest, but you’d take all the pain in the world to get a win like that. I shocked myself and my teammates as well to see those shots go over the rope. Sometimes when the heart rate’s going a bit, you have to take a deep breath and look around and think, this is why we do it.”
5.57am BST
A win to savour for the New Zealand women. They got bossed around by England recently, and before that they toured Australia and got bossed around there. They lost the first T20 match after having a decent chance to win it, and there were several points today where it looked like they should win, only for Australia to push ahead again. Coming down to the last couple of overs, it was a scramble, it was anything but clinical, but it was probably all the more enjoyable for that.
Hannah Rowe was terrific at the end. Talk about modest records: she’d hit one boundary in T20 cricket for New Zealand before today. She hit two in this innings, when they really mattered, off Megan Schutt at the end. I wondered whether Schutt was too consistent in that final over, bowling the same kind of delivery over and over. By the end, Rowe was able to line that up.
5.55am BST
20th over: NZ 131-6 (Green 16, Rowe 14) New Zealand win the match in the most entertaining of fashions. The ball is good, full and straight. Green gives herself room, tries a huge swing to the leg side. Angled bat. Inside edge. Past leg stump, beats the short fine, and races for four. Carey sinks to the ground. Lanning hides her face in her hands. Green is laughing, laughing, before she has even crossed for a run, halfway down the pitch and unable to believe her good luck. Swing hard and hope, that’s about as refined as it gets in that situation. And on this occasion, hope has delivered.
5.53am BST
19.6 overs: INSIDE EDGE FOR FOUR!
5.52am BST
19.5 overs: One run! Bottom edge from Rowe as she tries to go leg side. The ball lands at her feet. Green was backing up halfway down the pitch, and gets on strike. Three runs to win, two runs to tie and bring a Super Over.
5.51am BST
19.4 overs: Long conference between Lanning and Carey. Long on is back. Long off is back. It’s going to be full. Dot ball! Swing away from the bat and it beats the edge.
5.51am BST
19.3 overs: One run. Green squeezes it back past the bowler this time. Rowe on strike. 4 runs from 3 balls required.
5.50am BST
19.2 overs: dot ball! Almost a run out at the non-striker’s end, as Green hits back to Carey, and Rowe dives for her ground.
5.49am BST
19.1 overs: Maddy Green on strike. Can hit long. Nicola Carey bowling. Skiddy pace. In at the stumps. Green hits it for four! Through cover, on the walk, along the ground, hits the gap.
5.48am BST
19th over: NZ 121-6 (Green 7, Rowe 13) No second hat-trick in this format for Megan Schutt, as Rowe drives the relevant ball down the ground for a single. Wants the second but it isn’t there. Green tries to muscle a ball straight but again can only get one. Schutt errs to the leg side, but Rowe trying to sweep gets pad on the ball! Saves Schutt at least one wide, maybe five of them. Similar line next ball, but Rowe stands up tall this time, clears her front toe, and shovels four runs through long leg! Good shot. Plays to midwicket next ball, and races back for the second as Schutt keeps aiming at the batter’s boots. Same ball from Schutt to end the over, and by now Rowe has lined her up! Middles it, down on one knee, between the leg-side sweepers at midwicket for four.
NZ need 9 from the final over!
5.44am BST
18th over: NZ 109-6 (Green 6, Rowe 1) Maddy Green can hit big, and she finds a boundary here. Takes guard on off stump against Jonassen, steps outside and plays a standing sweep behind square leg. Hits another one nicely but straight to deep midwicket. NZ need 21 from the last two overs.
5.43am BST
17th over: NZ 101-6 (Green 0) Just shows you how good this Australian team is. Games that they shouldn’t be in, they find ways to stay in. They’re in the box seat now.
5.41am BST
Two in two balls! Schutt on a hat-trick to end her third over. Swings the ball in, floating up at the stumps. Kerr advances, but doesn’t know what to do with the full length. Yorks herself, really, in the end. Prods at the ball, misses, and it hits middle stump.
5.39am BST
The left-handed Halliday starts off facing Schutt, who comes around the wicket. Halliday shovels a run to long on. Back over the wicket to the right-handed Kerr, who is strong off her pads. Digs out a dot, then whips a ball wide of long-on. Halliday calls for two and runs to the danger end, making it. Kerr back on strike, slashes at width, hits it well but it gets knocked down at point. One run rather than four. Which brings Halliday back on strike for a big swing to leg, an outside edge that goes up high and comes down at short cover, where Healy has arrived from behind the stumps to catch. Again a wicket from the fifth ball, and the task gets harder for New Zealand.
5.35am BST
16th over: NZ 97-4 (A Kerr 33, Halliday 0) Brooke Halliday batted well in her brief chance the other night. Kerr has strike for the final ball of the over after crossing before the catch was taken. Wareham lands it beautifully, yorking Kerr and denying her the chance to score.
NZ need 33 from 24.
5.34am BST
Wareham’s final over. Kerr comes down the wicket at her fellow leg-spinner and cleans her out over midwicket. Four runs, first ball of the over. Wareham comes back with a couple of dots, swinging but not timing them. Sweeps a single, brings Martin on strike, and the Kiwi keeper tries to go large straight down the ground, but miscues it high. Carey at mid on waits under it and claims the high ball. Had to go for the boundaries, Martin, but soaked up a few too many deliveries before getting out.
5.31am BST
15th over: NZ 92-3 (A Kerr 28, Martin 5) A bit more productive for New Zealand, five singles against Jonassen as they work the spin around. They need 38 from the final five overs.
5.29am BST
14th over: NZ 87-3 (A Kerr 25, Martin 3) Parry and thrust. A fine over from Wareham, two runs off it, including Martin skying a ball that landed safely between mid off and cover after she tried to go over the top.
5.24am BST
13th over: NZ 85-3 (A Kerr 24, Martin 2) Katey Martin in next, the busy wicketkeeper-bat. Can be very useful in these situations. Jonassen bowls the 13th, giving up only four singles as the batters find the field.
NZ need 45 from 42 balls. Frankie has closed that gap for them. Theirs to lose from here.
5.22am BST
12th over: NZ 81-3 (A Kerr 22) Darcie Brown is back. Ten runs from her three overs so far, and Lanning hopes she can tangle up Frankie. But she’s bowling to Kerr first. and Kerr cuts beautifully for four! Shot! Not far from Haynes at backward point, but on the bounce even had it gone to her. It flies wide and away to the rope. Feeling good, Kerr charges the fastest bowler in the Australian side but misses. Stays at home for the next ball, short again, cut again, but this time Haynes on the dive gets a hand to it and keeps the scoring to a run. Frankie on strike. Nails it for four! Through midwicket along the ground, a lot of bottom hand as she whips this ball away, coming across the line. Brown responds, bangs in her bouncer so hard that it clears Mackay by about the height of another Mackay. She’s not bothered. Gets on the front dog next ball, sinks down onto one knee, and crashes the slog-sweep for six! Over deep mid. And after a brilliant over for New Zealand, with 16 runs coming, it comes to an end. Short and width again, Frankie nails the cut shot, but doesn’t get the placement. Fast to Mooney at point, who juggles the catch but manages to claim it on the second attempt while falling to ground.
What an innings from Frankie Mackay though. Applause all round. And let’s not forget, the first international wicket for Darcie Brown.
5.16am BST
11th over: NZ 65-2 (Mackay 36, A Kerr 17) Two shots a minute from Frankie. Tries the reverse lap shot against Carey, aiming to go through deep third, but missing. Utterly nails a pull shot next ball but it goes one bounce to the deep midwicket sweeper. Carey goes leg side to Kerr, would have been a wide but Kerr catches it with some glove and picks up four! Very fine behind the keeper.
65 to win from 54 balls.
5.14am BST
10th over: NZ 58-2 (Mackay 35, A Kerr 11) Another big swing for Mackay along the ground to backward square, one run. Kerr charges Wareham, who bowls shorter, and Kerr adjusts well, opening the face to run the ball to backward point. Haynes and Mooney crash into one another! The ball escapes between them into the deep for two runs, the cover sweeper tracking around. Fortune smiles on New Zealand, and again when Mackay backs up too far, Healy throws at the non-striker’s stumps, and Mackay has got back in time and then is able to run an overthrow. Which gives her the strike, and the chance to come down the wicket and whack Wareham for six. Over deep midwicket and into the hospitality area at the ground in Napier.
11 from the over. NZ need 73 from 60.
5.09am BST
9th over: NZ 47-2 (Mackay 27, A Kerr 7) Jess Jonassen bowls left-arm orthodox and takes wickets against New Zealand for fun. Mackay flicks the first ball off her pads and takes a second run to deep backward square, and that hurts her. She’s already favouring a hamstring, it looks like, and she also rolls her ankle a bit on the second run. Tries a reverse sweep next ball and misses. Then she nails a solid pull shot, but straight to deep midwicket. Takes the run, Kerr cuts one to cover, Mackay tries a huge sweep shot and misses. So it’s big shots only now for Mackay. Another one to end the over, but again finds the leg side sweeper. The doctor comes out at the end of the over, but Frankie says relax. She’ll keep swinging.
NZ need 84 from 66.
5.05am BST
8th over: NZ 41-2 (Mackay 23, A Kerr 6) Georgia Wareham on, and the Kiwis tackle her immediately. Mackay advances and drives a run. Kerr gets low and sweeps a boundary, then takes a run to mid on, hit well enough to draw a misfield. Deep square leg is back now, so Mackay’s sweep only yields one run. But seven from the over, and that helps.
New Zealand need 89 from 72 balls.
5.02am BST
7th over: NZ 34-2 (Mackay 21, A Kerr 1) Amelia Kerr to the middle. Mackay was really put up top as a pinch-hitter but she’s still there, and now probably has to try to bat long. After trading a couple of singles she finds her first boundary, dipping her knees to pull Carey hard and flat behind square. Then a dicey single to end the over, taking on the throw from Haynes that misses as Mackay labours to the non-striker’s end. Apparently she’s dealing with an injury niggle, she certainly looks hampered on those fast runs.
4.59am BST
Oh dear. First ball after the Powerplay, Nicola Carey bowling her medium pace, at the pads of Satterthwaite who plays the pick-up shot nicely. Times it, hits it aerially. But there’s a deep midwicket and it lands straight in her hands. Looked like she wanted to go a bit squarer with that.
4.56am BST
6th over: NZ 27-1 (Mackay 15, Satterthwaite 6) The uppercut again from Mackay facing Brown, and it lands not far short of Schutt at deep third. Satterthwaite backs away and glides a run to that same region. But when Brown goes in at the body, it tucks up Mackay and she can’t score. Nor off the yorker that follows. She’s faced 19 balls for 13 now, wants to get away. Times her next shot better off her pads, through square leg for two runs.
The Powerplay overs have cost Australia 4, 2, 8, 3, 5 and 5. A triumph.
4.53am BST
5th over: NZ 22-1 (Mackay 12, Satterthwaite 5) Mackay is a busy player but the one bowler she doesn’t know how to handle is Schutt. That inswing confounds Mackay, she falls over her front leg trying to move across to it, consistently. Four dot balls as she gropes about, before managing to jab a single square on the leg side. Satterthwaite rescues the over for NZ as Schutt doesn’t correct her line to the left-hander, letting the batter leg-glance a four.
4.51am BST
4th over: NZ 17-1 (Mackay 11, Satterthwaite 1) Darcie Brown continues as she left off. Quick, at the body, sometimes outside the off stump. The batters fend a couple of singles and then Frankie uppercuts a run stylishly. Another tidy one, three runs from the over.
4.47am BST
3rd over: NZ 14-1 (Mackay 9) Ellyse Perry to have a bowl. She didn’t do so in the first match, only batted at the end of the innings. Starts with a rusty effort, on the leg stump and Mackay gloves it through fine leg for four. The batter whacks a single to mid on, and that’s also a no-ball for the overstep, says the third umpire. Jensen swings herself off her feet at the free hit, backing away and missing completely. Gets a single to cover off a midfield, then Mackay continues The Frankie Show by scooping over fine leg. But it’s saved, yielding only a single, and that brings Jensen on strike for the sixth ball. She tries to clear mid off and instead slices it straight to Lanning at cover. That’s what I was referring to with Jensen: 3 from 12 is not what you need from an opener, who seldom looked like she had a clear idea about where to score.
4.42am BST
2nd over: NZ 6-0 (Mackay 3, Jensen 2) Darcie Brown on to bowl on her debut. She turned 18 a couple of weeks ago and now she’s playing for Australia. Was a revelation in the most recent Big Bash edition, especially to left-handers, swinging the ball at pace into the stumps. She’s topping 120 kph in her first over here, some shape on the ball, backed up by a strong off side field. And closes the over with a bouncer! A beauty too, zipping up at Jensen’s lid while a flailing pull shot was nowhere near making contact and then turned into a half-duck. Wheels!
4.38am BST
1st over: NZ 4-0 (Mackay 2, Jensen 1) Right then. Hayley Jensen and Frankie Mackay opening the batting, which you have to say is a fairly makeshift combination. Frankie batted briefly and entertainingly in the final over at No8 in the previous match, and Jensen is a career No8 (spiritually at least) who has recently been bumped up as a pinch hitter. They have Megan Schutt swinging the ball into their pads, and can only manage a few singles and leg byes.
4.28am BST
Excellent display from New Zealand: they didn’t run through the Australian batting, but actually that makes it more impressive to have kept them to 129. Mooney batted through the innings but could only collect 61 off 54 balls, never got to break the game open. Nor could anybody at the other end start to tee off to complement her innings.
Mackay and Satterthwaite went at less than six per over with their bowling, Amelia Kerr and Mair at less than 7, and Jess Kerr at 7. Only two overs from Rowe went at 8 per over. One six in the innings, and 11 fours. Only five boundaries in the last ten overs. That’s a comprehensive win for the bowlers, who managed to get Australia’s batters to hit to their field time and time again.
4.23am BST
20th over: Australia 129-4 (Mooney 61, Perry 2) Hannah Rowe down the ground has had a lot of work to do. Mooney slams a drive off Mair, but Rowe saves two runs on the rope. The next ball goes straight to Rowe for one run. The Australians just can’t find that fence! A couple of low full tosses, but only singles. A yorker from Mair lands right, and another single. A couple of pings at the stumps, no direct hits. And a yorker to finish it off, one run to the circle. That’s brilliant bowling and fielding right at the end. Seven runs from the final over.
4.19am BST
19th over: Australia 122-4 (Mooney 56) Two wickets from the over for Mackay, who finishes with 2 for 20 from four overs. Fabulous bowling.
4.18am BST
Ten balls remaining in the innings as Gardner comes to the crease. Smart bowling by Mackay to go in at the pads, and Gardner can only tug away a single. In at the toes of Mooney, and she can also only take one run. Two balls left in the over. Gardner backs away to drive over cover, but it gets saved on the rope and only costs two. And the last of the over, Gardner does what she has to do: steps across, clears the front leg, aims high, but doesn’t get any distance along with that height. Caught by the wicketkeeper after a detour 40 metres into the air.
4.15am BST
Frankie Mackay to bowl the 19th. Very interesting watching New Zealand rely on off-spin so much when Gardner, so dangerous against spin, is still sitting on the bench waiting to come in.
She’ll get a belated chance now, though! Second ball of the over, Haynes backs away outside her leg stump and slashes to backward point. Simple catch, Kerr on her knees to claim it.
4.13am BST
18th over: Australia 116-2 (Mooney 55, Haynes 27) Satterthwaite continues, bowling really well: around the wicket and drifting it in at the feet of the left-handers. A single, a couple of dots, a single. Nearly a run out at the non-striker’s end as Mooney hits the ball back at Satterthwaite, who grabs it and flicks at the stumps while Haynes was backing up. One boundary for Haynes down the ground when the length isn’t quite full enough to stop her getting under the shot, but only three singles besides. Seven runs from the 18th over is a definite win.
4.10am BST
17th over: Australia 109-2 (Mooney 54, Haynes 21) Amelia Kerr with her leg-spin, and finally Haynes does break free. Uses her feet and drives over extra cover, a nicely timed shot for four. Predictably Kerr drops shorter, so Haynes plays a savage back cut, and the dive at backward point can’t stop it. There are also two run out chances in the over, Mooney still belting those singles, and twice there’s no direct hit that could have created a wicket. Haynes gets 10 off the over. Three overs to go. NZ have to keep the Australians restrained.
4.07am BST
16th over: Australia 98-2 (Mooney 53, Haynes 11) The milestone up for Mooney with a single from Jess Kerr first ball, but she’s scored at a sedate strike rate by her standards. Both batters are looking for big shots this over but they can’t time anything. Six runs from the over, mostly singles dragged to the field.
4.05am BST
15th over: Australia 92-2 (Mooney 49, Haynes 9) Amy Satterthwaite bowling her off-breaks now. This is interesting, she barely bowls for New Zealand any more. By my count... 9 overs in all formats since 2017. The ball comes out pretty nicely though, some flight, pitching on a length, two singles and a brace from the over. Four runs from the 15th is a real win.
4.00am BST
14th over: Australia 88-2 (Mooney 48, Haynes 6) Mooney drags across the line at Mair, straight to midwicket and no run. Then gets a dipping full toss that Mooney slams wide of mid off, Satterthwaite lunging across with one hand and just getting fingertips to it. Two runs, then she scorches a square drive but there’s a deep point in place, so only one run. Haynes can’t beat Newtwon at backward point with a steering shot, Newton has been a point of energy in the field. Mair slips down the leg side for a wide. It’s only the third extra of the innings, after a couple of leg byes. Good discipline after NZ bowled a number of wides the other night. Last ball of the over, Mooney walks across and plays the ramp shot for four. From outside off stump, took it off a length, no fine leg in place.
3.57am BST
13th over: Australia 79-2 (Mooney 41, Haynes 5) A sweep shot for two from Haynes against Amelia Kerr, after which a short fine leg is brought into place. Kerr keeps things tight, a couple of dot balls, and Mooney again trying to loft over long on. Just gets one run as she doesn’t get hold of it.
3.53am BST
12th over: Australia 74-2 (Mooney 39, Haynes 2) Mooney is still helter skelter: charging Mackay to defend, then to try lofting a big one and miscuing over mid off for two runs, then to drive a single. Haynes scoops a couple of runs, then lumps a sweep shot straight to short fine, after which Mooney wants another sharp single and gets turned back.
3.50am BST
11th over: Australia 69-2 (Mooney 36, Haynes 0) Well, it had been a good over for Australia up until that wicket. Rowe was driven through cover by Mooney, though a good save from Jensen kept the scoring to two. Then a bad ball from Rowe sat up on the leg stump and Lanning clouted a pull shot along the ground for four. But things come undone from the fifth ball, and then on the sixth Haynes steers straight to backward point and again Mooney tries to pinch a single, having to turn back to the non-striker’s end and nearly running herself out this time. She’s got some bees buzzing in her head just now.
3.49am BST
A Tuesday barbecue! What was the thinking there? Mooney drives Hannah Rowe hard and straight to cover – and sets off for the run anyway. Lanning honours the call but she wasn’t expecting it, and she’s a bit slower to respond. She needs a bad throw, but Jess Kerr collects cleanly and fires straight into Katey Martin’s gloves, and the wicketkeeper does the rest. Umpire doesn’t even bother going to the replay.
3.42am BST
10th over: Australia 61-1 (Mooney 33, Lanning 22) Frankie Mackay is back, off-spin around the wicket to the left-hander to start, but Mooney gets a single immediately. Over the wicket to Lanning, who checks a push into the cover gap for one. Flight to Mooney, who advances and drives square. Tamsyn Newton pursues it back to the rope, slides and flicks back to Amelia Kerr who is backing her up. Three runs. Mackay drops short but Lanning has uncharacteristically missed out on a few opportunities behind point, and she whacks another one that gets saved well by a diving Mair. Big wingspan on that fielder. Then a slight chance at midwicket as Lanning flicks over Amelia Kerr, who perhaps fingertips the ball as she leaps for the catch. Two more streaky runs. But this Australian pair is still there.
3.38am BST
9th over: Australia 54-1 (Mooney 29, Lanning 19) A good over from Amelia Kerr, five runs from it, having tied down Lanning through the middle of the over. Only singles pushed around the field, then two runs as Lanning pulls the sixth ball. The googly pitching too short again.
3.35am BST
8th over: Australia 49-1 (Mooney 27, Lanning 16) The Kerr sisters bowling in tandem now, with Jess coming back. Lanning tries to do what Healy failed to do, and Lanning succeeds, opening the face and driving over cover, deliberately lofted. Rotates the strike, then Mooney picks up a slower ball and just whacks it off a length over midwicket. Four more. 11 from the over with a leg bye and another single for Mooney to backward point.
3.32am BST
7th over: Australia 38-1 (Mooney 22, Lanning 11) The fielding restrictions come to an end, and Amelia Kerr comes into the match. The Australians went after her the other night, Gardner especially, and hit her out of the attack. Very rare that you would see A. Kerr, the best bowler for NZ by a mile, not complete her four overs in a T20. She did get Lanning out caught in the deep, but a lot of her leg-breaks flew into the deep without being caught. No big shots this time: Mooney drives a single, Lanning back-cuts a couple of runs to deep third, then they take a couple more singles. Lanning using her feet early, converting balls into low full tosses. So she gets a short ball from the sixth of the over, Kerr trying a wrong ‘un but bowling it short and wide, and gets away with it as Lanning cuts straight to the backward point fielder.
3.27am BST
6th over: Australia 33-1 (Mooney 20, Lanning 8) Difficult to time the ball early for Lanning, who keeps trying to go over the off side against Hannah Rowe’s seamers. Skews a ball high over point for two runs, lucky not to be caught, misses another couple of attempts. But the one time she goes leg side, she gets the timing there. The ball is a bit fuller, and Lanning clubs it high down the ground over the rope. The two, the six, and four dots from the over.
3.23am BST
5th over: Australia 25-1 (Mooney 20, Lanning 0) Mooney again picks up a boundary from that straight ball from Mair, first of the over, but Mair bowls really well after a single gets Lanning on strike. Full and straight, yorks the Aussie captain twice, who just keeps the ball out. No further scores bar a leg bye as Katey Martin goes tumbling down the leg side and does an awkward sideways roll that bends her neck. “I don’t need a chiropractor anymore after that,” she says on the player mic.
3.21am BST
4th over: Australia 19-1 (Mooney 15, Lanning 0) The captain Meg Lanning to the crease for the final ball of the fourth over. Defends.
3.18am BST
Another good piece of fielding to start the over, this time Newton is able to offset her previous miss with a diving stop at backward point after Mooney steers the ball looking for the boundary at deep third. They take a run, and Healy pushes at Jess Kerr’s delivery outside off and misses. Rare that you see the Aussie keeper-opener start this slowly: by now she’s usually either on 20 or she’s out. She backs away to leg his time, wanting to make room but making too much in the end. And from the fifth ball of the over – I swear I wrote the above lines before this happened – Healy swings big at a fuller swinging ball, looking to go over cover, and she’s brilliantly caught behind! Katey Martin standing up to the stumps takes a rebound catch. The thick edge, hits her gloves and out before she has time to think, but she’s able to knock the rebound in front of her body, and from there can dive forward to snare the second chance.
3.14am BST
3rd over: Australia 17-0 (Healy 3, Mooney 14) Healy wants to get going. Advances at Mair, strikes the ball nicely to the on side of straight, but a top diving save from Hannah Rowe prevents a boundary. They take a run. Mair hits a really nice length to Mooney, twice moving the ball away from the lefty off the seam and beating the edge. Too straight from the final ball though, and Mooney flicks through long leg for four, beating Newton’s sliding attempted save.
3.09am BST
2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Healy 2, Mooney 10) Jess Kerr from the other end, and she was the standout the other night. She bowls right-arm swing, generally comes over the wicket, starts the ball wide, and swerves it into the right-hander, away from the left. That’s how she got the left-handed Mooney first ball the other night, swinging across and caught at slip. But Kerr’s first ball today is a bit straight, so Mooney can drive a single off her stumps to the leg side. Healy tries a big pull shot off a shorter ball, and just gets enough of a top edge to have it carry over midwicket in the circle. One lucky run. Mooney back on strike. Doesn’t want to be a sitting duck when Kerr gets her length right, so Mooney advances to change the length. Smart move, and it gets her a fuller length to drive through cover for four! Top shot, beating the field along the ground. Kerr comes around the wicket in response, to see whether she can bring her catching cordon into play with a touch of outswing, while also bringing lbw into play with the straight ball. But she drops too short again to end the over, and Mooney pulls for four. She’s such a classy player along the ground. Doesn’t hit many sixes, but doesn’t need to: she hits more fours more consistently than anyone in the game.
3.04am BST
1st over: Australia 2-0 (Healy 1, Mooney 1) Away we go. Frankie Mackay will open the bowling and open the batting today, in the absence of Devine. The only word thus far is that she’s sick, rather than injured. Wishing her all the best. Mackay bowls off-spin, and she got Healy out in the first over the other night. So Healy is watchful starting the match today, taking four balls to push a single along the ground through cover. Mooney adds another. No aerial shots, no advancing down the wicket.
2.49am BST
Sophie Devine isn’t playing today, I’m just looking for information on what is presumably an injury absence for the captain. So a change-up to the NZ team at the top of the order, and the inclusion of Thamsyn Newton. For Australia, teenage speedster Darcie Brown will make her debut, which is exciting. Tayla Vlaeminck is being rotated out of the side to help her return from long-term foot fractures.
Australia
Beth Mooney
Alyssa Healy +
Meg Lanning *
Rachael Haynes
Ashleigh Gardner
Ellyse Perry
Nicola Carey
Georgia Wareham
Jess Jonassen
Megan Schutt
Darcie Brown
2.43am BST
The coin falls Amy Satterthwaite’s way this time around, after Lanning got to choose to chase in the first match. Generally that’s the preferred method for teams in T20 these days: know what you’re chasing. Especially in a day match where floodlights and dew won’t change the batting conditions in the second innings.
2.34am BST
It’s that time: Game 2 of the T20 series between Australia and New Zealand. The first match was one that twisted and turned, with the Kiwis battling through the first half, getting on top when they bowled, then being swept aside by a powerful innings from Ashleigh Gardner. You don’t get this Australian team four wickets down for not many every day, so they might be left ruing that missed opportunity. The Aussies will presumably be better for the run after having spent two weeks in hotel quarantine. So will they come out firing today? Or can the home team get their act together after a poor home season thus far, having previously been comfortably beaten across two formats by England?
March 28, 2021
Australia beat New Zealand in first women's T20 international – as it happened
Meg Lanning’s side prevailed with 12 balls and six wickets to spare at Seddon Park than ks to a blistering Ash Gardner innings
11.25am BST
Related: Australia's Ash Gardner scythes through New Zealand in first T20 international
10.06am BST
The next T20 matches will be on Tuesday, when Emma Kemp will keep you kempany, then Thursday when I’ll be back. If you’re fanging for some more OBO action today, the England-India match has already started.
Catch ya round.
Related: India v England: third and deciding one-day international – live!
10.01am BST
New Zealand had their chances. Battled with the bat early and through the middle of the innings, with only Amy Satterthwaite keeping them afloat with her 40 from 31 balls. Maddy Green and Brooke Halliday pushed their total up in the last couple of overs. And they were in the game after knocking over three batters early, and then Lanning with the score at 62, less than halfway to the target. But in a matter of millimetres they couldn’t take two chances to dismiss Gardner, and to put Australia’s lower-middle order under pressure.
Gardner did exactly her job, taking on New Zealand’s best bowler at a turning point of the game, and swerving that course in Australia’s favour. Belted her way to 73 from 48 balls in the end, making more than half the required runs on her own. Perry provided understated support, and more importantly got through her return match unscathed, although she was not required to bowl.
9.54am BST
18th over: Australia 133-4 (Gardner 73, Perry 23) Mackay to bowl her off-breaks with little hope of affecting the result. Perry sweeps a couple of runs, then puts Gardner back on strike. The top-scorer decides not to go for glory with a six, instead pushing one run through cover. So Perry takes the chance instead, advancing and driving straight over the bowler for four. And doubles up with a pull shot at the end of the over to finish the match.
9.51am BST
17th over: Australia 121-4 (Gardner 72, Perry 12) Sophie Devine bowling, but Gardner doesn’t let up. Drives a couple through the covers, slices a high full toss away through deep third for four, then plays a far more elegant on-drive for two more. Another double-digit over, and the job is all but done. Ten runs to win.
9.45am BST
16th over: Australia 111-4 (Gardner 63, Perry 11) Gardner keeps doing it. Hayley Jensen is the bowler now, medium pace in at the pads, and twice Gardner shifts her weight across slightly and clips off her pads behind square for four. Sprinkle in a few singles, including one to keep the strike, and Gardner has brought the requirement down to 20 needed from the final four overs, while taking her personal strike rate up past 7.5 an over.
9.42am BST
15th over: Australia 99-4 (Gardner 53, Perry 9) Gardner keeps on rolling. Swings at Mair and edges a boundary fine through deep third. Two runs to midwicket raise her fifty, then another two runs to total 9 from the over. She’s already played a match-winning hand, just about.
9.39am BST
14th over: Australia 90-4 (Gardner 45, Perry 8) And that is why you don’t want to drop Ash Gardner. She decides that fate is on her side, and takes on Amelia Kerr. Large. Over midwicket. Into the seats. And again the next ball, this time square of the boundary rider instead of over her. Slog sweeps, both. That gets 15 from the over, and narrows the ask to 41 from 36 balls.
9.36am BST
13th over: Australia 72-4 (Gardner 32, Perry 6) The return of Ellyse Perry, more than a year since she badly hurt her hamstring against New Zealand in the T2o World Cup. She takes a single from her first ball, and pulls a short ball from Frankie Mackay for four from her second ball. Gardner follows by going down the ground, and dropped again! Another magnificent effort from Green. She’s fielding a bit straighter, so she gets to the ball this time. Dives lateral to the line of the ball. But her knee snags in the turf and drags one side of her body back, throwing her off balance. She still gets hands to the ball, and is still hanging onto it. Up until her arms hit the ground, and that is one hit too many. The ball jars free. Unlucky after such an effort.
9.32am BST
12th over: Australia 66-4 (Gardner 26, Perry 0) Gardner has strike after the pair crossed, and she pulls the sixth ball of the over along the ground for four, through square leg.
Australia need 65 in 48.
9.31am BST
The prize goes to Kerr to Younger! Flights the ball and has Lanning advancing again. I fancy that Lanning might have been thinking of going over mid off there, who is up in the circle. But the ball is the wrong ‘un, and it spins into the bat. Struck down to long on then, where Green is waiting. This time, the ball comes to her.
9.27am BST
11th over: Australia 57-3 (Lanning 26, Gardner 22) Lanning’s turn to get some luck as she tries to launch Frankie Mackay’s spin down the ground. It goes a long way up, and Maddy Green is quite wide at long on. The ball is going straight. So Green comes sprinting across the turf, puts in the full dive, and fingertips the ball without being able to get enough purchase. Put in so much effort that it will go down as a dropped catch.
9.25am BST
10th over: Australia 52-3 (Lanning 23, Gardner 20) Jess Kerr to continue, and she has Gardner dropped! Good bowling, a couple of dots, a shovel through midwicket for a couple, and then Gardner swishes outside off stump and into Katey Martin’s gloves. Only problem for New Zealand is that Martin is keeping up to the stumps, and the ball goes straight out again. The next is a thicker edge, past the keeper for four! Unlucky for Jess Kerr at the end. She bowls almost straight through, and finishes her evening with 2 for 17 from her four overs.
9.18am BST
9th over: Australia 45-3 (Lanning 23, Gardner 13) First six of the day for Gardner! And for Australia. She gets a short ball from Devine and goes at it, instinctively. Amelia Kerr is out at deep backward square for exactly that, but it clears her on the rope by a metre or so. Dicey, but that’s Gardner’s power. Only two singles besides the six, so Devine keeps the damage under control.
Australia need 86 from 66 balls.
9.15am BST
8th over: Australia 37-3 (Lanning 22, Gardner 6) Jess Kerr comes back to replace her sister, after Amelia replaced her. Swinging the ball into Lanning, who opens the face and guides a single to deep third. Gardner tries a drive and edges, but on the bounce to Frankie Mackay at short third. The slip is no more. Gardner tries to pull her next ball, though it was only on a length. Doesn’t get much, and duffs it on the dribble out to deep midwicket for one run. Two dot balls to Lanning, one angling into middle stump, one just outside off but edged into the ground. The last ball slips wider and Lanning can drive square. Three singles from the over, another good one from Kerr the Elder but cricketing junior.
9.09am BST
7th over: Australia 34-3 (Lanning 20, Gardner 5) Back to seam-up bowling as Sophie Devine bowls an over. Very regular outside the off stump, and the Australians take four singles from it.
9.09am BST
6th over: Australia 30-3 (Lanning 18, Gardner 3) The consolidation period doesn’t last long! At least, not with the field up. The last over of the fielding restrictions and Lanning wants to take advantage. She’s helped by Amelia Kerr bowling a couple of unlovely full tosses, one of which Lanning punts down the ground for four. Kerr gets her length right after a couple of balls, but Lanning skips down to meet one and launches it straight for six.
9.05am BST
5th over: Australia 20-3 (Lanning 8, Gardner 3) A quiet over from Mair as the Australians look to settle. Only two runs from the bat, plus a wide and a leg bye.
9.00am BST
4th over: Australia 16-3 (Lanning 7, Gardner 2) Jess Kerr finishes the over with her stock delivery, starting wide of the stumps and swinging in a long way, surprising Gardner as it seams further towards the bat. Kerr has 2 for 7.
8.57am BST
Another one down, the vice-captain this time. Jess Kerr has been bowling a touch short to the left-hander with a deep square leg out. The first such delivery was pulled out there for a single. The second, Haynes tries to really muscle a similar shot, and plays under it. A top edge that lobs to mid on. Game on.
8.54am BST
3rd over: Australia 12-2 (Lanning 6, Haynes 2) Rosemary Mair feeds Lanning on the cut shot, and it often feels as though Lanning has scored about 80 percent of her career runs between point and backward point. Hits it away crisply for four.
8.52am BST
2nd over: Australia 6-2 (Lanning 1, Haynes 1) A wide from Jess Kerr and a couple of singles, and that’s it from the over. What a start for New Zealand. They’ve got Australia’s engine room in operation earlier than is customary: Lanning and Haynes. It’s one thing to get them in though; you’ve got to get them out as well to win.
8.50am BST
Mooney goes first ball! It’s the other Kerr, Jess, the sister of, who bowls with some swing away from the left-hander and some bounce. Mooney cuts and gets a thick top edge. And you cannot keep Frankie Mackay out of the game. There she is at first slip, taking the catch, hurling the ball up in the air with a look of pure disbelief on her face.
8.47am BST
1st over: Australia 3-0 (Mooney 3) Quite the tactical move from New Zealand. Frankie Mackay is an off-spinner and she opens the bowling. Her first of the over is a wide, drifting down the leg side. But she finds some grip and turn, spinning the ball back into Healy. One wider ball gets driven over cover, but well saved by Devine on the rope after a chase. And the wide is important, because it gives Mackay a seventh ball. That’s the one that provides the catch to Satterthwaite diving forward to take it low.
8.45am BST
A wicket in the first over, and it’s Australia’s cleanest striker of the ball. Dream start for New Zealand. Gives herself room, opens the blade, and strikes Mackay straight to point.
8.41am BST
That’s that, then. Australia won’t be worried about 131, but at least NZ managed to get the ask up above a run a ball, and give themselves something to defend. Kerr will be key given the role Wareham and Jonassen played. The left-arm spinner took 3 for 26, and it was 3 for 14 before her final over when Green got a couple of belated hits away.
8.39am BST
20th over: NZ 130-6 (Halliday 11, Mackay 3) Some late entertainment from Frankie Mackay. Tall, strong, dreadlocks cascading out the back of her batting helmet, she walks out to the middle jumping and jigging, then tries an elaborate reverse sweep against Schutt first ball. Misses it, but sufficiently distracts Alyssa Healy that the keeper misses it too. The ball goes down the leg side but isn’t a wide because the batter played a reverse. It does however go down to the boundary for four byes. Next ball, she tries a lap shot through fine leg, misses that, and is given out lbw. Except she refers the decision and it shows there was a big inside edge, so she didn’t quite miss it. She doesn’t get the run that she should have got though, given the Laws say the ball becomes dead once the umpire’s finger goes up. She finally belts her first run off the bat to deep midwicket, then gets the strike back for the final ball, and helicopters it away through square leg for two. Should be run out by metres, but Wareham’s throw goes awry and Healy has to undertake a pilgrimage to collect the ball.
8.28am BST
Luck for Schutt, as Green steps way outside leg stump. Schutt follows her feet, aiming in at the boots, and it hits Green’s pad and ricochets back at an angle so sharp that the ball hits off stump. First ball of the final over, Schutt removes the danger striker.
8.26am BST
19th over: NZ 122-5 (Green 15, Halliday 10) Jonassen to close out the innings at one end, but Maddy Green smacks her for six! Dead straight down the ground after a charge. Simple. Next ball, predictably, Jonassen bowls a bit shorter, and Green stays back to place the late cut for four. Splits the two fielders behind point. Jonassen switches to left-arm over the wicket to the right-hander, and it works as a ball spins sharply from outside leg stump and evades the bat, hitting the thigh pad. Leg bye and it gets Green off strike. A couple of singles follow, then JJ yorks Halliday off the last ball, no score as it jams between toe and turf.
8.23am BST
18th over: NZ 109-5 (Green 4, Halliday 9) Schutt to bowl two of the last three overs, as per usual. The batters trade singles from the first three balls, then Brooke Halliday advances, opening the face a touch, and lofts a drive over mid off for four! Top shot. She debuted earlier this summer for New Zealand. Places the fifth ball nicely along the ground through midwicket, Green racing back in good support to create the second run, then the left-handed Halliday walks outside leg stump and goes up and over square leg for two more. A good over for NZ! They score 11.
8.17am BST
17th over: NZ 98-5 (Green 2, Halliday 0) Wareham finishes her night with 1 for 18 from her four overs. Three runs from her final set.
8.16am BST
Slipping away for NZ, as Kerr comes down the wicket and tries to launch over cover. Gets a thick sliced edge high over backward point, and Haynes backpedals and gets hands above her head to take a very good catch. Kerr couldn’t get any fluency tonight. She played so many big shots, hit the ball hard, and still comes back in with a strike rate of 68. Could not stop finding the field.
8.14am BST
16th over: NZ 95-4 (Kerr 19, Green 0) Well then. Satterthwaite did drop the hammer in the previous over, taking 14 from it before getting out. But two wickets fall in five balls, and Jonassen’s over goes for two runs. NZ still haven’t cracked 6 runs per over. They’re battling.
8.12am BST
Left-arm spin 101 from JJ. From around the wicket, at the stumps, like she does every match for Australia. Martin tries to nudge to the leg side, turns her bat sideways and misses. Hit right in front.
8.08am BST
15th over: NZ 93-3 (Kerr 18) Lovely shot from Satterthwaite to start the over, flicked off her pads well behind square from Carey. I’ve got Grant Elliott on my commentary stream doing his best Kevin Pietersen impression. Took a while to work out who the actual speaker was. A couple of singles, then Satterthwaite hits the first six of the night. Length from Carey, the batter dips her knees enough to get under it and lifts it over deep square leg with a cross-bat swing. Tries again and gets the toe of the bat, past off stump and past the keeper for two. Tries a third time from the last ball of the over, looking to midwicket, slices it straighter than that, and Perry at long on is one of the best outfield catchers in the game.
8.04am BST
14th over: NZ 79-2 (Satterthwaite 27, Kerr 17) Wareham keeps hanging the ball up there, and Kerr keeps going for it without really getting it. A sweep shot dragged past her leg stump, a straight hit that goes higher than it does long and is saved by the sweeper. NZ are only going at 5.64 an over thus far.
8.02am BST
13th over: NZ 73-2 (Satterthwaite 26, Kerr 12) Tayla Vlaeminck’s final over. Satterthwaite keeps hanging back in her crease, and finally starts making contact with her drags to the leg side. Flogs the first ball of the set over midwicket for two, and the sixth ball even better into the rope for four. It goes high and plugs, but it makes the boundary. The middle four deliveries only concede two runs, too short and fast for either batter to do much with. Vlaeminck’s night’s work is 0 for 26.
7.59am BST
12th over: NZ 65-2 (Satterthwaite 19, Kerr 11) Battle of the leggies again, as Kerr skips at Wareham and smacks her down the ground, again saved to keep the scoring to two. Almost a run out from the final ball as the two batters just about collide mid pitch, having to untangle their trajectories before making their ground. Six from the over.
7.56am BST
11th over: NZ 59-2 (Satterthwaite 17, Kerr 7) Vlaeminck is back, bowling with a slip, and she bowls perfectly for that field. Right-armer to the left-hander, angling across Satterthwaite at pace, and hitting a hard length at 120+. Three times Satterthwaite tries to swing to the leg side, without much of an indication of what she was hoping to do. Fourth ball she decides to change the length by charging, and slams a cross-bat shot past mid off for four. Got the better on that occasion. But Vlaeminck has her number with the fifth ball. Again Satterthwaite hangs back and swings across the line. This time she gets a thick top edge, it sits up high in the air, and Healy trotting back drops it! A simple catch for a keeper, and somehow Healy lets it squirm free.
7.50am BST
10th over: NZ 53-2 (Satterthwaite 12, Kerr 6) Amelia Kerr wants a piece of Carey! Tries the lap shot first of all and misses, while it doesn’t clear her bails by much. Sinks down on one knee to try clearing cover, but only makes enough contact to get a single. Last ball of the over Kerr advances and hits hard and straight, really well struck but it gets saved by long on running around. Kerr hustles back for two runs.
7.46am BST
9th over: NZ 49-2 (Satterthwaite 11, Kerr 3) Sixth bowler in nine overs, and Ellyse Perry has yet to be handed the ball. So many options in this Australian team, and the likes of Annabel Sutherland isn’t even here. Tahlia McGrath and Sophie Molineux not playing, both all-round talents. Amelia Kerr sweeps her opposing leg-spinner for a single, skips down to flick another run after Satterthwaite gives her the strike back. Three from the over, Australia keeping them quiet.
7.42am BST
8th over: NZ 46-2 (Satterthwaite 10, Kerr 1) Nicola Carey on to bowl, as Lanning keeps ringing the chances. She’s short of stature, medium pace, gets some swing, uses her lack of height to skid the ball through. Can be hard to get away, certainly hard to get under, and the batting pair can only manage three singles as show bowls straight.
7.40am BST
7th over: NZ 43-2 (Satterthwaite 9, Kerr 0) Ash Gardner with her off-spin, and Satterthwaite uses her feet early and confidently. Gets down the wicket twice, aided by a full toss the second time, and hits one boundary over mid off, the next over wide mid on.
7.38am BST
6th over: NZ 35-2 (Satterthwaite 1, Kerr 0) End of a double-wicket over. Over her career Jonassen averages a wicket every four overs against New Zealand in ODI cricket, and every four and a half overs in T20 cricket. Useful.
7.35am BST
One opener follows the other. I’m all for inventive thinking in cricket, but anyone who has watched her bat knows that Hayley Jensen is not an opener. That’s a horrible shot. A short ball that really she could hit to a range of spots. Jensen is in three minds. Leaning onto the front foot, then trying to shift onto the back foot, she gets stuck in between. Ends up playing the ball with one foot off the ground. It’s outside the line of her body, and yet she’s trying to heave to the leg side. It’s a horrible mix, and it only sends the ball 10 metres straight up in the air, for the wicketkeeper to trot around and catch.
7.33am BST
The biggest wicket falls early! Devine gets one boundary away off Jonassen, skipping down to hit the spinner down the ground. But she tries to go again in the same over, a slog-sweep this time. There are only two boundary riders outside the circle, and this shot goes directly to Ash Gardner, who in this team has a mortgage on the spot at deep midwicket.
7.31am BST
5th over: NZ 28-0 (Devine 13, Jensen 12) Schutt nearly gets Jensen caught at mid off! Jonassen tracking back dives but can’t get hands to it. Jensen trying the big muscled shot but slices it. Lucky that she gets just enough bat on it.
7.27am BST
4th over: NZ 26-0 (Devine 12, Jensen 11) Jess Jonassen on early with her left-arm spin. Great record against New Zealand. Devine tries to take her on a couple of times, over the off side and the leg side, but only gets a brace and a single.
7.26am BST
3rd over: NZ 21-0 (Devine 8, Jensen 10) Here’s the flipside of pace: Vlaeminck loses her radar in the second half of her second over. Oversteps while bowling the fourth ball and concedes a no-ball. Gets away with the free hit, because Devine steps away to give herself room, anticipating a bouncer, but instead gets a high fast full toss at her body. Just low enough to be a legal delivery, and Devine can only edge it into the ground to the keeper. Then Vlaeminck errs leg side for a couple of wides, way outside off stump for a cut shot to the boundary from Jensen, then leg side again for a glance to the fine-leg rope. No runs from her first over, 12 from her second.
7.18am BST
2nd over: NZ 9-0 (Devine 8, Jensen 1) Megan Schutt will be the new-ball partner, her inswinging style from over the wicket, right arm. She pins down Jensen for three balls, then draws an outside edge that falls short of backward point. But Jensen pinches a single, and that gives Devine a chance. She’s played a lot of cricket with Megan Schutt at the Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL, and takes her on, first ball. Smacks it over mid on for four, with the field up. Streaky stroke, across the line, but the next one isn’t. Schutt overpitches, and Devine hits dead straight over the bowler for four.
7.16am BST
1st over: NZ 0-0 (Devine 0, Jensen 0) It will be Tayla Vlaeminck to start for Australia, a new-ish young pace bowler who was the quickest in the world before a foot injury that cost her a spot in last year’s T20 World Cup. This is her first match back in national colours in over a year. And she’s lost no pace with the layoff! Starts at 119 kph, and soon works her way up to 122 and 123 as she launches at Sophie Devine. Most seam bowlers in the women’s game operate more between 100 and 115. Vlaeminck stays back of a length and straight or outside off stump. Beats a couple of cross-batted shots from Devine, and has her ducking a ball at the body that doesn’t get up too high in the end, but Devine gets under it. A scoreless over to start!
7.05am BST
New Zealand
Hayley Jensen
Sophie Devine *
Amy Satterthwaite
Amelia Kerr
Katey Martin +
Maddy Green
Brooke Halliday
Frances Mackay
Hannah Rowe
Jess Kerr
Rosemary Mair
Australia
Beth Mooney
Alyssa Healy +
Meg Lanning *
Rachael Haynes
Ashleigh Gardner
Ellyse Perry
Nicola Carey
Georgia Wareham
Jess Jonassen
Megan Schutt
Tayla Vlaeminck
6.45am BST
“Just to settle into a tour, I guess,” says Meg Lanning of the choice to put the pressure on her bowlers first. Teams generally prefer to chase in 20-over cricket. The Aussies spent two weeks in quarantine but they’ve been out for a few days and had time to get moving again. Sophie Devine for New Zealand says “We’re not too disappointed to have a bat first, it looks like a good surface here at Hamilton.”
6.28am BST
Hello, cricket fiends. The game of the bat and the ball has been everywhere of late. The New Zealand men’s team had a frolic against Bangladesh earlier today in a 20-over match. The England men’s team will tackle India across 50 overs in a match starting two hours after this one. But here, we’ve got the Australian women being hosted by New Zealand in the first of three T20 Internationals, followed by three One-Day Internationals.
This time of year was roughly when the 50-over Women’s World Cup was due to be held in New Zealand, but it got postponed. The Australian team hasn’t played since hosting the Kiwis last September and early October, although the players have been busy domestically. Everyone in this squad missed the last few rounds of the domestic 50-over comp, the Women’s National Cricket League, and in the absence of some star players from both sides, Queensland won the Ruth Preddy Cup for the first time over the weekend, beating Victoria.
Continue reading...March 6, 2021
New Zealand beat Australia by seven wickets in fifth T20 international – as it happened
2.45am GMT
And here is the match report from Wellington.
Related: New Zealand claim series over Australia with big win in T20 decider
2.25am GMT
That’s enough from us – thanks for your company through the series, and there’ll be plenty more OBO cricket coming up on the Guardian pages. As for the Cake Tin today, it’s about to host the England and New Zealand women’s teams in their third T20. England lead that series 0-2. See ya.
2.20am GMT
Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s captain, finishes the formalities:
“Incredibly hard fought series. Outstanding to pick up some of what we learned from the first two games and adjust to that surface. It’s about the cricket that we want to play, and we know how strong the Australian side is. In some ways we got exposed on that surface, and they adapted far quicker than we did. When you’re playing three games on the same surface you get clearer on how you want to approach it. Clearly the slower bowlers on that surface were a little bit trickier. I want to thank Aaron and his team for coming over, I’m sure they’ve had enough quarantine by now.”
2.18am GMT
Aaron Finch steps up, looking... delighted.
“We weren’t aggressive enough with the bat, myself up top leading that. If one of us gets 60 or 70, that might have got us to 160 or 170, and then we’re only a couple of Powerplay overs away from really squeezing them. I thought the pitch played better than the other day. For a drop-in wicket to hold up over three games, unexpectedly too, is credit to the groundsman. For us the constant improvement from game one to game four was pleasing. New Zealand are a great side, and for them to bounce back wasn’t surprising. It’s been a pleasure being here.”
2.16am GMT
Player of the series is Ish Sodhi.
“In these conditions you have to be as aggressive as possible. The boys up the top create some pressure to help us in the middle. The last game it turned a little bit, held up, but I think it was a better surface today. The batsmen adapted brilliantly to chase that score down. Chapman and Phillips work really hard in the nets, and for Chapman to pick up that big wicket of Glenn Maxwell for us was brilliant.”
2.13am GMT
Player of the match is, surprise surprise, Martin Guptill.
“The other night we took a backward step, so today we wanted to not back down from the fight. Devon’s opened a lot for Wellington over the years and he was brilliant out there today with me. It was nice to spend a bit more time and create a partnership, he got off to a good start, then I was able to catch up with him. Hitting sixes is just trusting that you can get enough with the bat, so you can stay in the shot and not try to overhit it.”
2.05am GMT
Obviously Phillips wasn’t in on the plan to let Chapman bat, because Chapman faces two balls before Phillips finishes the match as quickly as possible. The bulk of the work though was done by Guptill. He made a brilliant 97 down in Dunedin, and finished off the series with his 71 here today. Conway was excellent in support as well, kept contributing to keeping the run rate high while also giving Guptill lots of strike. A century opening stand in T20 cricket will be enough to set up your team in just about any game, so it was easy for Phillips to come in and play with freedom to finish things off with 34 from 16 balls.
Earlier it was New Zealand’s bowling the held the score to something achievable. Australia did give away two wickets to Sodhi’s full tosses, but there was also some excellent bowling from Boult and Southee especially to make sure that Australia’s potential run-scorers didn’t turn their medium scores into big ones. Finch made 36, Wade 44, Stoinis 26, and all got out before they could blow up.
1.59am GMT
15.3 overs: New Zealand 143-3 (Phillips 34, Chapman 1) Finch decides to give Zampa one more chance to try to get something out of this game after some rough treatment from Guptill, and Phillips decides to treat Zampa exactly the same way. First ball of the over, slog-sweep for six. Third ball of the over, on drive for six more and the win.
1.57am GMT
14th over: New Zealand 131-3 (Phillips 22, Chapman 1) Mark Chapman gets his chance in the middle, after a cameo with the bat when the match was all but lost on Friday night. Elevated to No5 today to give him a chance to hit a few. Might as well when this game is all but won. He’s off strike to begin with, as Phillips crossed when Guptill’s dismissal was still pending, and Phillips makes the most of the strike with a very nice off drive for four. They trade singles after that. Jhye Richardson with 1 for 7 from the over.
New Zealand need 12 from 30.
1.53am GMT
Too late, but the main man falls. Tries a mighty pull shot to a ball that isn’t really short enough, and at Richardson’s pace that goes a long way up before settling in the hands of Marsh at short fine leg.
1.51am GMT
14th over: New Zealand 124-2 (Guptill 71, Phillips 16) Toe to toe! Meredith sears a ball in at Phillips that comes via the inside edge onto his body, has him flinching away. So the next ball Phillips comes forward and absolutely murders the ball right back at Meredith, who has to duck in his follow-through and narrowly avoids being hit. Scary stuff, though Meredith just laughs as he comes to a stop on the pitch, sitting on his backside.
Points go to Phillips to end the over, though, as he pulls Meredith’s shortish ball through midwicket for four, then backs away to drive the attempted yorker through cover. Three boundaries from the over, and the game is all but done. 19 from 36 required.
1.46am GMT
13th over: New Zealand 111-2 (Guptill 70, Phillips 4) Five balls from Agar for one run, before Phillips manages to whip away a boundary in the air to wide long on. He’s back in the game, as per Benjamin Macintyre’s email about his bowling. “Glenn Phillips was a visionary. Sodhi simply reaped the rewards.”
It was free-form extempore off-spinning from Phillips today, of a kind close to the hearts of all of we junk cricketers around the world. Wonderful to see it on a professional stage.
1.44am GMT
12th over: New Zealand 106-2 (Guptill 69) Last ball of the over as Williamson falls, two in the over for Meredith. They need 37 in 48 balls, the New Zealanders. Should still stroll it in, but there’s a slight way into the contest for Australia.
1.42am GMT
The Kiwi captain is gone, leg before to Meredith again. The same dismissal as a couple of matches ago when Meredith was on debut. Kane Williamson shuffling across his stumps, caught in front by the cross seam delivery the angles in. It looked a touch high, Williamson hopping, but the DRS shows it clipping high on leg stump.
1.40am GMT
Marty Guptill is on one today. Pulls a couple of runs to raise the hundred, then plays an outrageous helicoptered whip shot off his hip to split the gap at deep backward square. But once he turns the strike over, the left-handed Conway lofts with the angle of Meredith’s bowling to deep cover and is caught.
1.34am GMT
11th over: New Zealand 98-0 (Conway 36, Guptill 62) Suddenly New Zealand only need 47 from 60 deliveries. Agar appeals after hitting Guptill’s pad but the ball is going down leg. Three singles from the over, this pair happy to avoid risks given Agar has been so accurate and has taken wickets through the series.
1.30am GMT
10th over: New Zealand 95-0 (Conway 35, Guptill 60) Matthew Wade talks Finch into taking a desperation review for a catch down the leg side, but Guptill got nothing on Jhye Richardson’s ball and it gets called a wide. The Aussies losing it now, Richardson as a right-armer has come around the wicket in this over to try to cramp Guptill for room but instead bowls wide of off stump, and gets cut for four. Four singles, the extra, and the boundary in another costly over.
1.27am GMT
9th over: New Zealand 87-0 (Conway 33, Guptill 54)
THAT’S ON THE ROOF!
1.18am GMT
8th over: New Zealand 64-0 (Conway 32, Guptill 32) Kane Richardson bowls short to Guptill, who mistimes a pull shot that limps out to deep square leg on the bounce. A breather for everybody in an over of five singles.
New Zealand need 79 from 72 balls.
1.14am GMT
7th over: New Zealand 59-0 (Conway 29, Guptill 30) Another close call that doesn’t land for the Australians. Adam Zampa’s second ball of the day, Guptill gets down and sweeps hard to deep midwicket, but it goes too square of Kane Richardson. He runs around but doesn’t have the rhythm to time his dive forward and get hands to it. Reaches out but misses the ball. Guptill, undeterred, smokes another in the air through cover, just to the left of Ashton Agar. Might have taken his hand off but it was some chance of a catch had it gone at him. Two boundaries and four dots from the over, interesting battle.
1.11am GMT
6th over: New Zealand 51-0 (Conway 29, Guptill 22) Riley Meredith is back with pace, but his line to the left-hander isn’t there. On the hip, and Conway can help it away to fine leg with full control this time. Meredith fixes his line but bowls an in-between short ball, and Conway seizes on it immediately, pulling for a flat six. Fierce power on that, all through the timing. This move of Conway up the order has already paid off for NZ in a small chase. He takes a single, and Guptill can’t carry on the charge: a drive to mid on for none, then misses a cut shot at a good fast bouncer. Bold from Meredith, right over middle stump and quick. The sixth ball of the over draws a miscue from Guptill, inside edge the lobs high behind square leg, but Zampa and Stoinis hang back and look at one another as it drops between them. I don’t think either of them could have made that into a catching chance, they were a fair way off. Guptill gets a run.
1.06am GMT
5th over: New Zealand 39-0 (Conway 18, Guptill 21) Kane Richardson is on to bowl his occasional fast stuff and often slower stuff. A streaky boundary for Conway, who tries to pull and gets some combination of glove and edge down the leg side, too high for the keeper to catch. Gorgeous shot from Guptill, who gets a full wide ball and utterly laces the square drive through cover point for four. I just rewound the stream to watch that shot again.
1.02am GMT
“Late night effort from Naples,” emails Colum Fordham. “Still feeling a bit shellshocked by England’s demise at the hands of India so thought I’d follow the T20 for a big of light relief. Sounds like New Zealand are committing the same errors as England. Risking inexperienced spin bowlers such as Phillips and Bess is clearly not a good option. Santner fine, Leach to an extent. I know we’re talking different forms of cricket but the basic skill sets still apply. Promises to be a good match.”
1.00am GMT
4th over: New Zealand 28-0 (Conway 12, Guptill 16) Jhye Richardson with the ball, he bowls fast but probably won’t get swing today. Hits a decent length early, Conway forcing a single to cover point, Guptill unable to score off the next. A grunt from Richardson with an effort ball, following Guptill as he backs away, in at the waist. No room to swing. Next ball Guptill moves inside that line, deflecting it for a run. Richardson bowls similarly to Conway, no room. Three singles from the over.
12.57am GMT
3rd over: New Zealand 25-0 (Conway 10, Guptill 15) Having a left-hander facing Agar pays off, as he gives a bit too much width to Conway who can cut to the boundary. He turns over the strike to midwicket after that, and Agar has to adjust his line to the right-hander with one ball left in the over. He drops a bit short again, and that gives the tall Guptill room to swing through the line with a straighter bat, sending him over wide long on for six. The over costs 13 runs.
12.54am GMT
2nd over: New Zealand 12-0 (Conway 4, Guptill 8) Guptill finds the first boundary of the day, flicking Meredith off his pads through square, using the pace. The same pace nearly had Conway caught down at third man just before that shot, with Zampa charging in but the ball fell short.
12.52am GMT
1st over: New Zealand 5-0 (Conway 3, Guptill 2) Agar opens the bowling with his left-armers, as he did on Friday. NZ let him bowl far too cheaply there. This new opening pair is Guptill and Conway, not Chapman. Left-hander too, is Conway. He and Guptill take five singles from the over.
12.34am GMT
An excellent home performance. A big Australian score looked on the cards when Finch and Wade were together at the halfway mark, and still was in the air when Phillips had just bowled a shocker and Stoinis was there at 99 for 3. But the wickets started to fall. Sodhi grabbed three with some dodgy stuff, Boult and Southee finished with two each, and a bonus one for Chapman.
This is a slightly smaller target than the one NZ failed so badly to chase on Friday night, and they’ll get to look at it in sunshine rather than floodlights.
12.32am GMT
20th over: Australia 142-8 (K. Richardson 2) New Zealand have done really well to stifle Australia’s charge. Two wickets in the final over for Southee, eight runs conceded.
12.29am GMT
Last ball of the match, fuller ball, and Jhye has to swing. Gets most of it but gets caught on the midwicket fence.
12.27am GMT
Talk about a mixed bag! Southee with the final over, and he starts with a leg-side wide. Then a high full toss. It’s a no ball, a free hit, but Marsh has lost strike after pulling it to deep square leg. Richardson can only get some pad on it behind square, but Marsh is backing up so far that he can belt through and get the strike back. Southee misses his line again, this time to the off side, aiming for the wide yorker but drifting too wide.
But after wide, no ball, leg bye, wide, Southee lands the perfect yorker right under Marsh’s toes, and it cleans him up. Bails akimbo. Was not expecting that, he was expecting the wide line again most likely. Late on the shot, trying to muscle it, nowhere near.
12.23am GMT
19th over: Australia 134-6 (Marsh 9, J. Richardson 3) Boult so nearly gets through the over: four singles and a dot ball, but the exception is the fifth delivery, which is full enough for Marsh to use all his power and deposit over long on for six.
12.18am GMT
18th over: Australia 124-6 (Marsh 1, J. Richardson 1) A clear tactical error from Sodhi, because he lands the hat-trick ball on the pitch. Mitch Marsh defends it. His batting partner is Jhye Richardson.
12.16am GMT
Another one to the full bunger! It’s a high fully, Agar advances and makes it even higher, gets it about stomach height and is cramped for room trying to swing it over midwicket, and Guptill out there for the left-hander takes another.
12.15am GMT
Caught off the filth! A big full toss from Sodhi, and Stoinis isn’t in position. He’s initially opening up his stance to hit leg side, then he sees the length outside his off stump, and ends up coming across the ball and slicing it all the way down to long off where the catch is held. The full toss, his kryptonite this series.
12.13am GMT
17th over: Australia 122-4 (Stoinis 26, Agar 6) Southee back, Agar smoking him along the ground to cover but again for one. Stoinis lines one up, and... is dropped! Conway at long off gets another that he can’t handle. It goes an absolute mile up in the air, Conway is under it and waiting, then the Wellington wind pushes it just a bit too far back. Suddenly he’s having to arch backwards for it, and it clips his fingers and lands safe. That was the knuckle ball from Southee, floating down and causing the mistimed shot, the same kind of delivery that Boult used to dismiss Wade. Holding one knuckle behind the ball and letting it creep out of the bowling hand.
Stoinis is still there, and he marks that fate by utterly savaging six runs from a length ball over midwicket. Straightish bat, swing.
12.07am GMT
16th over: Australia 112-4 (Stoinis 18, Agar 4) Picket fence over for Santner, bowling slow left-arm around the wicket regardless of whether he’s bowling to the lefty or the right-hander. Six singles, however hard they try to hit the ball.
12.05am GMT
15th over: Australia 106-4 (Stoinis 15, Agar 1) Ashton Agar gets promoted again, with the hope of having a left-hander who can tackle the spinners late in the match. He’s made two ducks in this series the last two times this has happened. Gets off the mark today with a nudge to leg. Boult goes for four singles from the wicket-taking over.
12.03am GMT
Caught in the deep. Boult comes back and bowls full and straight, Wade wants to punish it over the leg side, but doesn’t time his flick and get it square enough. Instead it lofts straighter, and Guptill can run in from deep midwicket for a low catch that is comfortable enough by his high standards.
12.00am GMT
14th over: Australia 102-3 (Wade 44, Stoinis 12) “There’s the difference between a specialist and an amateur,” says Mitchell Santner, as he lands an over of left-arm spin perfectly. Three singles, against two hitters of this stature, that’s a massive win. He also has Stoinis dropped, I’d wager, the batsman backing away and trying to cut and there’s a noise as it passes the top edge into Seifert’s gloves and out again.
11.57pm GMT
13th over: Australia 99-3 (Wade 43, Stoinis 10) Phillips gets another over. Bold from Williamson. And Wade wants a huge piece of him. Can’t time the cut shot well enough and only gets a run. Stoinis gets a low full toss and drills it for four. Nearly caught at long on by Conway, but the ball is going too straight of him and his one-handed dive across can’t get there. From that point Phillips loses his composure, first with a filthy wide that lands in the keeper’s gloves on the full almost off the pitch, then with a high full toss that would also have been a wide had Stoinis not hammered it through backward point for four, beating the sweeper out there. Phillips is trying to bowl outside off stump, giving no room to swing to leg, but he can’t land them. Almost bowls three wides in a row outside off, except that Stoinis goes for one of them and gets an edge that doesn’t quite beat short third inside the circle. Phillips gets lucky on that one, and on a ball so wide that it almost misses the pitch and could have been called a no-ball. Then he gets lucky one more time with his final full toss that Stoinis can only belt to long on for a single. We finish with 13 off the over, and surely that’s the end of the Phillips experiment.
11.50pm GMT
12th over: Australia 86-3 (Wade 42, Stoinis 1) Wade doesn’t waste any time with responding. Sodhi is turning the ball into the left-hander, so Wade plays the same kind of shot that Maxwell was attempting and nails the slog-sweep for six. Flat again, struck really well, and right over Boult’s head by a couple of metres. Cuts a single, then Stoinis gets a good ball that turns away from his edge, another that he defends, before pushing a run to cover point.
11.47pm GMT
11th over: Australia 77-3 (Wade 34, Stoinis 0) A huge bonus over for Chapman, three runs from it plus the wicket.
11.46pm GMT
Had to take some risks with a part-timer bowling, and Maxwell plays the conventional sweep to keep the heart palpitations of the establishment in check. He gets down low to try to get power on the lofted sweep, gets a lot on it, but can’t clear the man on the rope at deep backward square leg.
11.44pm GMT
10th over: Australia 74-2 (Wade 32) Cat and mouse over. Finch defends Sodhi off the front foot, then gets a short ball and carves it through cover for four. Tries again but hits backward point in the circle. Opens the face and drives over mid off for four. Nearly caught. Southee at long off runs in but has to make up ground across the field as well, and mistimes his lunge and can’t get hands on the ball. But the fifth delivery he’s camped on the back foot and can’t beat cover with a push, and the sixth ball he squeezes away off the top edge and is caught at backward point.
11.39pm GMT
9th over: Australia 66-1 (Finch 28, Wade 32) Glenn Phillips is getting a bowl, this is interesting. Hasn’t turned the arm over in this format before. He’s a strong boi, got some biceps bulging out of his shirt sleeves as is required to propel the mighty art of... off spin. All the power though comes from Aaron Finch, who gets strike from Wade and doesn’t even wait for one sighter of his own before smashing Phillips over midwicket for six. But Phillips responds well: Finch can’t time his next big attempt, getting one run down the ground, then Wade tries to put one into space and only toes it back to the bowler. Eight from the over, not a disaster for NZ.
11.35pm GMT
8th over: Australia 58-1 (Finch 21, Wade 31) Here’s Ish Sodhi, with 10 wickets in the series so far from his leg-breaks. He’s bagged a couple of cheap ones but has bowled well for the most part, skidding the ball on and aiming straight. Five singles to start things off, nearly yorking Finch with the fourth of them. Wade carves through cover but there’s protection back. Finch gets a leading edge to short cover and can’t get a run.
11.31pm GMT
7th over: Australia 53-1 (Finch 19, Wade 28) Chapman gets a chance early with his left-arm spin, perhaps the Kiwis hoping to sneak through an over while the batsmen adjust to having more boundary riders back. He does so, four singles and a brace, the two runs coming from a top-edged sweep from Wade that evaded the converging catchers behind the wicketkeeper.
11.29pm GMT
6th over: Australia 47-1 (Finch 17, Wade 24) Southee comes back, and again this Australian pair take a few deliveries to have a look before the big shot comes out. Finch plays his favoured lofted drive but angles it to the on-side of straight, and it bounces a literal inch inside the boundary rope for four. Southee throws in a couple of wides to help the scoring along, then finishes the over with a low full toss that Wade pounds flat for six. Gets low and swings it over backward square leg.
NZ in some strife after 47 runs in the fielding restrictions period.
11.23pm GMT
5th over: Australia 32-1 (Finch 11, Wade 17) Trent Boult starts well, a few dots and a leg bye off Finch’s pad. Then he gets away with the widest wide you’ve ever seen spared. A bouncer outside the off stump that must be a couple of feet above Wade’s head height, yet is called as “one for the over” by the umpires. Bizarre decision, from every available camera angle. When Boult pitches up, though, Wade drives him over cover for four.
11.18pm GMT
4th over: Australia 25-1 (Finch 11, Wade 11) Finch has had enough of patting Santner around, so when he sees some width he drives, holds his pose, and just chips it over cover. No need to swing hard at that with the field up. Four runs. Goes hard at the next one though, stepping down and throwing everything at a cut shot that he has to reach for, and can only smear it to backward point on the bounce. They get a sharp single. That brings Wade onto strike, and he drops to one knee to sweep airborne just square of the catcher at short fine leg for another boundary.
11.15pm GMT
3rd over: Australia 14-1 (Finch 6, Wade 5) A nice option to get off the mark for the left-handed Wade, with a leg-stump half volley that gets whipped away behind square leg for four. Important innings for Wade, you’d think.
11.13pm GMT
The change-up doesn’t last long. Philippe goes and Wade will come in early. Boult bowls left-arm over the wicket, very full, swinging in to Philippe just a touch, and the batsman walks across his stumps a long way and then tries to whip square instead of driving straight. Misses, and is hit in front of middle.
11.10pm GMT
2nd over: Australia 8-0 (Philippe 2, Finch 5) Mitchell Santner opening the bowling, interesting one, he was so good the other night with his left-arm spin. Does the job again here, only a single from his opening over, thwacked away in the air by Philippe, before Finch is circumspect against the next three balls.
11.07pm GMT
1st over: Australia 7-0 (Philippe 1, Finch 5) A change in the order, then, with Cruel Intentions’ own Ryan Philippe opening the batting instead of Wade. This is the job that Josh Philippe does for the Sixers in the Big Bash and so he’s getting a chance where he’s most comfortable for this final outing. Apparently Chapman will be opening rather than batting No7 for the Kiwis, too, in place of keeper Tim Seifert.
Tim Southee has the ball, and mostly does a decent job bowling a straight line with some swing, except that he overpitches one ball and lets Finch flick square for four. NZ starting with a long off back in the deep, after Finch relied so much on his straight drive the other night in an awkward innings that came good at the very end.
10.51pm GMT
Here’s a reader email to start us off from Tane Aikman. “Hello from a beautiful if rather chill Wellington. It’s going to be so good to have a crowd in again. Hopefully they’ll lift the Black Caps after two dire showings with the bat. This is a dress rehearsal for the World Cup in India: high stakes, spinning wicket. Time for Kane to take command and for someone other than him to show they can prosper on a turning track. As always, looking forward to your comments.”
Great news that the alert level has been relaxed in Wellington, and some spectators will be back. Tell them to stay out of the way of Glenn Maxwell after he put a hole in the furniture the other night.
10.48pm GMT
No changes for Australia, same team as last time. New Zealand have dropped Kyle Jamieson, who has had a really poor series with the ball after being picked up for a big price at the IPL auction. Instead they’ve brought in Mark Chapman, who is a diminutive batsman with some more part-timey kind of spin compared to the giant fast bowling frame of Jamieson. Interesting. That likely means that Jimmy Neesham will shoulder more bowling responsibility today, having been taken for 28 from an over by Glenn Maxwell the other night.
Australia
Aaron Finch *
Matthew Wade +
Josh Philippe
Glenn Maxwell
Marcus Stoinis
Ashton Agar
Mitchell Marsh
Jhye Richardson
Kane Richardson
Adam Zampa
Riley Meredith
10.40pm GMT
The coin falls in favour of Aaron Finch. That’s a big advantage first up, even just in terms of being the team that feels most comfortable with the requirements of the game ahead.
10.19pm GMT
It’s decider time. The fifth and final match of this T20 contest. What a strange series it has been. For the first two matches, New Zealand were cruising and Australia were total pants. Then the next two New Zealand were pants and Australia looked great. We started with two big New Zealand totals and two poor Australian chases, even if the second one did have a Hail Mary partnership that got Australia close. Then we moved to Wellington for two Australian targets and two flaccid Kiwi chases.
Now we’re stuck in Wellington because of covid restrictions and no crowd is allowed into the ground. So the players will have to make their own atmosphere. This will be a day game rather than the day-nighter variety of the previous two matches. Perhaps that will make chasing easier. But you’d think that whoever wins the toss will bat first.
Continue reading...March 5, 2021
Australia beat New Zealand by 50 runs in fourth T20 international – as it happened
9.19am GMT
Well well well. In 2019 leading into the 50-over World Cup, Australia lost two matches in India and then came back to win three in a row and take the series. This year, with a T20 World Cup on the horizon, they lost the first two matches of this series against New Zealand and have come back to square it 2-2 with one to play.
That remaining match will be at the same ground in Wellington on Sunday afternoon, although allegedly it will be on a new wicket. The surface today looked pretty hard to score on, nobody was timing their shots well at all, and boundaries were scarce.
Related: Aaron Finch fires again as Australia send T20 series in New Zealand to decider
9.14am GMT
18.5 overs: NZ 106-10 (Boult 6) Another belted swing of the horizontal bat from Jamieson but Kane Richardson gets a touch on it in his follow-through, saving the umpire from danger. Not so from the next legal delivery, as Jamieson hits the midwicket fence with an absolute rocket. He’s got one shot, basically. Flat-bat whack. It works. Knocks away a single, then Boult edges one over short midwicket. Richardson pitches up, and with two balls left in the over Jamieson wants to go big again with a straighter bat. He gets a good piece but not the full distance, and Maxwell at wide long on finishes the match.
9.09am GMT
18th over: NZ 99-9 (Jamieson 25, Boult 5) Another boundary for Jamieson, thick edge off Jhye Richardson’s length ball through deep third. Leans back and rifles the next ball to long off. Boult scampers a single to point. Jamieson bludgeons another to cover. Every ball he hits is an absolute wind-up whack. Kane comes over from mid off to have a chat to his fellow Richardson. Full length, full pace, hit nicely but straight to Kane. Fresh air on the attempted cut to close the over.
Seven runs from the over. If the batsmen had done through the rest of NZ’s innings they’d be in a position to win this.
9.04am GMT
17th over: NZ 92-9 (Jamieson 19, Boult 4) Jamieson has batted quite nicely at times tonight. When you can get a clean swing at the ball at his height, you get power. He flat-bats Zampa dead straight for four, then hits the next just as well but straight to the midwicket sweeper for one. Boult gets to face some bowling, which he was denied the other night, and he gets low in a crouch and hockey-slaps Zampa over the bowler’s head for four! Nice one.
9.00am GMT
I refuse to use an exclamation mark for that one. House style be damned. Sodhi tries to go over cover and instead drops it on the head of mid off. Zampa gets his second wicket.
8.59am GMT
16th over: NZ 81-8 (Jamieson 13, Sodhi 0) Agar’s night finishes at 2 for 11 from four overs. The runs from that over were to Jamieson, with a two and a one before he took the strike back while Conway’s catch was in the air, then scored another single. That makes 13, which means he’s made back half of what he conceded in his final over to Finch.
8.57am GMT
Ashton Agar is the one who started NZ off on this failing trajectory, with 1 for 7 from his first three overs. He returns for his fourth over and has Conway mistiming to long off for a tumbling catch.
8.53am GMT
15th over: NZ 77-7 (Conway 17, Jamieson 9) Devon Conway had a great night last week when he thundered 99 not out. He’s barely had strike tonight, and found it very difficult to time anything. Singles only, as it was for most of Finch’s innings. Jamieson is thew new batsman, and he uses his height to hit a Meredith length ball as though it were a half volley, getting under it down the ground for four to long on. Gets a shorter ball, predictably, and heaves a pull shot at it, top edge to a fine third man for four more. Backs away and misses the final ball of the over but they run a bye. A dozen from the over.
8.50am GMT
14th over: NZ 65-7 (Conway 15, Jamieson 0) That makes the equation 92 runs required from 36 balls. Optimists assemble.
8.48am GMT
Is there anything less interesting than a match with this trajectory? It’s the cricket version of the final minutes of a 0-0 draw. Southee leans back to clobber one six over deep midwicket, but tries again next ball and sends it straight up, for Wade to trot back and catch. Kane Richardson has two.
8.45am GMT
13th over: NZ 57-6 (Conway 13) Finally a boundary for New Zealand, but it has to be donated by Australia. Meredith and Kane Richardson converge at the deep midwicket boundary and then both think that the other one is about to dive. In the end they both stop, and stare at one another as the ball passes between them for four. In conciliation Finch gives Maxwell a DRS shot after hitting Conway on the pad. Umpire’s call on the leg stump, not out. But the final ball of the over brings the wicket again, as has done so often tonight. Santner tries a big cross-bat whack at a ball outside off stump, and drags it off the bottom edge into his sticks.
8.40am GMT
12th over: NZ 51-5 (Conway 9, Santner 2) New Zealand raise the 50, and deserve a polite ripple of Test match applause. Five down. If they were England in India this would be a decent score. The Kiwis haven’t score more than 5 runs in an over for the last eight overs.
8.38am GMT
This is a soggy effort from New Zealand tonight. A bowl of old Weet-Bix. “Oh fuck,” says Neesham audibly on the stump mic as he slaps Zampa’s wrong ‘un straight to cover, proving that at least he can match the Australian captain in lamenting his own shots.
8.34am GMT
11th over: NZ 46-4 (Conway 7, Neesham 2) Maxwell carries on with the ball, and there’s another problem for New Zealand as Conway top-edges a sweep shot into the grille on his helmet. Has to get checked and cleared by the medical staff to continue. Four singles and a wide from the over, and NZ have barely hit a ball in anger tonight.
They need 111 in 54 balls now.
8.30am GMT
10th over: NZ 41-4 (Conway 5) Three runs from five Zampa deliveries, the pressure mounting, and the New Zealanders do themselves in. Phillips taps straight to Philippe at cover and sets off for a run. Conway responds to the call. Phillips stops a couple of steps later, and Conway stops in turn. Then Phillips keeps going, but by that point a risky single has become an impossible single, and Conway fairly enough has started turning back. They end up racing for the same line, and Conway gets home first.
8.25am GMT
9th over: NZ 38-3 (Conway 2, Phillips 1) Maxwell’s over returns 1 for 4, and the Australian bowlers can’t miss tonight. NZ need 119 from 166. It was their game up until the 20th over of Australia’s innings. Then Finch looted 26 runs to make a small target into a medium one, and now the Kiwis have played timidly, passively, and let that medium target become a large, trending towards XXL.
8.23am GMT
Talk about striking gold. Glenn Maxwell has got the biggest nugget of the night. Holding back the pace a bit with his off-break, Williamson is through his sweep too early, and gets the toe of the bat to loop confusingly away towards point, where Mitch Marsh comes barrelling in and claims the catch while falling to ground.
8.19am GMT
8th over: NZ 34-2 (Williamson 7, Conway 0) A leave to finish the over from the left-handed Devon Conway, and Richardson’s over has gone for four runs and taken a wicket.
NZ need 123 runs from 72 balls.
8.18am GMT
Kane Richardson now, who bowls change-ups and tends to bang the ball into the pitch, looking for variation in bounce. Draws a couple of pull shots first up from Seifert, the first one saved at midwicket and the second for a single. Williamson tries the same shot and top-edges it over the keeper, picking up two streaky runs. Charges the next ball, trying to change the length, and uppercuts it on the bounce to third man for one. Then on the fifth ball of the over the hard length strikes gold. Seifert just hops on his toes trying to run the ball away, doesn’t time it, squeezes it from his angled bat back onto the stumps.
8.13am GMT
7th over: NZ 30-1 (Seifert 18, Williamson 4) Adam Zampa has been down on the boundary line cradling a hot-water bottle, trying to get his leg-spinning fingers working on a cold evening. Nothing aggressive from the batting pair as they push singles to cover, long off, point. Zampa bowls flat at the stumps for the most part, no air as yet.
8.10am GMT
6th over: NZ 25-1 (Seifert 15, Williamson 2) Meredith bowling, probably because he got Williamson out on Wednesday night. Not bad on debut. Williamson is conscious of it, defending the first three balls of the over in Test match style. Full and straight. Squared up by a slightly shorter ball, thick edge and now Finch has placed a third man who keeps the scoring to one. Seifert drives wide of mid on for another run, and that makes two singles from the over.
25 runs for NZ in the Powerplay. Struggle Bus.
8.06am GMT
5th over: NZ 23-1 (Seifert 14, Williamson 1) New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson to the middle at first drop. Checks a drive in the air to short cover, but nobody is home. Agar has taken 1 for 7 from three overs!
New Zealand need 134 runs from 90 balls. Not a doddle on this surface.
8.04am GMT
Agar early does the trick. His third over, Guptill keeps his shape and drives over cover, and Maxwell comes around from long off to deep extra, catching it just inside the rope, and casually tossing the ball up before he steps out of the field of play, steps back in and takes the rebound.
8.02am GMT
4th over: NZ 21-0 (Guptill 7, Seifert 13) Jhye Richardson to bowl express, and for the first three balls it works. A single, two dots, the screws turning. But Finch doesn’t have a deep third man for a fast bowler, which can invite trouble, and trouble comes. First Seifert squeezes a yorker between the toe of the bat and the ground, and it bounces fine for four. Then he drives and gets a thick edge the same way, same result. Neither the result of bad bowling, but it goes against him.
7.57am GMT
3rd over: NZ 12-0 (Guptill 6, Seifert 5) Another over for Agar, and the first boundary comes off him as Seifert stretches forward to sweep. Agar follows up though with a ball that turns away and brings a leading edge towards mid off, then a ball too full to sweep that sneaks through the shot to the keeper. A great diving stop from Finch at short cover saves more potential runs. Five runs from two overs for Agar. NZ can’t leave too much of the scoring to tomorrow.
7.54am GMT
2nd over: NZ 8-0 (Guptill 6, Seifert 1) Meredith’s turn now, the opposite of Agar in every way. Right arm and as fast as they come. He targets the pads, bowling straight, giving little away for most of the over. A couple of singles in the first six balls. But one of them is a wide, so he has to bowl a seventh. Tries a bouncer, but Guptill doesn’t mind those. He just holds his bat up above his shoulder and uppercuts for four.
7.50am GMT
1st over: NZ 1-0 (Guptill 1, Seifert 0) Having seen Santner’s work up close, Finch throws the ball to his own left-arm spinner to start proceedings. Agar basically turns himself into a yorker bowler, aiming for the blockhole six times out of six, and getting a bit of turn on a couple of occasions. Only a single from the over.
7.48am GMT
Jack Jorgensen writes in an email. “I see Matthew Wade has made a start and not gone on with it again. All this talk about Finch obscures the lack of runs from a few other players. Wade’s position must be under threat as well. Carey making runs in the BBL, and now in the Marsh Cup, and Phillipe in the side, I’m not sure what Wade provides either of those others don’t. When Warner is fit he comes in over Wade for mine, rather than Finch.”
Yeah, it’s an interesting one. I think that Wade was so prolific in every format for a solid couple of home seasons that he thoroughly deserved his recall to the Test team and the T20 team. But after a pretty big sample size he hasn’t replicated that run-scoring for Australia, and so maybe his race is close to having been run. He can be such a destructive T20 player though, he’s the kind of player who could win a couple of World Cup knockouts.
7.34am GMT
Well, if you looked at the card and saw a player with 79 from 55 balls, you’d think they had a decent day out. Finch hit a couple of boundaries early, was 12 from 10 balls, then made 41 from his next 39, almost entirely in singles. Really struggled to get anything away, until in the final five balls of the match, facing a very ropey bowler who has struggled throughout the series, he suddenly added 24 runs. No other big scores today, the next best were 19 from Stoinis and 18 from Maxwell.
Santner was excellent with 1 for 16 from his four overs. Boult took 2 for 27, Sodhi 3 for 32, and Southee’s 0 for 32 was decent. Jamieson ended up going for 49.
7.28am GMT
20th over: Australia 156-6 (Finch 79, J. Richardson 4) Jamieson to bowl the last over, and Finch slices a wide full ball high over backward point, where it plugs for two more runs. Still can’t find the boundary. But then Jamieson bowls him a stinker, a high full toss outside off stump, and Finch is able to lean back and clobber it for six! Over cover, easy as can be, and Finch should send Jamieson a thank-you note.
Suddenly the Australian captain is feeling better. Gets a half-volley on that same wide line next ball, and hits that for six to the same spot. Jamieson bowls straight but bowls the same length, at the pads, and Finch clears out his front leg for six number three. Very straight this time, just to the long on side.
7.24am GMT
19th over: Australia 130-6 (Finch 53, J. Richardson 4) Low full toss from Southee, following Finch as the batsman tries to back away, and Finch cracks that one with a beautiful sound, but hits it so well that he can only get a single, the ball rocketing to the man on the fence. Richardson nudges a run off his hip to give the strike back, and then Finch can’t get a run, nailed in the blockhole by Southee and getting nothing but the toe of the bat on the ball. The next is a slower-ball yorker, looping onto that full length on about off stump, and Finch backing away drags it wide of long on, cursing the shot audibly as once again he can’t get all of it. Two runs, taking him to a half-century, but he doesn’t celebrate at all. You can see why. 50 from 46 balls after batting the whole innings – that ain’t it, chief. He gets two more in similar fashion from the next ball, then a single from the last to keep the strike, down to long off.
Quite amusing that the telly is showing replays of the dragged shot for fifty while you can hear Finch yelling “Oh, you’re fucking kidding me!” in the background.
7.18am GMT
18th over: Australia 123-6 (Finch 47, J. Richardson 3) Three overs left for Finch to salvage something. He trades singles with Richardson, then manages to flick a full ball down to long leg for four. Tries to launch over mid on but only chips it for one run to the fielder. Three singles and the boundary, that’s the lot from Boult’s over.
7.15am GMT
17th over: Australia 116-6 (Finch 41, J. Richardson 2) So, a boundary for Finch at last, his fourth for the night. Opens the face and hits Sodhi over cover well enough. Marsh gets out a couple of balls later, and it’s Jhye Richardson to the crease, groping at his first ball as Sodhi turns it away from the edge, then getting tangled up trying to turn to the leg side. He backs away and pulls two from the last ball of the over.
Finch has retaken top spot from David Warner as Australia’s leading T20I run-scorer, but he’s done it tonight with one of his least convincing innings.
7.13am GMT
A third wicket for Sodhi, Marsh trying a sweep shot to a flighted ball that pitches very full, and bounces to take a top edge that goes high but straight to short fine leg.
7.10am GMT
16th over: Australia 109-5 (Finch 36, Marsh 6) Southee bowling now, and Finch opens the face and guides a single away as though he’s 28 overs into an ODI. There are 29 balls left. Marsh is able to do better, coming across to pull the ball through fine leg for four. A single to midwicket swaps the strike, then Finch tries to find a boundary, waiting for a slower ball yorker that doesn’t quite reach yorker length, there to hit but he can only force two runs past the bowler. Finch has 36 from 39 having batted the whole innings.
7.06am GMT
15th over: Australia 100-5 (Finch 32, Marsh 1) Santner is back for his fourth over and again he’s causing problems. Turn, another leading edge that falls safe towards cover. Bounce that discomfits Finch, making him stab away behind point and then take a single that isn’t really there, and Mitchell Marsh only reaches safety because the throw comes via the keeper’s gloves rather than hitting the stumps directly.
Three singles from the over, and Finch on 32 after 15 overs.
7.03am GMT
14th over: Australia 97-5 (Finch 30) Agar gets pushed up the order again, second time this series, and again it doesn’t work. Finch starts the over with a brace and a one, then Agar can’t find a run, although twice he’s dudded when the umpire doesn’t call wide. One ball was down leg side over his shoulder, the other was about a metre over his head and called as one short ball for the over. Boult switches things up for his final delivery, full and maybe swinging a touch, and Agar’s big drive misses.
6.59am GMT
13th over: Australia 93-4 (Finch 27) Stoinis should be run out at the non-striker’s end but Williamson fumbles the take early in the over. Finch drops the ball to midwicket and calls for the second but Phillips comes flying in and rips in a return. Williamson can’t hang on. Stoinis follows up by backing away and carving him over cover for four. But when he tries to nail the sixth ball of the over, fuller with a conventional drive, in the same direction, Williamson makes amends by diving across to his right for a great snare.
6.54am GMT
12th over: Australia 85-3 (Finch 24, Stoinis 14) A couple of dot balls for Stoinis, then he leans and and absolutely destroys Jamieson for six. Not that short a delivery but Stoinis gets under it with his own version of the pull shot, one that’s all about power, and the crack off the bat is sublime as it takes off before crash-landing way back in the seating bowl beyond deep midwicket.
6.52am GMT
11th over: Australia 77-3 (Finch 23, Stoinis 7) Santner is the bowler drawing mistakes again, as he returns to the crease. Gets a thick edge from Stoinis, and there is a slip in place but it flies just wide for four. Three singles from the over in addition to that.
6.49am GMT
10th over: Australia 70-3 (Finch 21, Stoinis 2) How many times would Aaron Finch have reached the halfway mark of a T20 innings with 21 runs or fewer to his name? He’s got Stoinis with him to do some hitting now, and he starts with two runs over cover. Nice hit.
6.47am GMT
It was fast and it was furious. Two runs for Maxwell glanced down to fine leg, four more runs thanks to a big outside edge, then Boult floats a half-volley up and Maxwell doesn’t deal with the slowed-up pace. Plays the cover drive but can’t decide whether to smash it or caress it, goes halfway, and hits it to Guptill at cover.
“Why doesn’t he play conventional shots?” Ah yes, it’s impossible to get out to conventional shots.
6.43am GMT
9th over: Australia 61-2 (Finch 20, Maxwell 12) A brace and a single for Finch against Sodhi, and Maxwell says that he’s had enough waiting around. Loves to take on the spinners. Backs away and slaps Sodhi through cover for four, catchable height but gets the gap nicely and it runs wide enough to beat long off.
Next ball, it’s the switch hit for six! Swaps his legs over, not his hands this time, but ends up wayyyy outside his off stump by the time he hits the ball, his front foot almost off the pitch, and clobbers it over cover point into the seats. Shot.
6.39am GMT
8th over: Australia 48-2 (Finch 17, Maxwell 2) Enter Maxwell, after his five sixes and eight fours the other night. He starts with a couple of singles here, and misses an uppercut against Jamieson. Maxwell holds the pose, making sure the umpire knows that he couldn’t reach it, and it is duly called a wide. Jamieson lets another ball go down the leg side. Four singles and the two wides from the over.
6.32am GMT
7th over: Australia 42-2 (Finch 15) Ish Sodhi on to bowl some leg-breaks now that New Zealand can have more fielders in the deep. Philippe nearly finds one of them with an inside-out drive over cover, but it drops short. Two near misses for him today, after he had five or six near chances in his innings of 43 the other night. But his luck runs out from the final ball of the over. After picking up a couple of singles, he gets Sodhi’s variation that is pushed out the front of the hand, a delivery that floats through the air and wobbles as it crawls down the wicket. Philippe goes back and tries to lift it over square leg, but he only goes upwards rather than across, and it’s caught by Southee tracking back towards deep square.
6.28am GMT
6th over: Australia 38-1 (Finch 13, Philippe 11) Spared by a DRS review. Southee gets a length ball to deck back in a bit, hits Philippe in front of off stump as he tries to whip to the onside, and he’s given out, but he’s up on his toes and is hit above the knee roll, on the crease. Should be spared here for height... and he is, the ball going over the bails. Philippe looked ready to walk but his captain told him to review. He celebrates by waiting on a Southee slower ball outside off stump and slashing it away with a diagonal bat for four. Scurries a single to end the fielding restrictions period, and Australia have 38 runs in those first six overs. New Zealand have had the better of things so far, but wickets in hand mean that the Aussies could catch up.
6.22am GMT
5th over: Australia 33-1 (Finch 13, Philippe 6) Santner still getting some turn away from the right-handers, and he draws a leading edge from both batsmen in this over as they try to turn him to the leg side. Both times the edge shoots away behind point, Philippe’s edge going not far from slip, but getting through Jamieson at short third to roll for three runs. Five from the over, another good one.
6.20am GMT
4th over: Australia 28-1 (Finch 12, Philippe 2) Here comes Kyle Jamieson. Had a brilliant start to his Test career but has battled to land the ball where he wants to in the shortest form. Finch knows that the field is back, and he knows that the default length of a two-metre-plus player will be shortish, so he leans back to spoon a pull shot over midwicket for four, then anticipates a fuller length and skips down to spoon that one over mid on. Neither of them especially clean shots, but they just need to be helped over the field at this stage of the innings.
6.15am GMT
3rd over: Australia 19-1 (Finch 4, Philippe 1) Some variation for Santner too, as he follows up his straight-ball wicket by turning one past the edge of Finch’s bat. Only a single to Philippe conceded from the spinner’s first over.
6.13am GMT
Masterstroke from Williamson. Only three overs into the match, with fielding restrictions still in place, the skipper brings on his left-arm spinner. Santner comes around the wicket to Wade looking to angle the ball across. The first couple of deliveries Wade can’t beat the field square of the wicket on the off side, so the third ball he tries to open the face and late cut. Gets more bounce than he anticipates, a quick delivery from Santner, and it takes the top edge to short third.
6.08am GMT
2nd over: Australia 18-0 (Wade 14, Finch 4) Trent Boult with the new ball from the other end, the left-arm swing maestro. Got a slip in position, Guptill standing wide of the keeper. Tries a sharp bouncer instead of looking for a nick, and Wade hooks it firmly off his grille for a single. His ball to Finch is only halfway up though, on the hip, and Finch can easily pull that behind square for four. Boult hits back nicely, full and swinging in so nearly nailing the front pad, but Finch squeezes an inside edge.
6.05am GMT
1st over: Australia 11-0 (Wade 11, Finch 0) First ball of the match, four. Width from Southee across the left-hander, and pitched up, so Wade drives through long off. Didn’t nail it but gets enough to beat mid off.
Gets enough of the next one, though! Plays the pick-up shot to take a ball from outside the off stump, not short and only on a length, but he’s able to get under it and lift it miles into the air before it lands in a doorway in the distant grandstand. A single to follow and that’s all the scoring from the over.
6.01am GMT
Southee has the ball in hand, and the retro beige shirt on, and will start us off.
6.00am GMT
A bit of pressure off Finch in the last match, when he made 69 runs after a long string of low scores through the Big Bash and IPL. One half-century won’t win everyone over if he backs it up with a couple more single-figure efforts, but if he can back it up here with something reasonable then that will help a lot.
5.45am GMT
Unchanged XI for Australia, NZ bring Mitchell Santner back in now that he’s been cleared of COVID concerns with Mark Chapman making way.
Australia
Aaron Finch *
Matthew Wade +
Josh Philippe
Glenn Maxwell
Marcus Stoinis
Mitchell Marsh
Ashton Agar
Jhye Richardson
Kane Richardson
Adam Zampa
Riley Meredith
5.43am GMT
Interesting. The other day, both teams wanted to chase on this ground. Kane Williamson got that choice and it didn’t work for New Zealand. Today, Aaron Finch has the choice and he elects to bat first again. It did seem a bit difficult to time shots on this wicket, and that may get more difficult as the night wears on.
5.37am GMT
Cricket time! Not that there is any shortage of cricket right at the moment, except in the Pakistan Super League which has been cancelled. Or ‘postponed’, which is the favourite word of cricket boards in pandemic times. There’s a Test match between England and India happening as we speak, the NSW women’s team just beat the ACT in a 50-over game, as did Victoria against Queensland. The New Zealand women’s team just got smashed by England in their T20 International match in Wellington, so now it’s up to the men’s Kiwi side to bring a bit of cheer to home crowds.
They lead the series 2-1 and could seal it with a win today, but Australia hit back with a big win in the previous match on Wednesday after being off the pace for the first two. Ashton Agar took six wickets, Riley Meredith bowled heat, after Glenn Maxwell set up a very tall target by belting 70 off 30 balls before he got out, and breaking a seat at the Cake Tin ground which is now being auctioned for funds to support a women’s shelter in Wellington.
Continue reading...March 3, 2021
A special Australian agony: having to support England against India | Geoff Lemon
With Australia’s World Test Championship hopes resting on Joe Root’s men drawing a series they trail 2-1, it’s a difficult time for fans who would happily back North Korea against England
“It feels bloody terrible,” he said, head bowed over his pint. “Suddenly everything gets turned upside down. I don’t know how to feel about it.” Picture a couple of men huddled over a table in the corner of a pub – there have been millions of variations of a conversation like this. In the beer garden of the Great Northern hotel in Melbourne last week, though, I was offering solace to a friend about having to support England in a cricket match.
The World Test Championship final in June will feature two teams who qualify based on their win-draw-loss percentage in their relevant matches. New Zealand have secured their place in the final, with the remaining place being between Australia and India. India will pip Australia to the spot by beating or drawing with England in the final match of their ongoing series, currently led by India 2-1. So Australia need England to win instead; one half of the Ashes rivalry relying on the other.
Related: Joe Root urges England to deliver 'monumental' end to India series
Continue reading...The agony for Australians having to support England against India
India could deny Australia a place in the final of the World Test Championship in June, but not if England win the final Test
“It feels bloody terrible,” he said, head bowed over his pint. “Suddenly everything gets turned upside down. I don’t know how to feel about it.” Picture a couple of men huddled over a table in the corner of a pub – there have been millions of variations of a conversation like this. In the beer garden of the Great Northern Hotel in Melbourne last week, though, I was offering solace to a friend about having to support England in a cricket match.
The World Test Championship final in June will feature two teams who qualify based on their win-draw-loss percentage in their relevant matches. New Zealand have secured their place in the final, with the remaining place being between Australia and India. India will pip Australia to the spot by beating or drawing with England in the final match of their ongoing series, currently led by India 2-1. So Australia need England to win instead; one half of the Ashes rivalry relying on the other.
Related: Joe Root urges England to deliver 'monumental' end to India series
Continue reading...Geoff Lemon's Blog
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