If you were not able to catch the New Zealand vs Australia match that took placed this past week, I am sorry to tell you that you missed one hell of a game.
The battle between these Oceanian rivals was always going to be one of the biggest match-ups, considering the form both teams currently find themselves in. However, nobody could have expected the match do have unfolded in quite so spectacular a way as it did.
Australia won the toss and opted to bat first. That seemed like the right decision at the time: the pitch seemed like a batsman’s dream. The plan was simple: bat first; score heaps of runs; take the pressure of the scoreboard off the Australians and onto the Kiwis.
Aaron Finch and David Warner found their bowler to target early on. It was clear that Tim Southee was struggling to find the right lines and lengths in the beginning and he was punished for it. Southee managed to get the last laugh, however, bowling Finch for a mere 14 and trapping Warner for 34 (after Dan Vettori had dismissed Shane Watson for 23).
Michael Clarke (finally making his long awaited return) was quickly at the crease with both sets of fans watching his every move, albeit for different reasons. He was joined by the ever-dangerous Steve Smith who failed to get going, returning the changing rooms for a measly four runs thanks to some spectacular bowling by Vettori and the quick hands of keeper Luke Ronchi.
Glenn Maxwell and Mitch Marsh came and went in quick succession thanks to some clever bowling by Trent Boult, who managed to force both batsmen to chop it onto their stumps while their captain watched helplessly from the other end. Captain Clarke (and most of his remaining team-mates) didn’t hang around for too much longer and before you knew it Australia were in a deep hole with hardly any runs on the board.
Thanks to a solid 45-run partnership between Brad Haddin and Pat Cummins, Australia were able to post an extremely average 152-run target for the Blackcaps. To highlight how important this partnership was, Australia went from 30-1 to 97-6 to 106-9. (Interesting fact, the wicket takers for the New Zealanders; Boult, Southee, Vettori and Corey Anderson, all play for the same domestic cricket team: The Northern Knights). Boult ended the innings with impressive bowling figures of 5-27.
Having seen what this New Zealand batting line was capable of many times before, it seemed this total would be an easy chase for them. If only it were that simple.
Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill opened the batting and did well. Mitchell Johnson was struggling with length and watched his balls fly to the boundary more often than he would have hoped for. It got to the point of desperation that a quick ball to the right forearm of McCullum seemed like the only way out for him. I find it quite fitting that the ball directly following this hit went for a four, especially when one considers the fact Baz (as his teammates call him) had a mango-sized swelling appearing on his arm in minutes. McCullum eventually made his half century before being dismissed.
Anderson was tormented by the Australia bowlers when he first arrived to the crease but his mental toughness prevailed as he stuck it out at the crease, contributing 28 to the total before getting out. Unfortunately, he and many of his fellow batsmen were soft wickets, the others almost handing their scalps to the bowlers.
It was these soft dismissals and some truly spectacular bowling from Mitchell Starc that caused what first seemed to be a simple run-chase to turn into one of the most stressful games of cricket I have ever witnessed.
Starc was on another level compared to the rest of his bowling team-mates, unsettling every batsman who had the misfortune to face him. His Yorkers were difficult to predict and nigh on impossible to keep out. It is no wonder he clean bowled Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot consecutively, as well as Adam Milne and Southee in succession also. This second hat-trick opportunity put the kiwis in the situation of needing just six runs with only one wicket left and two balls remaining in Starc’s final over.
If I am perfectly honest, as I watched Boult stride to the crease as the final batsman, I wasn’t expecting New Zealand to win the game. Although Williamson stood at the other end, a man who had nerves of steel and the skill-set to face almost anything presented to him, I was not under the impression Boult did too.
When Boult faced and successfully blocked the two remaining balls of that over, the crowd erupted into their biggest cheer of the day, a cheer that was not matched even when Williamson smacked the first ball of the very next over into the stands for six, securing the win for his team. Nobody doubted the fact that Williamson could get those pesky six runs off any of the remaining Australian bowlers but after seeing the carnage of Starc’s bowling, the fact Boult was able to keep both Yorkers that he faced out was the real match winner because without his wicket, Williamson could not have done what he does best.
Starc ended his day with a very impressive 6-28 and a noticeable look of disappointment on his face. Boult picked up the Man Of The Match award and New Zealand received the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and those all important two points.
Winning this game was important for New Zealand. It means they have won all four of their games so far and sit comfortably at the top of their group. More importantly though, this game tested them in a pressure situation and showed them all they can prevail even when things look too far gone. There will be a few players kicking themselves when they look back at the batting performances and the way they got out. Anderson can look at his innings with a sense of pride in terms of fighting through the tough start and scoring a reasonable number of runs.
As for Australia, they will need to take a very good look at how they performed with the bat especially considering this is their lowest total ever scored in ODI cricket. Their bowlers, excluding Johnson, can be satisfied with their individual performances. Their bowling was threatening and effective, particularly from Starc. Perhaps he could have been supported better from the other end and Clarke could have used more than just the three bowlers, considering Johnson was nowhere near his best.
With many calling this game “the” match everyone has been waiting to see this World Cup, I am thankful is it over and turned out the way it did. I honestly don’t think my heart could have taken much more.
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