New Zealand’s walloped Bangladesh by 75 runs at Eden Gardens to head into the semi-finals unbeaten.
They posted 145 for eight from their 20 overs, led by 42 off 32 from skipper Kane Williamson, before Grant Elliott and Ish Sodhi took three wickets each as they dismissed their opponents for just 70 in the 16th over.
Williamson is delighted with the effort.
“In the first innings with the bat, get partnerships together, get a total that we thought was very good on that wicket, and then the bowling was very clinical again”.
Batsman Ross Taylor said Sodhi and Elliott continue to excel.
“The bowlers have got to take a lot of credit for the way this team has gone so far in this tournament. We don’t want to get too carried away but you’ve got to enjoy the success of everybody, every bowler is playing its part”.
Taylor said the team is playing very well.
“As the tournament’s gone on I think we are winning those crucial moments and putting pressure on the opposition. Still a long way to go but it’s a pretty happy dressing room and looking forward to the semi-final”.
The White Ferns have also marched into the semi-finals unbeaten in the women’s Twenty20 World Cup, with a seven-wicket pummelling of South Africa in Bangalore.
New Zealand’s chased down the 100 required in the 15th over thanks largely to a 57-run opening stand between Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest.
They earlier dismissed South Africa for 99 with Sophie Devine and Leigh Kasperek taking three wickets each.
Australia’s World Twenty20 campaign is hanging by a thread after their middle order capitulated in a crushing loss to New Zealand in Dharamsala last night.
New Zealand now top Group 2 with two wins from two, while Pakistan have one from one – and Australia join India and Bangladesh in losing their first group game.
Here’s how the Aussie and world media reacted to the Black Caps’ win:
Aussies butcher run chase – Daily Telegraph
The batting side was always going to be under pressure to deliver after selectors made the bold call to bench the world’s No. 1 T20 batsman Aaron Finch in favour of Usman Khawaja.
However, it wasn’t the contentious opening position that hurt Australia, rather two crippling collapses in the middle and lower order.
After all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner toiled brilliantly to restrict the Black Caps to just 142, Australia completely butchered their run chase to lose by eight runs.
Michael Slater (former Australia batsmen): “For the second match in a row the opposition of New Zealand thought they were chasing a comfortable score, but that team in the beige move to two wins from two. Two big victories at that.”
Tom Moody (former Australian all-rounder): “It’s New Zealand’s day. They’ve played the conditions well here and combined as a unit, exceptionally well led by Kane Williamson.”
Man of the match Mitchell McClenaghan: “It’s nice to perform like that but it’s as a collective. The spinners were fantastic bringing us back into the game, the guys really stood up.
“It’s nice to show some teams we can play in these conditions. Well take confidence from this but there are still two more games, we have got to win to get through. The Aussies never give up, full credit to them. I’m sure well see them later in the tournament.”
Australia captain Steve Smith: “I thought around 150 was about par. Obviously their spinners bowled extremely well again and we didn’t respond well. You can’t lose wickets in clumps like that, we couldn’t get any partnerships together.
“We didn’t apply ourselves enough. We should have knocked the ball around a bit more rather than going for the big shots. But these things happen and we have to move on.”
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson: “We’re fortunate to play on two wickets that were very similar. It was nice to get a score on the board that, on this surface, was tough to chase.
“It’s important that you read the conditions and select accordingly. Today we thought we had to be different again and I’m pleased with the way the boys stepped up.
“It’s important we gel well. We look at the task at hand and perform as best we can.”
More from Australia captain Steve Smith: “We’ve a lot more to do. We need to find success in the middle order because there’s a lot of power in the back end if we can keep wickets in hand. We have to find a way to do it and hopefully we can do for the next game.”
Match Summary
Australia v New Zealand
New Zealand win by 8 runs
Date:
18 March 2016
Match:
Match 17
Venue:
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala
Start time:
17:30
Umpires:
Nigel Llong / Marais Erasmus
Toss:
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat.
New Zealand:142 for 8 (20.0 overs)
Martin Guptill 39
James Faulkner (3-0-18-2), Glenn Maxwell (3-0-18-2)
Australia:134 for 9 (20.0 overs)
Usman Khawaja 38
Corey Anderson (4-0-29-2), Mitchell McClenaghan (3-0-17-3), Mitchell Santner (4-0-30-2)
Ben Horne: New Zealand have virtually assured themselves of a semi-final berth having defeated India in their first match, and only need to beat qualifiers Bangladesh to book their place in the knock-out stage.
Australia on the other hand can hardly afford to drop another game -and that will entail beating sub-continental kings India, Pakistan as well as Bangladesh in Bangalore on Monday.
Mitchell Johnson has opened up in a column about the moment he appeared to headbutt Scott Styris in 2010.
There were astonishing scenes at Napier’s McLean Park when Styris first hammered Johnson for four, then the two clashed on the pitch.
When Kiwi cricket fans think of the former Australian quick, memories of Napier soon come to mind, and Johnson said that incident didn’t go down as people think.
“I’m remembered for many things by cricket fans around the world but in New Zealand, they have one main memory of me,” Johnson said in his column for Fox Sports.
“I’m ‘the guy who headbutted Scott Styris.
“I was bowling with Scott on strike and as I was walking back to my mark, I looked at Hadds (Brad Haddin) and pointed to my head, indicating that I’d bowl a bouncer.
“That’s what I tried but it wasn’t so effective, as Scott hit me for four. As he ran past me, I got a little nudge in the back. I didn’t like that too much so I got up into his grill – literally.
“It was claimed that I headbutted him but that wasn’t quite the case. I’m not silly enough to headbutt someone who’s wearing a helmet!
“It didn’t take long for us to be separated and afterwards Hadds told me that he had to get me out of there because he could see my eyes spinning.
“I’ve seen Scott here and there over the past few years and I’m happy to say we’re on good terms now.”
As public enemy number one in New Zealand, as Johnson went on to put it, he dealt with many hostile New Zealand crowds over the years.
Former Australian players have talked recently about the “rabid” New Zealand crowds, which they say altered the outcome of the one day series against Australia.
Johnson said crowd abuse was one of his main memories of playing in New Zealand.
“On one occasion I was called a ‘wife beater’, which was obviously by someone who didn’t know my wife. If they did, they’d know she is a black belt in karate and would probably beat me up!
“I was once booed by the whole crowd during a game in Auckland and of course, after my incident with Styris, the crowd got stuck into me in Napier – especially after I kissed the Australian badge on my shirt.”
New Zealand have beaten Australia in Hamilton to retain the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.
The latest flashpoint in trans-Tasman cricketing relations set alight the deciding match as New Zealand scored a stunning victory over Australia to win the one-day series in Hamilton on Monday night.
As Australia chased 247 for victory, Mitchell Marsh was given out in controversial circumstances when it appeared the television replay on the big screen influenced an appeal and decision that saw Marsh given out caught.
The allrounder struck a delivery from Black Caps bowler Matt Henry onto the toe of his boot, and Henry caught the ball low-down in his follow-through.
He made a tentative appeal that didn’t seem to be considered by the umpires – with the thought that Marsh had driven the ball into the ground instead of his foot – until the New Zealanders seemingly pushed for further consideration when the big screen at Seddon Park showed what had occurred.
Umpires Ian Gould and Derek Walker then consulted and decided to get the viewpoint of TV umpire Sundaram Ravi as Henry waited at the top of his mark to bowl another delivery.
The replay conclusively showed the ball hadn’t hit the ground, and Marsh was given out, but he walked off incensed and swore as he clearly felt the delay between a concerted appeal – and the influence of the replay – made the decision unfair as Australian skipper Steve Smith made inquiries with reserve umpire Billy Bowden as to the workings of the dismissal.
When Marsh fell, Australia were 164-6 in the 34th over and a New Zealand side that looked to have fallen well short of a winning total when batting first continued to fight their way back into contention.
Mitchell Marsh made his frustrations known after New Zealand successfully appealed to see if a Matt Henry catch bounced off of the ground or Marsh’s foot.
Pumped by the wicket and a boisterous crowd of 9751 fully behind the hosts, New Zealand then tore through Australia’s lower order and when Scott Boland was run out in the 44th over, the hosts had triumphed by 55 runs in another memorable ODI match between the rival countries in Hamilton.
Earlier, it appeared that New Zealand’s soft batting underbelly had cost them the chance to win the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
The Black Caps suffered a horror batting collapse, losing their last six wickets for 23 runs to be all out for 246 in 45.3 overs after looking a possibility to set the visitors somewhere in the region of 300 to chase under lights.
There had been concerns prior to the decider that New Zealand’s middle-order batting – without the injured Ross Taylor – was their Achilles heel. So it proved, with the absence of the injured Mitchell Santner further emphasising the weakness of the hosts.
Luke Ronchi’s ODI career has likely ended at a nadir – his last 18 innings in this international format have produced 199 runs at 11.71. He was dismissed for five on Monday in a series that BJ Watling was meant to feature in prior to a back injury.
With Taylor also sidelined, Henry Nicholls has experienced ups and downs at the start of his international career and gave a couple of chances before falling for 18. Corey Anderson hasn’t clicked against Australia, while Grant Elliott’s 50 off 62 balls was the only knock of substance bar the openers.
Add to that frailty has been the unusual sight of Kane Williamson not looking rock-like at number three as the Australians have tested this country’s premier batsman.
New Zealand’s handy looking tail succumbed meekly against an inexperienced international bowling line-up on a good batting track, with Adam Milne’s decision not to review a poor lbw decision symptomatic of the surrender.
At the top of the order, skipper Brendon McCullum ended his ODI career in a manner that seemed entirely appropriate.
He played some breathtakingly good shots as he and Martin Guptill savaged Australia’s new-ball bowlers, bar Josh Hazlewood. There were some woolly whiffs too, as he plundered his way to 47 off only 27 balls, with six fours and three sixes. In doing so, McCullum became the first player to record 200 ODI sixes and 100 test sixes.
But when he fell and walked off to a rousing standing ovation from the packed crowd, there was that ever-present sense of what could have been – with 40 overs remaining – from a player who has scored just five ODI centuries in 260 appearances while averaging 30 at a strike-rate of 96.
Guptill got to 59 off 61 deliveries as his outstanding form this home summer continued before he top-edged a sweep to a poor delivery from rookie legspinner Adam Zampa. Since the test matches against Sri Lanka began in December, the opener has tallied 1109 runs in the three formats of the game over 19 innings and has averaged 65.24.
To bounce back and steal victory, New Zealand needed quick wickets and they got an initial boost when dangerman David Warner fell for 16.
Usman Khawaja, who survived a superb running ‘catch’ by Williamson when on 11 that didn’t qualify as Williamson’s momentum saw him slide over the boundary, raced to 44 off 36 deliveries (four fours, two sixes) before perishing to Doug Bracewell’s second ball.
But what lifted the hosts and the crowd were two wickets in three balls from Ish Sodhi, who only started the encounter after being called in late on Sunday as Santner’s replacement.
First the legspinner caught opposing Smith plumb lbw – despite Smith’s ludicrously optimistic call for the decision to be reviewed – before McCullum snared Glenn Maxwell at slip off the second two balls later as Australia stumbled to 94-4 after 19 overs.
Bracewell, in for an unwell Trent Boult, had bowled superbly in a six-over spell that cost just 15 runs while Sodhi worked in tandem to restrict Australia’s chase with 2-23 in his initial spell that helped turn the match on its head.
When first George Bailey (33) and Marsh (41) fell, McCullum turned up the heat with his bowlers and the fielders responded magnificently to eventually win with ease.
The two sides now square off in a two-match test series, starting with the first test in Wellington on Friday.
The Black Caps have thrashed Australia in the opening one dayer of the Chappell Hadlee series at Eden Park.
New Zealand have thumped Australia by 159 runs, bowling them out for 148.
Earlier, Martin Guptill’s 90 guided New Zealand to 307/8, before three wickets each to Matt Henry and Trent Boult skittled the Australian top order to 41 for six.
James Faulkner and Matthew Wade tried to steady the Australian ship, however their dismissals allowed Mitchell Santner to wrap things up, eventually bowling out Australia for 148.
The Black Caps have beaten Pakistan by 70 runs in the first one-day cricket international in Wellington.
New Zealand rolled the tourists for 210, with Trent Boult taking four wickets.
Grant Elliott also chipped in with three top order strikes to set the collapse in motion.
Earlier, a stunning recovery from New Zealand saw them put a poor start to bed.
After teetering at 99 for six at one stage, the Black Caps smashed their way to to 280 for 8 off their 50 overs.
Henry Nicholls held the innings together with a well compiled 82 and Mitchell Santner made 48, combining in a seventh wicket partnership of 79.
Tailenders Matt Henry and Mitch McClenaghan then provided some fireworks at the end, with Henry smashing 48 off just 30 deliveries, while McClenaghan belted 31 off 18.
However, McClenaghan left the field with one ball to play after the ball squeezed through the visor of his helmet leaving him with a cut above the eye.
Pakistani quick bowlers Mohammad Amir and Anwar Ali both picked up three wickets.
Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum leads his men into battle against Australia today in a historic Cricket World Cup final. But first, he writes an exclusive, moving letter to Herald on Sunday readers and fans everywhere.
Today’s World Cup Final highlights just how special the game of cricket is for New Zealanders. Never before have I seen the game and the Black Caps embraced so enthusiastically by our own. All over the country, our team has received incredible support – and I want you to know it’s this sense of belonging that we take into the final today. What’s our motivation? Our motivation is to play for you.
Make no mistake, we’ve felt your belief. We’ve heard the chants, the cheers and the roars. We’ve seen the emotion in the faces of the children; in the faces of the mums and dads, and the grandfathers and grandmothers. We’ve seen grown men in tears; we’ve seen strangers hugging and we’ve seen the elderly dancing. I’m not sure how to say this but we’ve never felt quite so “New Zealand” in all our lives.
The feeling in the camp ahead of today’s showdown is as calm and collected as we can manage. Having our partners, wives and families with us throughout the tournament has helped maintain an air of normality in the camp, and that’s helped keep things grounded.
Our mission is simply to give the best performance we can, and leave everything on the field. No one can be expected to do more than that, and no one will be asked.
Yes, the result today will be enormous. But beyond that, the success of this tournament will be seen in the ongoing popularity of the game. The early signs are that, because of this World Cup, there will be more New Zealanders playing, watching and supporting cricket, that more people will be considering and discussing the game – and that’s something we should all be excited about. The legacy from this event will live on for decades.
We’ve already seen evidence of this with the crowds around the country, the well-wishers and the media attention. Registrations on our new website: myblackcaps.co.nz – where you can get all the inside oil on our team – have sky-rocketed beyond expectation. As I write this in my Melbourne hotel room, supporters are gathering outside waiting for a glimpse of our players. Something very special is happening.
This is a good chance for me to say to everyone, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you to the fans for giving us such encouragement; thank you to the World Cup volunteers for all your hard work; to the World Cup organisers for putting together such a fantastic event, and to everyone else involved in making this such a successful time.
But mostly, can I just say thank you to New Zealand – for being there with us today.
ALL BLACKS 