Showing posts with label Kane Williamson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kane Williamson. Show all posts

Friday, 18 March 2016

New Zealand Beat Australia in Twenty20


New Zealand gained partial revenge for defeat in last year’s World Cup final with an eight-run win over Australia in the World Twenty20.

The Black Caps relied on power hitting at both ends of their innings, from Martin Guptill up front and Grant Elliott in the closing overs, to reach 142 for eight.

It looked below par but tight bowling earned them a second successive win as Mitchell McClenaghan, recalled after missing the opening game when a spin-heavy attack skittled India, took three for 17.

Guptill struck two fours and four sixes in an opening stand of 61 with captain Kane Williamson, which ended when Guptill - who hit 39 from 27 balls - hoisted James Faulkner to deep midwicket.

Glenn Maxwell took the catcher and his off-spin accounted for the next two wickets, first Williamson (24) and then Corey Anderson lofting straight down the ground to Ashton Agar in successive Maxwell overs.

Colin Munro produced an array of shots - at one point pulling out of an intended switch-hit over leg to steer the ball right-handed past keeper Peter Nevill for four - but on 23 a big heave at Mitchell Marsh from his regular left-handed stance picked out Faulkner.

Ross Taylor hit Shane Watson for a huge six but chipped the next ball weakly to Marsh at midwicket, but Elliott provided late impetus with 27 from 20 balls before being run out off the final ball of the 20 overs.

Australia also slipped after a strong start, Usman Khawaja and Watson putting on 44 before Watson drove McClenaghan’s slower ball to Williamson at mid-off and new man Steven Smith was stumped, beaten by huge turn from Mitchell Santner.

Khawaja hit six fours in his 38 from 27 balls, but was run out as Adam Milne’s powerful throw from the deep beat his dive. That left Australia 66 for three at halfway and from the very next ball, David Warner swatted Santner straight to Guptill on the leg-side boundary.

Maxwell and Marsh carried the fight and with five overs remaining Australia were 100 for four - one run better than the Beige Brigade had been at the same stage.

Maxwell holed out for 22, though, Williamson holding a steepling catch off Ish Sodhi’s bowling, and Agar was surprisingly promoted ahead of Faulkner to number seven.

He and Marsh each hit sixes in Santner’s last over, the left-armer finishing with two for 30, but Marsh fell to the returning McClenaghan and the left-arm seamer also had Agar well caught by Taylor in a brilliant 19th over.

Australia needed 19 off the last and when key man Faulkner heaved Anderson (two for 29) to long-on and Guptill took a good catch, the game was up as Australia finished on 134 for nine.


Monday, 15 February 2016

Australia Take Lyon Lead in Wellington


Nathan Lyon grabbed four wickets as Australia beat New Zealand by an innings and 52 runs after lunch on the fourth day of the first Test on Monday to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Lyon took two wickets on Monday to finish with 4-91 for Australia, who can take the top Test ranking from India with a series victory. The second game starts in Christchurch on 20 February.

Mark Craig, who top scored in New Zealand’s first innings with 41 not out, was left 33 not out when Trent Boult was bowled by Mitchell Marsh for 12 to wrap up their second innings for 327. 

New Zealand were dismissed for 183 in their first innings and faced a deficit of 379 runs after Adam Voges’ second Test double century drove Australia to a mammoth 562.

The visitors captured the last six wickets on Monday without the experienced Peter Siddle, who bowled just eight overs on Sunday before succumbing to a back spasm.

Marsh, Lyon and Jackson Bird all grabbed wickets before lunch to set up the victory push in the middle session.

Hazlewood trapped Doug Bracewell in front for 14 just three deliveries after they returned from the break.

While Tim Southee provided some typical rearguard fireworks with 48 from 23 balls, the result was only a matter of time with him in the mood to swing for the fences.

Southee holed out at long on trying to hit a fourth six off Lyon before Boult was bowled by Marsh just under an hour into the final session.

The only bright spot for New Zealand was debutant Henry Nicholls scoring his first Test half century before he was bowled by Bird for 59.

Hazlewood’s ability to get the older ball to reverse swing should be of concern for New Zealand, whose top-four batsmen made solid starts but failed to push on in what were considered good batting conditions.

The hosts had resumed on Thursday on 178-4, with Nicholls on 31. Anderson joined him after captain Brendon McCullum was trapped lbw in the final over of the third day.

Australia, however, simply chipped away and waited for the batsmen to make errors with Anderson trapped in front by Marsh for a 22-ball duck before wicketkeeper BJ Watling got an inside edge to a Lyon delivery and played on for 10.

Nicholls also played on a delivery from Bird, which gave the tall pace bowler his first wicket of the match.


Wednesday, 3 February 2016

Kiwis Easy Winners at Eden Park

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Matt Henry shrugged off the disappointment of missing out on selection for next month’s World Twenty20 with a hostile spell of pace bowling that helped New Zealand ease to a 159-run win over Australia in the first one-day international on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old Henry, who has been regularly overlooked this summer and then brought in as injury cover, took 3-20 in his first four overs at Eden Park as he and Trent Boult reduced the visitors to 41 for six in their pursuit of 308 to win.

They were helped by an lbw decision against David Warner, who was told not to review by partner George Bailey despite the opener’s concerns about the height.

Ball tracking suggested the ball would have gone well over the stumps, causing Warner to slam his bat into his pads as he watched the replay on the big screen.

Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade (37) and all-rounder James Faulkner (36), however, then put on 79 runs to partially resurrect Australia’s innings as they chased New Zealand’s 307-8.

Once Wade holed out at deep midwicket in the 21st over and Faulkner was bowled by Adam Milne in the 22nd, the match was all but over and they were bowled out for 148 in just 24.2 overs.

Henry finished with 3-41, while Boult had 3-38. Mitchell Santner bowled just two balls and took the last two wickets.

Martin Guptill top scored for New Zealand with 90, his highest total against Australia and his 29th one-day international half century.

The 29-year-old opener, who hit one of his five sixes onto the roof of the stand at the Auckland venue, shared in partnerships of 79 runs with captain Brendon McCullum (44) and 100 with Henry Nicholls (61).

New Zealand, who were asked to bat by Australia captain Steve Smith, had initially looked on course to set a total well in excess of 320 but lost wickets at critical times when batsmen looked set to push on.

John Hastings was the most economical of the visiting bowlers with 1-39 from 10 overs, while fifth seamer Mitchell Marsh had figures of 2-35 from seven.

The three-match one-day international series moves on to Wellington on Saturday with the sides also scheduled to play two Tests.