Australia seal T20 series sweep of New Zealand with resounding win in 10-over slog
Australia have endured three rain delays on their way to a clean sweep of their T20I series with New Zealand, posting a 27-run win in Auckland.
However, former skipper Steve Smith suffered another setback on Sunday as he attempts to make the squad for June’s T20 World Cup, failing to deliver once more.
Australia posted 118-4 from 10.4 overs in an innings interrupted twice by Auckland showers.
A third rain delay ended their innings and set the Black Caps a revised total of 126 to chase in 10 overs, but the hosts were well held to 98-3 by Australia’s bowlers at Eden Park.
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With little on the line in the dead rubber, most attention centred on Smith’s performance with the bat.
The 34-year-old has been reinvented as a top-order option late in his career, and was given another shot at opening with David Warner absent.
But Smith departed meekly after three balls to suggest he has a tenuous grip on a place in the squad for what would be his fourth World Cup.
The 34-year-old got off the mark with a textbook pull to the boundary, but two balls later was caught half-heartedly attempting to cut a rising Adam Milne delivery, snicking it to wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.
Smith was the only Australian batsman dismissed without leaving a significant mark on the rain-affected clash.
Matt Short (27 off 11 deliveries) and Glenn Maxwell (20 off nine) played explosive hands, with Travis Head (33 off 30) accumulating well.
Finishers Josh Inglis (14 off eight) and Tim David (eight off three) were left when the rain ended their stint at the crease.
New Zealand, understrength again with key absences including Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, never looked likely in their chase.
The early dismissals of Will Young and Tim Siefert brought the key duo of Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips to the crease, needing 96 from 43 balls.
Phillips fumed as Nathan Ellis produced four straight dot balls with outswingers, an over which saw the required run-rate push out from 12 to 15 an over.
It only ballooned further when Allen holed out off the bowling of Adam Zampa soon after, the contest getting away from the Black Caps.
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Phillips was New Zealand’s best with an unbeaten 40 off 24, but was unable to find partners able to go with him.
Spencer Johnson (1-10 off two overs) impressed with the ball, as did Ellis (0-11 off two).
Mitch Marsh, Australia’s skipper for the opening two matches, was named player of the series.
“To win three-nil is a fantastic effort,” Marsh said. “Coming here to New Zealand, it’s always been a tough challenge ... especially their T20 side, it’s a tough unit.”
Australia made three changes for the third match, with Marsh, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood rested ahead of the Test series beginning at Wellington’s Basin Reserve on Thursday.
Black Caps captain Mitch Santner rued missed opportunities in the field – counting seven dropped efforts – but said the losses wouldn’t hurt confidence for the Tests.
“The series didn’t go as well as we wanted but we can park that ... and move onto the Tests,” Santner said. “Playing Australia at home is always a massive occasion.”
The result means Australia retains the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, which was previously contested only in ODIs, but is now in play during all short-form series.