New Zealand vs Australia 2021, 1st T20I: All-Round New Zealand Manage Solid Series-Leading Victory
Published - 22 Feb 2021, 04:17 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:41 AM
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The hosts New Zealand have got a perfect start in the five-match T20I series against the visitors Australia as the hosts won the first game of this series by 53 runs at Christchurch. With this victory, New Zealand also ended their three-match T20I losing streak against Australia, while previously they beat this opposition during the ICC World T20 2016.
After winning the toss, Australia captain Aaron Finch chose to field first. While the hosts New Zealand scored 184/5 in 20 overs, the visitors Australia were bundled out for 131 runs (17.3 overs).
New Zealand vs Australia 2021, 1st T20I
2nd innings (Australian innings): Kiwi bowlers dominated while Ish Sodhi managed four wickets
Chasing down the challenging T20I total, the visitors Australia completely struggled from the very first over, where Tim Southee dismissed the Aussie opener and skipper Aaron Finch (1) on the fifth ball of that innings. While the top-orders lost their wickets quickly as the visitors lost the first four wickets inside the powerplay, their regular wickets falling remained continue the post-powerplay moments.
Apart from Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Agar, all the other Aussie batsmen failed to reach the 20-run marks. In fact, among the top eight batsmen, only one more batter (opener Matthew Wade 12) managed to reach the double-digit score. Without Marsh’s 45 off 33 balls (5 fours and 2 sixes) and Agar’s 23 off 13 balls (2 fours and only six), Australia would face more embarrassment in their defeat.
New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi took four wickets as he had the bowling figures of 4-0-28-4. On the other hand, Tim Southee (2/10) and Trent Boult (2/22) bagged two wickets each while Kyle Jamieson (1/32) and Mitchell Santner (1/29) got one wicket each.
1st innings (New Zealand innings): Devon Conway scored his third consecutive unbeaten 90 in T20 cricket
New Zealand had a weak start as they lost the first three wickets inside the first four overs while they scored only 19 runs. While Daniel Sams took the wickets of opener Martin Guptill (0) and in-form skipper Kane Williamson (12), Jhye Richardson bowled another opener Tim Seifert (1).
But another in-form cricketer Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips controlled that situation very well as they set up 74 runs partnership for the fourth wicket. Just after Marcus Stoinis dismissed Phillips for 30 runs off 20 balls (3 sixes), Conway completed his half-century in 36 balls. Later, Conway and James Neesham put the 47 runs partnership for the fifth wicket.
In the 17th over, Neesham lost his wicket after scoring 26 off 15 balls (3 fours) as Jhye Richardson got that wicket. However, the visitors couldn’t shake Conway who was just unlucky to score his maiden T20I century. At the end of that innings, Conway scored 99 not out off 59 balls (10 fours and 3 sixes) with a single from the last ball, which was also his third consecutive unbeaten 90s in T20 matches.
