A men’s T20 World Cup tournament victory has so far eluded Australia, with Aaron Finch’s side needing to get past a tenacious Black Caps outfit to lift the trophy.
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By Dean Bilton
15th over – Adam Milne thrown the ball
Marsh on strike.
JUST SHORT! Again so close! Marsh pings a flat pull shot out towards Mitchell in the deep, but it doesn’t quite carry. Things going Marsh and Australia’s way.
FOUR FOR MAXWELL! Didn’t get much of it, but he picked the small gap behind square on the leg side!
EGED FOR FOUR! I think it’s Australia’s night! A hoik from Maxwell, but it took a thick outside edge and flew high and wide of the keeper.
Milne went hunting for the bouncer, but it’s another wide. New Zealand getting a little ragged now.
By Dean Bilton
14th over – Ish Sodhi back into the attack
And he starts with a wide.
MITCH MARSH GOES BIG AGAIN! Into the top deck over long on! Could this be Mitch Marsh’s greatest moment for his country? He has brought up a half-century in a knock that has set up this final for Australia.
Two more for Marsh now through midwicket.
FOUR MORE! Not good from Sodhi, but the half-tracker is smacked by Marsh for four through midwicket. Big strife for New Zealand.
Another wide.
And another wide. Bit of a disaster this from Ish Sodhi.
Sixteen from the over thanks to three wides, a six, a four and some change.
By Dean Bilton
13th over still – Four balls to bowl for Boult
Glenn Maxwell at the crease, which is always exciting. Something will happen here, one way or another.
Maxwell gets off the mark and Marsh takes one more, so three runs and a wicket from a very good Boult over.
By Dean Bilton
BOWLED HIM! WARNER IS OUT! SKITTLED BY BOULT FOR 53!
There it is! The moment that might lift New Zealand back into this game! Warner had a wild swipe at that one across the line and lost his middle stump in the process. The reintroduction of Boult pays off immediately, and maybe it can be the catalyst for something for New Zealand.
By Dean Bilton
13th over – Trent Boult back into the attack
Feels a bit like now or never for New Zealand. With Smith, Maxwell, Stoinis et al in the sheds, Australia is certainly well placed.
By Dean Bilton
12th over – Santner to bowl his third over
Marsh just stands and clubs one through the covers for a single.
Nearly a chance! Phillips has taken that so cleanly on the half-volley while diving forward, but still. An inch short of what they really needed though.
FOUR MORE! Bit of junk from Santner, and Marsh wasn’t about to miss out. Short and belted through midwicket for four. Excellent stuff from Marsh.
Nine runs in total from that over and things are getting really tricky for New Zealand. Only wickets can change this game for them now.
By Dean Bilton
11th over – Jimmy Neesham into the attack
A tricky customer. Could be a pivotal stage of the game.
SIX RUNS! Short, straight, punished by Mitch Marsh. He has been peppering the leg side boundary, and more often than not clearing it.
MASSIVE! David Warner goes big! Dispatched over midwicket and deep into the crowd for another six. That’s 50 too, an innings that might be setting Australia up for victory.
Fifteen from that over for Australia. 76 runs from 54 balls required.
By Dean Bilton
By Dean Bilton
10th over – Santner to bowl again
Marsh belts one through point for a single.
Swing and a miss from Marsh, who was deceived by Santner’s clever change of pace. Better over this, just ones and twos from it so far.
Only five from the over, but Australia in a really good spot now with 10 overs to play.
By Dean Bilton
9th over – Sodhi to continue
Marsh cuts away for a single.
FOUR RUNS! Not entirely sure how Warner took that from outside off stump and pulled it through mid on, but he did. And he got four for it. So good on him.
Good running by Warner earns him two more. He’s also not wearing a hat right now, which is something.
FOUR MORE! Warner is moving now! Short and loose from Sodhi, so Warner belts it through square leg for another boundary.
MASSIVE! Warner goes big! And long! And for a huge six! Straight down the ground, that was rather emphatic.
17 off the over, things suddenly looking up for Australia.
By Dean Bilton
8th over – Mitch Santner to bowl
Spin from both ends. Warner charges at the first one, so it might be go time for David.
HUGE! Mitch Marsh drops to one knee and belts that over square leg for a massive six! Marsh making his presence felt!
There is some spin on offer for Santner, which may slighty discourage Marsh from going after him again.
Just singles around the big six, so 10 off the over.
By Dean Bilton
7th over – Ish Sohdi into the attack now
Does Warner target the spinner?
Not quite, just ones and twos so far. Australia’s innings has been pretty similar to New Zealand’s so far. So the question will be who can play the Williamson knock?
Seven off the over, 50 up for Australia.
By Dean Bilton
By Dean Bilton
6th over – Milne to bowl again
The powerplay is over, so we’re into the middle overs now.
A couple of leg byes and a couple of dots from a good Milne over so far. A really sharp bouncer there caught Warner by surprise, Milne certainly has pace on his side.
Warner is also trying to get inside everything to play it through the offside. Mixed results so far.
Excellent over from Milne, only three from it and two were extras.
By Dean Bilton
5th over – Southee will bowl again
Marsh takes one off his pads to fine leg for a single.
A bit of a disjointed start from Warner, who doesn’t seem to have fully adapted to the wicket yet. He edges one into his thigh and takes a single.
SIX RUNS! Slower ball from Southee, and I don’t think Warner got all of it. Doesn’t matter though, it’s picked up and smashed over midwicket for a maximum.
Four singles and a six, so 10 runs from that Southee over. Australia doing okay – not amazing, but a decent platform is being out down.
By Dean Bilton
4th over – Adam Milne into the attack now
SIX! Mitch Marsh! That was his first ball, and he’s just put it 20 rows back over backward square leg. My word is that a shot and a half.
NOW FOR FOUR! Power in the first shot, precision in the second. A clever little glide down to third for four.
AND ANOTHER FOUR! Mitch Marsh has come to play! A little short from Milne and Marsh jumped all over it. Through midwicket for another boundary.
Marsh strokes the next through the covers and a misfield earns him a single.
Less luck for Warner, who can get either of the last two balls away. 15 off the over.
By Dean Bilton
3rd over still – Boult has three balls left
Mitch Marsh is the new batter, but Warner has the strike.
Those three remaining balls are dots, ending an excellent Trent Boult over.
By Dean Bilton
OUT! FINCH IS WELL CAUGHT BY MITCHELL! THE SKIPPER GOES FOR 5!
Huge wicket! Finch charged again so Boult dropped it in short, forcing a rushed and uncomfortable pull shot. Mitchell had some serious ground to cover from deep square leg, but he made it up swiftly and held on to the catch.
A timely strike for New Zealand.
By Dean Bilton
3rd over – Boult in again to Finch now
BANG! Finch advances and pumps one down the ground for four. He needed that.
By Dean Bilton
2nd over – Tim Southee to bowl now
Warner backs away almost as Southee is releasing the ball. Would have been interesting had the ball hit the stumps.
SHOT! Warner is away! A bit of width and it’s belted over extra cover for four. First boundary of the innings.
EVEN BETTER! Pierced away off the back foot, over point and away for another four! Excellent hands from Warner.
So a couple of singles to finish the set, 10 off the over all up.
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