
Thanks to an opening partnership of 175 runs in 115 balls between David Warner and Travis Head, Australia headed into their match against New Zealand with full force. Each team announced a single roster addition. Cameron Green was replaced on the Australian team by Travis Head. To bolster their bowling attack, New Zealand brought in James Neesham in lieu of Mark Chapman. Tom Latham won the toss and put Australia to bat first. Australia scored 388 runs. Here is a recap of the first innings.
Warner and Head smash New Zealand bowlers all around the park
Warner and Head, Australia’s opening pair, got off to a great start from the off. Matt Henry went for eight runs in his opening over, but Warner hit two fours. Head smacked Trent Boult for a four from the other end. Henry was smashed for three sixes and bowled two no-balls before giving up 22 runs in his second over.
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Boult also continued to be costly, as Warner smashed him for a six and a four in the fourth over. After Head scored 14 runs in Henry’s third over, Australia reached their fifty runs in just 25 balls.
Warner’s bat gave a leading edge to Boult in the sixth over, but it landed safely. Henry was substituted in the seventh over by Lockie Ferguson. The Kiwi speedster was blasted for two sixes by Warner and a four by Head, and he got the same treatment.
In the eighth over, Warner reached his third consecutive 50+ score in just 28 balls. Head did the same in the next over, scoring the World Cup’s fastest half-century in 25 balls. Ferguson bowled the final over of the powerplay after switching ends, but the outcome stayed the same as the speedster let up 10 runs in the over.
Australia ended the powerplay with 118 runs on the board without losing any wickets. This was the third-highest score in powerplay in ODIs and the second-highest in World Cup history.
Australia continue their dominance after powerplay
There was no rest from the Aussies. After the powerplay, 26 runs were scored in the first three overs. In the thirteenth over, Mitchell Santner came dangerously close to ending the opening partnership when Head gave him a chance for a return catch. In the fourteenth over, Glenn Phillips entered the fray and delivered the first over of the innings without a boundary. In keeping things tight, Phillips, Santner, and Rachin Ravindra bowled in unison, giving up just 31 runs in six overs.
Phillips strikes for New Zealand
When Phillips dismissed Warner, ending a 175-run opening stand, the 2019 runners-up received their first blood. Warner struck six sixes and five fours to score 81 runs in 65 balls. Head returned to the team and in just 59 balls made a century. Head’s century is Australia’s fourth-fastest century. In his sixth over, Phillips also removed Head from the game. The delivery was speedier and skidded onto the stumps. Head struck 10 fours and 7 sixes to score 109 runs in 67 balls.
The five-time champs’ runs were stifled by the two wickets. The spinners from New Zealand bowled well, giving up just 26 runs in five overs (25-29). In the thirtieth over, Phillips removed Steve Smith for the third wicket.
In the 31st over, Boult returned to the attack and was on the verge of dismissing Marnus Labuschagne when third man Darryl Mitchell dropped an easy catch, giving Labuschagne a life. In the 32nd over, Phillips finished his allotted ten overs, giving up just 37 runs and taking three wickets.
In the 37th over, Santner returned to the attack and took Mithcell Marsh’s wicket with the first ball of his subsequent spell. Marsh smashed two fours and scored 36 runs off of 51 balls. A botched run-out opportunity gave Labuschagne another lifeline in the next over. After that, Labuschagne was sent out by Santner for just 18 runs in the 39th over.
Australia scores big in death overs
Australia had made 292 runs at the expense of five wickets heading into the final overs, while New Zealand was still struggling to recover from Warner and Head’s attack. Santner kept up his frugal play, giving up just three runs in the 41st over. In the 42nd over, Ravindra returned to the attack and was hammered by Glenn Maxwell for two fours. In the next over, Maxwell carried on his assault, hitting two straight sixes off Santner’s bowling. In the 45th over, James Neesham entered the attack and quickly had an impact, removing Maxwell. Maxwell blasted two sixes and five fours to score 41 runs in 24 balls.
Josh Inglis and Pat Cummins scored some useful boundaries scoring 58 runs in the space of just three overs (46-48). Boult in the penultimate over dismissed Inglis and Cummins in the same over to provide some respite for Kiwis. He dismissed Adam Zampa too in the same over.