Aussie plan to rebuff Boult reaps rewards

Australia's plan to nullify New Zealand spearhead Trent Boult paid off with Steve Smith's century leading the home side to a 25-run win in the third Dettol ODI in Cairns.

Boult dominated with 4-40 and 4-38 in the first two one-dayers, leaving Australia's top order in disarray in both matches.

The Aussies managed to recover from 5-44 in the first match and again from 5-54 in the second but only after the Kiwi quick found plenty of swing with the white Kookaburra.

So rather than try and take on the skilled left armer, Australia went a different way in the final ODI.

"We summed up from the first two games that if we can not get out to Trent Boult and just stay out there that we can put on a total of 260, 270 through just good cricket, good batting," Marnus Labuschagne told cricket.com.au after the 3-0 series sweep.

After the early wickets of Josh Inglis (10) and Aaron Finch (five), Australia's run rate was crawling at 2-19 at the end of the Powerplay.

But Smith and Labuschagne, who combined for a century partnership, did not panic as they viewed the opening overs as a crucial juncture in the match.

"New Zealand have some terrific new ball bowlers, Boult in particular, swinging the ball back in," Smith told reporters after the match.

"We've seen how dangerous he's been on that wicket this series.

"I needed to get through that period like I did in the last game."

Australia's eagerness to play dead bat to Boult reflected in his figures – his first eight overs cost him only 10 runs, with a whopping four maidens.

Boult finished with the superb figures of 10-4-25-2, claiming the wickets of Inglis and a slogging Glenn Maxwell (14), but Australia's run rate off New Zealand's other five bowlers was a healthy 6.05.

It was Smith who did most of the damage, reaching his century off 127 balls.

Although it was the slowest of Smith's 12 ODI tons, it capped off an excellent six-game stretch in northern Queensland where his 263 runs topped the run-scorers, with David Warner the next best with 189 runs.

With both a Test and ODI ton to his name in the last three months, the 33year-old feels as though his game is in a good place at the moment.

"I'm pretty relaxed," Smith said.

"I feel like I'm hitting the ball nicely, I'm just trying to keep things as simple as I can.

"There's not too much you can sort of do on that sort of wicket. It's just swim between the flags and not do anything too stupid."

Smith's game awareness was on full display in the 38th over of the innings when he spied that the Kiwis had one too many fielders outside the 30-yard inner ring.

Sensing the next ball bowled would be deemed a no-ball because of the illegal field setting, Smith unleashed an almighty swing that sent the Jimmy Neesham delivery deep into the crowd on the hill of Cazlays Stadium.

And the right hander quickly made sure the umpires became aware of the field too.

"I looked around and I saw third man was back. I think he was supposed to be up," Smith said.

"I was like, 'this is Christmas'.

"It's a free hit, and then I get a free hit after it.

"I was looking to make sure no one ran in quickly (because I) would have looked a bit stupid if I got out and he'd snuck back into the circle.

Although Smith swung and missed at the free hit that followed, his teammates were impressed but not surprised at the play.

"He was very chuffed about that," Labuschagne told cricket.com.au.

"He was saying before that with a free hit, you're guessing where they're going to bowl.

"But when they don't know it's a free hit, you know it's going to be a hard length, top of the stumps.

"So swing away!"

Men's Dettol ODI Series v New Zealand

First ODI: Australia won by two wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 113 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 25 runs

Australia squad: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

New Zealand squad: Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson (c)