Old classics for a new era: Some famous Chappell-Hadlee ODIs

Today's T20 between Australia and New Zealand is more than vital World Cup preparation for both sides, it marks the first time the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy will be up for grabs in the format.

A trophy first introduced in 2004 for ODI series to celebrate the storied rivalry between the trans-Tasman neighbours, it has become an increasingly irregular contest amongst the crowded cricket calendar.

The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy was officially introduced in December 2004, named after two giant families in Australian and New Zealand cricket. The trophy has been up for grabs 13 times – including twice when the nations met at the 2011 and 2015 ODI World Cups – and has changed hands seven times.

The trophy had lain dormant after Australia beat New Zealand at the 2011 World Cup in Nagpur, until it was revived for the epic Eden Park clash between the sides during the pool stage of the 2015 World Cup, which New Zealand won in dramatic fashion.

It was that World Cup tournament that sparked a renewed interest in trans-Tasman ODI clashes, with three series in 12 months over 2016-17.

A highly anticipated series to be played in retro kits, picked after a wildly popular fan vote either side of the Tasman, was thwarted by the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020.

The teams have met once in an ODI series since – in Cairns in September 2022 – but no ODIs were part of the current Future Tours Program that takes bilateral international cricket through to mid-2027, hence extending the silverware to all white-ball contests.

February 2015: Black Caps take back the trophy at Eden Park

In one of the best matches of the 2015 World Cup, New Zealand prevailed by just one wicket when Kane Williamson launched Pat Cummins over the long-on boundary for six in their World Cup pool match.

Having skittled Australia for just 151, thanks to five wickets from Trent Boult, the Black Caps appeared to be on track for victory when Brendon McCullum hit a 24-ball half-century. But an incredible six-wicket haul from Mitchell Starc, four of them bowled, almost helped Australia pull off a miracle.

The World Cup Final – won by Australia, lest anyone forget – was not a Chappell-Hadlee match, meaning the Black Caps kept their grip on the trans-Tasman trophy and finished the tournament with one piece of silverware at least.

February 2016: New Zealand win 2-1

In a three-match series played across the ditch in February 2016, Martin Guptill set the tone early by launching Kane Richardson onto the Eden Park roof in a whirlwind 90. With 307 on the board, Trent Boult and Matt Henry ripped the Aussies apart in Auckland – all out for 148 – in a massive 159-run win.

In the second, Australia orchestrated their highest successful run-chase on New Zealand soil, with 98 from David Warner backed up superbly by an unbeaten 69 from Mitchell Marsh in a four-wicket win in Wellington.

That set-up a thrilling decider in Hamilton, with Brendon McCullum blasting 47 from just 27 balls in typical fashion to bid farewell to the international game.

Mitch Marsh looked set to guide Australia home again until controversy struck – a squeezed shot rebounded off his boot and was caught by the bowler, Henry, but the umpires referred the decision to the third umpire only after sighting a big-screen replay. NZ subsequently wrapped up the tail to send McCullum out on a high.

December 2016: Australia win 3-0

Australia hosted New Zealand in early December and easily accounted for the tourists, running out 3-0 winners to regain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

David Warner was Player of the Series with a pair of hundreds, while Steve Smith made a career-best 164 on his home patch in Sydney. Between them, Warner (two) and Smith won all three Player-of-the-Match awards in the series.

February 2017: New Zealand win 2-0

The Black Caps claimed a thriller in game one at Eden Park in Auckland; after making 286, they reduced Australia to 6-67 before Marcus Stoinis produced the innings of his life (and one of the great knocks seen in his country's proud ODI history), blazing 11 sixes in an astonishing 146 not out to take the tourists to within six runs of victory.

Unfortunately Josh Hazlewood was then run out and the Australians fell short, handing the Kiwis a one-nil lead in the series.

The second match was abandoned in Napier without a ball being bowled, setting up a decider at Hamilton where a century from Ross Taylor led the Black Caps to 9-281. It was a total that, on a nice batting wicket, may have been under-par, but a career-best 6-33 from Trent Boult saw Australia bowled out for 257 to surrender the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

The trans-Tasman rivals next met in a fully-fledged 50-over international at Lord's in the 2019 World Cup group stage, but the trophy was not put up for grabs.

From an Australian point of view, it was a shame, after a Mitchell Starc five-wicket haul led the team in gold to an 86-run win. A replay of the 2015 World Cup final was thwarted when Australia fell at the semi-final stage to England.

March 2020: Australia win 1-0

It was over three years later that Australia and New Zealand played off for the trophy again, except when play eventually got underway cricket was the furthest thing from most minds.

On the morning of March 13, 2020, it was announced that spectators would not be allowed into the SCG due to the risk of COVID-19, and a series of new and (at the time) strange restrictions were placed on all those involved, perhaps best highlighted by Finch and Williamson’s hesitancy of whether to shake hands at the toss.

Three days earlier Australia had recorded just its 100th case of the virus, underlining just how little anyone in the country knew about the pandemic, and what was to come.

In the end Australia comfortably accounted for New Zealand by 71 runs however, shortly after, the rest of the three-game series was cancelled due to the pandemic, and Australia regained the trophy.

September 2022: Australia win 3-0

A three-game series played entirely in Cairns in Far North Queensland marked a revival of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, but it also marked an end of an era for Australian cricket, with captain Aaron Finch calling time on his ODI career ahed of the third and final game. 

The first game proved a thriller, with Cameron Green battling off severe cramps - some years later revealed to be an effect of the allrounder's Chronic kidney disease - hitting an unbeaten 89 to guide his team home to a narrow two-wicket win. Australia asserted dominance in the foramt from then on, despite the best efforts of Trent Boult. In the second ODI Australia looked in serious strife at 8-117, but recovered to post 195, before Adam Zampa's 5-35 in nine overs bowled the Black Caps out for 82. 

The third match saw Steve Smith post a brilliant century to lead Australia to a healthy 5-267 on a Cairns surface that wasn't exactly conducive to free-flowing cricket, before Starc and Sean Abbott helped bowl the Kiwis out for 25-run win and send Finch off a winner.

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy history

2004: Drew 3-game series in Australia 1-1

2005: Australia won 2-1 in New Zealand

2007: New Zealand won 3-0 in New Zealand (February)

2007: Australia won 2-0 at home (December)

2009: Drew 5-game series 2-2 in Australia

2010: Australia won 3-2 in NZ

2011: Australia won – one-off match at 2011 ODI World Cup

2015: New Zealand won – one-off match at 2015 ODI World Cup

2016: New Zealand won 2-1 in NZ (February)

2016: Australia won 3-0 in Australia (December)

2017: New Zealand won 2-0 in NZ

2020: Australia won 1-0 (cancelled series due to Covid outbreak)

2022: Australia won 3-0 in Australia

Qantas Tour of New Zealand

February 21: First T20, Wellington, 5.10pm AEDT

February 23: Second T20, Auckland, 5.10pm AEDT

February 25: Third T20, Auckland, 11am AEDT

Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

New Zealand T20 squad: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult