Aussies retain Chappell-Hadlee after strangling bowling effort

A strangling bowling performance on an Eden Park postage stamp has seen Australia retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, with Adam Zampa starring as his side successfully defended 174 in the second T20 International.

A startling collapse by the visiting batters on an Auckland rugby ground famed for big scores and small boundaries looked to have New Zealand in prime position to level the series.

But, handicapped by the absence of Devon Conway who suffered a thumb injury while wicketkeeping, the Black Caps crumbled on a bouncy surface to be bowled out for just 102.

Adam Zampa was metres away from taking a hat-trick and finished with 4-34, while Josh Hazlewood (1-12 off four overs) was immense with the new ball.

Yet the most spectacular moment on Friday night came from gloveman Matthew Wade, who ran past the 30-yard circle to reel in an astonishing diving catch off a Will Young miscue.

It stood in contrast to the Black Caps' woes in the field earlier in the evening when they fluffed two straightforward chances off captain Mitch Marsh.

Glenn Phillips, who saw out a Hazlewood maiden in the Powerplay, nearly holed out to long off to give Zampa three wickets in as many balls, but the leg-spinner got him two balls later to remove the hosts' last recognised batter for a team-high 42 (from 35).

Nathan Ellis (2-16) twice rattled the stumps in a strong showing in his first game back from a rib injury, while Marsh and player-of-the-match Pat Cummins both took early wickets.

Only three NZ batters reached double digits in a limp effort by their top-order given the sterling performance of their Lockie Ferguson-led bowling attack.

Marsh admitted Australia thought they were "50 short" of a good total as Ferguson snared 4-12, including the wicket of returning opener Steve Smith with his first delivery of the night.

The Aussies squandered a promising start to lose 6-53 in the space of 46 balls through their middle overs, all of them were attempting to clear the modest boundaries at the rectangular-shaped venue where scores above 200 are regularly chased down in T20s.

Australia had raced to 1-85 in the seventh over, thanks to Travis Head (45 off 22) belting five early sixes, while Cummins (28 off 22) blazed five fours to give his fellow bowlers something to defend.

Ben Sears (2-29) bowled with vigour, and while captain Mitchell Santner (2-35) was miserly with the ball, his self-promotion to No.3 in Conway's absence was a failure as he made seven off 13 deliveries and chewed up valuable balls while field restrictions were in place.

Trent Boult, playing his first T20I since November 2022, conceded 20 off his first over as Smith (opening in place of the rested David Warner) played a sequence of audacious ramp shots against the new ball.

The Black Caps' troubles deepened when Conway was forced from the field after copping an awkward knock to his left thumb early in the Australian innings.

A fired-up Sears turned the tide as he sparked the procession of wickets when Head chopped on.

Marsh lived a charmed life as NZ twice failed to catch miscued hoicks in the outfield, but was eventually caught by Boult off the bowling of Santner.

New Zealand XI: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Mitchell Santner (c), Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Ben Sears

 

Australia XI: Travis Head, Steve Smith, Mitch Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Qantas Tour of New Zealand

February 21: First T20: Australia win by six wickets with 0 balls to spare

February 23: Second T20: Australia win by 72 runs

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

February 29 – March 4: First Test, Wellington, 9am AEDT

March 8-12: Second Test, Christchurch, 9am AEDT

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc

New Zealand Test squad: Tim Southee (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.