Zampa heaps praise on quicks after maiden ODI five-for

Adam Zampa may have picked up the maiden five-wicket haul of his ODI career, but in the aftermath of Australia's massive 113-run win over New Zealand in Cairns the leg-spinner revealed that he bowled far below his best.

Zampa, who was named Player of the Series in the three one-dayers against Zimbabwe in Townsville, has continued his purple patch into the Dettol ODI Series against the Black Caps.

In the first match at Cazaly's Stadium on Tuesday, Zampa grabbed 1-38 from his 10 overs with Josh Hazlewood the only bowler in the match to finish with a better economy rate (3.1 to Zampa's 3.8).

On Thursday, Zampa took 5-35 form nine overs which included the key wickets of New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell, both lbw. 

He had previously taken four four-wicket hauls in the 50-over format, but the five-wicket haul remained elusive.

Despite the career-best, the 30-year-old was underwhelmed with his own performance.

"I bowled terribly," Zampa told reporters after the match.

"Well, I wouldn't say terribly.

"Getting wickets in ODI cricket is always really tough, especially for the spin bowlers.

"I felt a little bit off and probably wasn't quite at my best.

"I reaped the rewards of the guys who bowled before me – when I came on the (New Zealand) run rate was one and a half."

Zampa was thrown the ball in the 14th over after Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott had restricted the Kiwis to 3-18 from 13 overs.

And the leg-spinner was fortunate when New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who had grinded stoically to 17 off 58 balls, missed a rank full toss to gift Zampa his opening wicket.

The ball, which admittedly was drifting from off to leg, struck Williamson on the full on the back thigh, and ball-tracking revealed it would have clipped the leg stump.

It was a fourth time Zampa has removed the New Zealand legend in international cricket, but he was more relieved than elated.

"Well, they say that spinners can bowl a bit of crap and get wickets," Zampa said on Thursday night.

"(It was a) big, big surprise.

"When that crap comes out of your hand and you see it go down, you start walking back to your mark knowing you've got an extra six runs against your name. But yeah, that happens."

Almost as important as his performances with the ball in this series have been his contributions with the bat.

Image Id: 00C014CC824C486EAD3C7642FFB7CE38 Image Caption: Zampa has scored 13* and 16 in his last two innings // Getty

Zampa accompanied Cameron Green to the victory target in the first ODI, scoring an unbeaten 13 in a vital ninth-wicket stand.

And in game two the diminutive right hander scored 16 valuable runs as Australia's last three batters of Starc (38no) and Hazlewood (23no) added a momentum-shifting 78 runs to boost the hosts up to a defendable total.

But Zampa's improved offerings with the stick can't be put down extra hours in the nets.

When asked if he had been working hard on his batting, Zampa replied emphatically with a 'no'.

"I've always enjoyed batting but I don't like the ball coming up my head fast," Zampa said.

"So I stick away from the nets.

"When you're batting at 10 in ODI cricket, sometimes you have to come in and slog from ball one which isn't quite my strength. I don't have the power.

"If we get out and it's 150 (all out) I think it's a different ballgame.

"But our discipline with the ball and the fact they were still chasing somewhere around 200 made a bit of a difference in the game."

Men's Dettol ODI Series v New Zealand

Tuesday, Sep 6: Australia won by two wickets

Thursday, Sep 8: Australia won by 113 runs

Sunday Sep 11: Cazaly Stadium, Cairns, 2:20pm

Australia squad: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, 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)

Buy #AUSvNZ tickets here