Cricket Highlights, 11 Sep: AUS vs NZ (3rd ODI)

AUS vs NZ (3rd ODI) – Highlights

Australia and New Zealand met in the 3rd of the three-match ODI series yesterday morning. The match was a battle to survive a whitewash. But New Zealand was not saved in the end. Australia set a huge target for New Zealand as they batted first. But New Zealand wrapped up before reaching the target. Australia had already won the series one match earlier and also whitewashed New Zealand by winning the last match. On the other hand, Steven Smith got the title of the best of the match and the best of the series by scoring a century. 

New Zealand won the toss and sent off Australia to bat first in Cairns yesterday. Like the previous two matches of the series, Australia’s two openers failed to bat well. After replacing David Warner Joss Inglis couldn’t score more than 10 runs. He played 16 balls to score 10 runs. Inglis was caught behind the wicket by Tom Latham while driving Trent Boult’s ball. Aaron Finch could not finish the ODI nicely with the bat. Returned with only 5 runs. Captain Aaron Finch could not get out of the circle of failure even in his last ODI. This Australian captain returned to the dressing room after being bowled by Tim Southee.

However, the captain’s farewell has been managed nicely by the teammates. Steven Smith rescued the team who lost 2 wickets for 16 runs. Smith formed a great partnership with Marnus Labuschagne to lead Australia.

The hosts got the basis for a big score in the pair of 118 runs from 169 balls. But Lockie Ferguson broke the pair in the 34th over. Labuschagne was caught out and sent to the restroom. He scored 52 runs off 78 balls with the help of 2 fours. Labuschagne went back to the dressing room at the team’s 134 runs but Smith was adamant and stayed on the field. Then Smith brought up his 12th century in the 44th over. But in the next over, Smith was bowled by Mitchell Santner. Smith scored 105 runs off 131 balls. His innings of 105 runs had 11 fours and 1 six.

Then Glenn Maxwell left the field with 14 runs off 8 balls with the help of 1 six. However, Alex Carey and Cameron Green brought huge capital to the team and remain undefeated. Carey remains unbeaten with 42 runs off 43 balls. Green played an innings of 24 runs off 12 balls. He also hit 2 fours and 2 sixes. In the end, they scored 267 runs losing 5 wickets with 14 runs extra.

Trent Boult took 2 wickets for New Zealand. Besides, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, and Mitchell Santner took 1 wicket each.

The target was 268 runs. But the Australian team gave Finch a farewell gift by thrashing New Zealand by winning the third ODI of the series by 25 runs. Chasing the target of 268 runs given by Australia, New Zealand was bowled out for 242 runs.

New Zealand did not get off to a bad start. However, the opening pair broke with the dismissal of Devon Conway (21) at the team’s 49 runs. Another opener, Finn Allen, did not last long either.

Allen (35) was caught by Josh Hazlewood off Cameron Green’s ball. After losing Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, and Kane Williamson at regular intervals, the Kiwis lost 5 wickets for 122 runs.

Then Glenn Phillips took the lead with James Neesham. But Neesham returned with 36 runs at the team’s 173 runs. After that Phillips tried to take the team forward with Santner.

But Abbott sent Phillips (47) back to the box with a brilliant catch from Mitchell Starc. After that, all that was left was the formality of New Zealand’s loss. The guests stopped at 242 runs.

Starc took 3 wickets for Australia. Cameron Green and Sean Abbott took 2 wickets each. Besides that, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood took 1 wicket each. 

AUS vs NZ Scoreboard  

Australia – 267/5 (50)

New Zealand – 242/10 (49.5)

Result – Australia won by 25 runs 

Player of the match – Steven Smith

Player of the series – Steven Smith

AUS vs NZ Playing XIs