DUBAI: Mitchell Marsh and player-of-the-tournament David Warner smashed half centuries as Australia won its first cricket T20 World Cup with an eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final on Sunday.
New Zealand lost the all-important toss and scored 172-4.
Skipper Kane Williamson, dropped on 21, led the way by scoring 85 off 48 balls, but his team was pegged back by Josh Hazlewood, who finished with impressive figures of 3-16 from four overs.
Marsh, who pulled fast bowler Adam Milne for a six over fine leg off the first ball he faced, smashed an unbeaten 77 off 50 balls and Warner made 53 off 38 as Australia reached 173-2 in 18.5 overs. The victory also ensured Australia kept intact its unbeaten record against the Black Caps in a knockout game since 1981.
“This is huge, to be the first Australia team to do it, so proud of how the guys went about the campaign,” Australian captain Aaron Finch said. “Can’t believe people wrote him (Warner) off a couple of weeks ago, it was almost like poking the bear, (and Mitch Marsh), what a way to start, put pressure on from the start.”
Marsh and Warner powered Australia’s solid run-chase with a 92-run second wicket stand, after coming together on 15-1, before Marsh and Glenn Maxwell (28 not out) featured in another solid half-century partnership to take Australia home.
Earlier, Hazlewood got the key wicket of in-form Daryl Mitchell (11) with a brilliant slower ball in an impressive three-over spell of powerplay as the Black Caps crawled to 57-1 by the halfway stage of their innings.
But Williamson, dropped by Hazlewood at fine leg, cut loose against fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who returned 0-60 — the most expensive figures in a T20 World Cup final.
Williamson smashed seven of his 10 boundaries against Starc besides hitting the left-arm fast bowler for one of his three sixes. Hazlewood returned in the 18th over and had both Glenn Phillips (18) and Williamson caught in the deep in the space of four balls.
Australia had successfully chased down a 177-run target against Pakistan in the semifinal match in Dubai, and a drier pitch made things easier for the likes of Marsh and Warner.
Both batters dictated the New Zealand seamers on a dry wicket despite Finch (5) holing out at deep mid-wicket off a short delivery from Trent Boult (2-18).
New Zealand’s hopes of Ish Sodhi striking in the middle overs didn’t work out with both Marsh and Warner dominating the legspinner, who conceded 40 off his three overs.
Boult returned and clean bowled Warner, but had a night to forget when he couldn’t hold onto a return catch off his last ball of the spell with Australia needing just 15 for victory off 19 balls.
New Zealand’s 172 was the same total which it had successfully defended against Scotland in a group game at the same venue earlier this month. The rest of the 12 games in the tournament at Dubai International Cricket Stadium were won by teams which batted second.
And Australia is not Scotland.
“They’re (Australia) a fantastic side, had a brilliant campaign and came out and turned it on,” said Williamson, whose team had knocked out England with a five-wicket victory in the semifinals. “Credit to the way Australia chased it, they didn’t give us an inch. Wasn’t to be today, but proud of how we’ve operated ... there are only two possible outcomes, shame we couldn’t get the job done.”
Australia wins its 1st T20 World Cup, beats NZ in final
https://arab.news/84395
Australia wins its 1st T20 World Cup, beats NZ in final
- New Zealand lost the all-important toss and scored 172-4
- Australia had successfully chased down a 177-run target against Pakistan in the semifinal match in Dubai
Guardiola hails Man City’s ‘massive’ win over Newcastle
- Guardiola’s second-placed side closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to just two points with their tense victory at the Etihad Stadium
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Pep Guardiola labelled Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday as a “massive” moment in the Premier League title race.
Guardiola’s second-placed side closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to just two points with their tense victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Nico O’Reilly put City ahead in the first half and restored the lead before half-time after Lewis Hall had equalized.
City weren’t at their best in the second half, but they held on to pile pressure on spluttering Arsenal, who travel to Tottenham for the north London derby on Sunday.
Guardiola knew it was essential to make Arsenal sweat.
“Massive. Newcastle is an incredible team, awesome in physicality and speed they have up front. Physicality in the middle. Really tough but the team was unbelievable,” he said.
“It’s coming in best part of the season. Every single game will be similar to today.”
After finishing without a trophy last season, City are back in the hunt for the seventh English title of Guardiola’s reign.
They will have a game in hand on Arsenal after this weekend and are guaranteed to win the title if they win their last 11 league matches.
Guardiola has embarked on an expensive overhaul of City’s squad in the last 12 months, shedding aging stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and Kyle Walker and bringing in the likes of Marc Guehi, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki.
The Spaniard is well aware that his new generation largely lacks the experience of winning under the pressure of a title race, which made their gritty success against Newcastle even more meaningful.
“70 percent of the players have never been in that situation, and I don’t play. So we have to live it, they know that every game will be like this,” he said.
“Especially at home, with five home games left. Today was the best crowd of the year, it was unbelievable with our people, really proud to be manager of these incredible people and fans.
“Of course in terms of points it’s important, but we have to improve to have chance to compete until the end. Now we deserve three more days off. Then another battle in Leeds.”
Guardiola singled out O’Reilly for praise after the young England midfielder’s pair of clinical finishes showed he won’t be affected by the strain of chasing Arsenal.
“Nico give us in the middle that physicality that we need. He now plays in his position,” he said.
“He has always played that, he is so complete and so young. I am really pleased the academy produced these incredible players, Nico, Phil (Foden), Rico (Lewis).”
