New Zealand have begun their T20 World Cup campaign in style with an emphatic 89-run victory over tournament hosts Australia in Sydney.
In a repeat of the 2021 final, champions Australia had been favourites to make a statement on home territory, but the Black Caps dominated from start to finish, helped by an unbeaten 92 from Devon Conway.
The opener controlled the innings, his score coming from a 58-ball knock which featured just seven fours and two maximums, and it allowed his teammates to play more freely.
Finn Allen, Conway's partner at the top of the order, made a sensational 42 from just 16 balls, scoring boundaries off half of his deliveries, before captain Kane Williamson hit a run-a-ball 23.
Although Glenn Phillips made just 12, it allowed James Neesham to come in at the tail end of the innings to make 26 off 13 balls, moving New Zealand to a commanding 200-3 off their 20 overs.
Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Australian bowlers, posting figures of 2-41, and the Baggy Greens would have been confident of chasing down their target, despite its size.
New Zealand win their first men's international game on Australian soil since 2011 🔥#T20WorldCup | #AUSvNZ | 📝 Scorecard: https://t.co/1mYxKgn4aP pic.twitter.com/D784MzZbam
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 22, 2022
However, Australia lost David Warner (5) to just the seventh ball of their reply, ensuring that they had to play catch-up to remain competitive in the contest.
By the fifth over, Australia had been reduced to 34-3 with Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner doing the damage for New Zealand, and the home side's plight had worsened just after the halfway stage when they stood on 68-5.
Glenn Maxwell ended the innings with a top score of 28, the middle-order all-rounder departing after 13.3 overs to leave the score on 89-7, meaning that the remainder of the game became a procession for New Zealand.
The final three wickets all fell in the space of seven balls, Trent Boult taking two wickets in quick succession for figures of 2-24, before Southee capped things off in fitting style to end the game with 3-6 off 2.1 overs as Australia were bowled out for 111 with 17 balls to spare.
Santner also ended with 3-31, and with each of their batsmen reaching double figures and their five bowlers taking at least one wicket, this was the perfect team performance from last year's runners-up.
Although four matches remain for each side, Australia's net run-rate already stands at -4.45, and there is every chance that Friday's meeting with England now becomes a must win if they are to qualify for the semi-finals.
Darren Plant
