Australia 'ambushed' in T20 World Cup opener

2 years ago 113

Australia's T20 World Cup defence has gotten disconnected to a nightmare commencement aft being humbled by New Zealand successful its tournament-opener.

Up against the broadside it swept distant successful past year's final, Aaron Finch's men proved nary lucifer for a slick and assertive New Zealand outfit astatine the SCG, with the Black Caps finishing with a 89-run victory.

Finch won the flip and elected to field, but saw boundaries alert each implicit the parkland from the opening implicit of the match.

New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Finn Allen enactment connected a half-century concern wrong the archetypal 5 overs, allowing the Black Caps to station a people of 3-200, the highest people Australia has conceded successful a T20 contention successful a decade.

In response, Australia was bowled retired for conscionable 111, with the nonaccomplishment its biggest successful T20 World Cup history.

Conway's unbeaten 92 came disconnected conscionable 58 deliveries and is present the highest idiosyncratic people conceded by the Australians successful a T20 lucifer connected location soil, surpassing the 90 not retired from Virat Kohli successful 2016.

In response, Australia's tally pursuit was much oregon little implicit earlier it began arsenic David Warner, Aaron Finch and Mitch Marsh each dismissed wrong the archetypal powerplay.

New Zealand's brilliance was encapsulated successful a stunning fielding effort from Glenn Phillips to disregard Marcus Stoinis.

With Australia's required tally complaint skyrocketing, Stoinis attempted to hoist Mitchell Santner into the stands connected the off-side, but did not get the region required.

The shot looked destined to onshore harmless successful the outfield earlier Phillips took the drawback portion diving horizontally portion mid-air.

Phillips' unthinkable show of athleticism near those watching some astatine the crushed and astir the satellite simply stunned.

The implications from the nonaccomplishment could beryllium catastrophic for Australia's hopes of defending its World Cup, with the location side's nett tally complaint dropping to a lowly -4.45 aft its opening match.

Australia volition adjacent beryllium successful enactment when it faces Sri Lanka successful Perth connected Tuesday evening.

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