Carey and Green save Australia from disaster in first Chappell Hadlee ODI
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
Australia has recovered from a disastrous start to win the opening match of cricket’s Chappell Hadlee trophy in Cairns in a thrilling finish.
A fighting 158 run partnership between Alex Carey and Cameron Green put the Australians back on track, but the advantage shifted several times in the final overs.
Australia won the toss and sent the Kiwis in to bat, a decision that looked justified when NZ opener Martin Guptill was caught in the gully when his team had scored just 10 runs.
But NZ recovered to be 9-232 at the end of its 50 overs, with Devon Conway making 46, skipper Kane Williamson 45, and 43 for Tom Latham.
Glenn Maxwell claimed 4-52 from 10 overs, his second best ODI figures, to put Australia in the driver’s seat.
But the Australian top order collapsed in the face of a brilliant spell from Kiwi opening bowler, Trent Boult, who finished with 4-40 from his 10 overs.
Four of the five Australian top order failed to make double figures. Only David Warner managed it, making 20 before being caught trying to hit over the field.
With Australia 5-44 in the 11th over, it looked like an early finish, but Green and Carey combined to navigate the home side out of danger with 158 runs from 163 deliveries.
They seemed to be coasting to a win, but Carey was out 31 runs short of the target. Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc went cheaply, and NZ had the upper hand.
Green had to be treated for cramp but managed to hit a thumping four off the first ball after the injury interruption.
He did seem badly affected by it as he continued his innings.
And then, with nine runs required, it started to rain. The covers were brought out quickly and the players left the field.
If no further play had been possible, the match would have been decided with the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method, a mathematical formula to adjust the target score for the team batting second in an interrupted ODI match.
It’s not clear which team would have been judged the winner under that method.
The rain stopped a few minutes later and play resumed.
Australia won with four overs to spare, the winning run being scored by a wide.
New Zealand 9-232
Australia 8-233
Game 2 will be played in Cairns on Thursday.
