Rampant New Zealand leave Australia’s T20 World Cup title in danger

A blazing New Zealand ambush has left Australia perched on the precipice of failing to defend their T20 World Cup crown after a comprehensive Kiwi victory at the SCG on Saturday night.

Playing the opening match of the Super 12 stage of the tournament, Australia lost by 89 runs and must win their remaining four groups games to have any chance of making the semi-finals. The big margin will hurt Australia’s net run rate.

Devon Conway on the way to an unbeaten 92 at the SCG.Credit: Getty

Ignited by little-known Finn Allen (42 from 16 balls) and directed by Devon Conway (92 not out from 58 balls), New Zealand charged to 3-200, leaving Australia by far their largest T20 chase on home soil for victory.

Australia collapsed to 3-34 inside five overs attempting to keep up with the run rate to be bowled out for 111. Glenn Maxwell top-scored with 28.

The heavy loss puts further pressure on struggling captain Aaron Finch, who scored 13 from 11 balls.

“That’s a big loss in the context of the tournament,” Finch said after the match. “We were just totally outplayed in all three facets by New Zealand when they come at us hard with the bat and the ball.

“So yeah, it hurts our net run rate, but you still got to be positive. I think we still back ourselves that we can win four games and you need a little bit of luck on the way.

“We still feel as though we’ve got the right structure of team and we’ve got the right players to win the World Cup.

“Obviously it’s taken a big hit today with the net run rate and when that happens, you need to play well and we need to get better quickly.”

It was New Zealand’s first win from any format in Australia for more than 10 years and was a measure of revenge following the loss to Australia in last year’s T20 World Cup final. 

Finn Allen scored 42 from just 16 balls opening the batting. Credit: Getty Images

If the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai is any guide, teams can afford to lose only one of their five group matches to make the semi-finals.

England, Australia and South Africa all won four of their five group matches, but South Africa missed the semis on run rate.

The match was sold out but with the ever present threat of rain, a comfortable 34,756 braved the third successive La Nina which continues to afflict much of eastern Australia.

Australia were under pressure from the outset as Allen, 23, teed off in spectacular fashion against the home side’s premier fast-bowling trio after Finch won the toss and bowled.

Allen clubbed the second delivery from Starc in the air to the long-on boundary, lifted a length ball for six over mid-wicket and took the fourth ball down the ground for another boundary.

It was the least expensive of Australia’s first three overs. With a little help from Conway, the world’s top-ranked T20 bowler, Josh Hazlewood, went for 15, then the game’s premier Test bowler, Pat Cummins, gave up 17.

When Allen advanced to Stoinis and lifted him back down the ground into the stands, New Zealand’s 50 came up in 3.5 overs.

It took the perfect inswinging yorker from Hazlewood to remove Allen when he advanced once too often and played over the top of the ball.

The Australians had only seen this burgeoning white ball specialist once before, when he scored 35 from 38 balls opening the batting in the third and final match of a low-key one-day series in Cairns last month.

Josh Hazlewood celebrates with wicket of Finn Allen.Credit: AP

But his T20 international stats offered an indication of what he is capable of, with a strike rate of 162.