Cricket world in awe of Aussie ‘freak’ Tim David

Tim David is the talk of the cricketing world after he went completely berserk as Australia pulled off a heist against New Zealand.

For 10 balls, Tim David was a cricketing god.

The Aussie power hitter has left the cricketing world in awe after catching fire with an absurd knock of 31 runs from 10 balls to get Australia home in a final-ball thriller against New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday night.

Australia did the unthinkable in chasing down New Zealand’s total of 215 after needing 35 runs to win from the final two overs.

Aussie skipper Mitchell Marsh held the innings together with 72 not out off 44 ball, including seven sixes, but it was Tim David who stole the show, striking a boundary on the final ball as Australia pulled off its third-biggest T20 run chase.

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The power hitting in the Marsh-David partnership was so clinical, Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner didn’t even seem upset after the game.

“I thought we didn’t bowl too bad, but the power they possess all the way down is the reason why they are pretty good,” Santner said of Australia.

You hit the matchwinning four, then you get hit by a Bison! Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Tim David has done the unthinkable. Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP

“We had a pretty good score, but we know they keep coming with the bat. The only way to stop them is to take wickets and we didn’t really do that.

“It was a hell of a game of cricket. We’ve just got to reflect and move on. When the Bison (Mitch Marsh) can mis-hit it for six it means I might have to go to the gym to get some arms like that.”

Australia was equally in disbelief over the incredible finish.

Man. What a game!!!

Going to be a seriously good month of cricket in New Zealand.

Unreal from Tim David + Mitch Marsh 🤯#NZvAUS

— Trent Copeland (@copes9) February 21, 2024

TIM DAVID, THE HERO 🤯

Australia chased down 216 runs in the first T20I with Tim David smashed 31* runs from just 10 balls. pic.twitter.com/sktIxSFYsR

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 21, 2024

Goodness gracious me Tim
David is quality at what he does!!!!! And Marsh - wow.

— Neroli Meadows (@Neroli_Meadows) February 21, 2024

Tim David a freak.
Bring him up order!

— Mark Stevens (@StevoMedia) February 21, 2024

Tim David come on down! What a cracker. #NZvAUS

— Sam Edmund (@Sammy__Edmund) February 21, 2024

I still can't work out how Tim David has hit that boundary!

Bat turns in the hand, didn't sound like he got it properly, somehow raced away for four..

— Brett McKay (@BMcSport) February 21, 2024

Blokes with two first names get a bad wrap.
Extraordinary from Tim David..

— Adam Peacock (@adampeacock3) February 21, 2024

Aussie cricket great Brendan Julian said David deserved to be man of the match despite facing just 10 balls.

The award was given to Marsh for his anchoring innings of 72.

With four balls remaining, a leg bye on a leg stump full toss to Marsh looked like the game had got away from Australia as they needed 12 off the final three balls.

But David came to the rescue, clipping another leg side full toss for six, before mistiming the next ball but coming back for two.

It left four needed off the last ball and Tim Southee bowled a decent ball but only just missed the yorker, which was enough for David to muscle to the boundary.

Glenn Phillips had a last-gasp chance to save the day for his nation but wasn’t able to stop the ball on the boundary, sending the Aussies and commentators into hysterics.

Mitch Marsh went nuts. Photo: Fox Sports

Glenn Phillips is all of New Zealand. Photo: Fox Sports

New Zealand commentator Mark Richardson said: “Australia win off the final ball — can you believe it?”

Julian added: “That is unbelievable. Tim David take a bow. With the skipper out there Mitch Marsh, that is some powerful and amazing hitting from the Aussies.”

“Quite remarkable, Tim David, that is some knock,” Richardson said.

Julian pointed out that Phillips had tried to “whack it back in” when he only needed to stop it, but the power off David’s bat saw it fly across the turf.

If there was any doubt that David would be making the trip to the US and West Indies in July for the T20 World Cup, that has been extinguished as the 27-year-old proved himself Australia’s new finisher.

“That was incredible,” Marsh said. “And pretty lucky in the end — I was swinging like a rusty gate towards the back end of the innings.

“That’s exactly why he’s in this team, he’s been incredible across the last two years in all T20 tournaments around the world and gee, it’s a pleasure to watch.”

It was a belter of a batting deck in Wellington as the Kiwis first cashed in, belting 3/215 from their 20 overs.

The series moves to Auckland with the next two T20 internationals both to be played at Eden Park, on Friday and Sunday, before a two-Test series.

Originally published as Cricket world in awe of Aussie ‘freak’ Tim David