Australia demolished by New Zealand in first T20I as Aaron Finch falls cheaply again

Josh Philippe made runs for fun in BBL10, but he managed just two on debut against a world-class Kiwis attack that made the Aussies look second-rate.

Aaron Finch fell for another measly score. Picture: Getty Images

Aaron Finch’s batting partner has urged the battling opener to clear his mind and hit straight as Australia’s Twenty20 captain threatens to also become its biggest headache in a World Cup year.

Finch’s horror run of outs continued in Christchurch on Monday night when a sweet drive rocketed straight to Kiwi matchwinner Devon Conway ended his innings on one run.

Finch, 34, has failed to reach 20 runs in his past 10 innings.

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Aaron Finch fell for another measly score. Picture: Getty Images

David Warner backed him to break out of the summer funk.

“Don’t worry about getting bowled through the gate or (the ball) hitting the front pad, just have a clear mind and bang the bowler straight back over his head,” Warner said.

“That’s when he’s at his best.”

Warner said Finch should “commit to one area” when he hits the nets in New Zealand because specific training would help refresh his mind as he searches for a pathway out of the rough.

But Finch was far from alone in a 52-run loss in Christchurch as Australia’s top order fell to pieces against swing kings Trent Boult and Tim Southee.

Mitchell Marsh offerd a little resistance for the Aussies. Picture: Getty Images

Kiwi captain Kane Williamson deployed three slips as Marcus Stoinis came to the crease at 4-19, and it wasn’t long before Stoinis spooned a catch straight back to Ish Sodhi.

Warner joked that it almost looked as though Stoinis deliberately tried to pick out the bowler.

Former selector Mark Waugh was less impressed.

“It’s a poor dismissal, really poor,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.

Finch cut a glum figure sitting in the Hagley Oval dressing room as the Aussies (all-out for 131 in 17.3 overs) crumbled due to some unforgivable dismissals as they unwisely took on the moving ball.

Finch chose to bowl first because he said 70 per cent of games at the venue where Australia had never previously played a white-ball game had been won by the team chasing.

Warner said the Aussies desperately needed a batting anchor in the mould of Steve Smith, who is unavailable, to combat the swinging conditions in New Zealand.

“It all comes down to the first six (overs),” Warner said as he put the acid on the top order.

“You lose three or four wickets, key players as well, it’s always hard to come back from that when you’re chasing 180.”

Waugh also took aim at Kane Richardson and Daniel Sams for failing to land a single good yorker at the death.

Sams, Stoinis and $2.48 million IPL purchase Jhye Richardson all took wickets with their second or third deliveries, with Finch replicating struggling Kiwi opener Martin Guptill’s dismissal.

Guptill pushed a Sams half-volley straight to Ashton Agar before Richardson bowled fellow opener Tim Seifert with a ripping yorker.

But the hot start quickly cooled as the sun set across the Tasman.

Conway walked out to Pnau’s ‘Go Bang’ hit, and then batted to the lyrics – going bang, bang, bang, bang as he finished unbeaten on 99 (59).

Conway and Glenn Phillips came together at 3-19 and rebuilt New Zealand’s innings by crunching six sixes as the Black Caps smacked 145 runs off the final 76 balls to post 5-184.

But it was their sharp running between the wickets which reversed the momentum and the middle-order bashers showed Australia how critical it is to finally find a stable T20 spine before this year’s World Cup.

Devon Conway went bang against the Aussies. Picture: Getty Images

Josh Philippe had a less than memorable debut. Picture: Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images

Mitch Marsh was promoted to No.4 and top-scored with 45 (33), which was his highest T20 international score.

Marsh credited Boult and Southee’s world-class swing and conceded that Australia’s power-play implosion killed the match.

“They probably swung the ball for seven or eight overs, which in T20 cricket is pretty rare,” Marsh said.

The Aussies thought New Zealand set a par score on what was the fastest outfield Marsh had ever seen.

But they didn’t pin the blame on spending the past two weeks in hotel quarantine.

“I felt great and we were very lucky that we were able to train,” Marsh said.

Australia was previously 6-0 when it had taken three powerplay wickets.

Conway, 29, is averaging 402 in his past five T20 innings, having been dismissed just once.

His class reminded Warner of England ace Dawid Malan in what quickly became a sloppy start to the five-match series by the Aussies.

Super fielders Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar – who the ball seemed to follow like a magnet – clumsily gifted the Kiwis boundaries and Conway quickly clicked through the gears.

The delivery after Maxwell’s fumble, a frustrated Stoinis, who was bowling, sprayed debutant Josh Philippe because he didn’t grasp a ball cleanly, despite registering a dot ball.

Philippe was handed his T20 cap by his WA captain Marsh but the Big Bash golden boy skied his third ball and departed for two runs.

Maxwell was brought on when left-handers Conway and Jimmy Neesham combined as Finch used seven bowlers in the first 14 overs.

The Aussies picked eight bowling options and Warner questioned that structure because he said too many options could be confusing for Finch.

Speed demon Riley Meredith has lit up training although missed the XI and will target an international debut in Dunedin on Thursday, one week after he became a millionaire ($1.42m) at the IPL auction.