Australia crush ’absolute s**thouse’ New Zealand in stunning T20I comeback

New Zealand tore the heart out of Australia after an opening assault from Travis Head but our bowlers have changed the game.

Andrew McMurtry

@AndrewMcMurtry

10 min read

February 23, 2024 - 8:50PM

Australia has wiped the floor with New Zealand in the second T20I in a crushing 72-run win at Eden Park.

In front of an estimated 30,000 fans, Australia got off to a belting start with the bat after Travis Head scored 45 off 22, but after reaching 2/104 in the ninth over, collapsed in shocking scenes.

Watch Australia v New Zealand T20 on Kayo Sports. Every Test, ODI and T20I Live with no ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

Losing 4/18, Pat Cummins saved the day with a 22-ball 28 to get the score to 174 all out.

On a high-scoring ground like Eden Park and after Australia’s bowlers were on a streak of four straight matches conceding over 200 runs, it looked like the Aussies would be up against it.

While it looked as though New Zealand — who had won four and tied one of the last five matches — may have the experience on the ground, the hosts have been made to look like amateurs by the Aussie bowlers.

After brilliant bowling, particularly from Josh Hazlewood with 1/12 from four including his sixth maiden in T20 Internationals, Adam Zampa tore the heart out of the hosts.

New Zealand, who were already a batter down after Devin Conway was injured early in the match, quickly slumped to 4/29 and Australia asserted their dominance through the spinner.

Zampa took the wickets of Josh Clarkson and Adam Milne in successive balls before Glenn Phillips, who was the Kiwis’ only hope after 42 off 35, was lured into hitting a catch.

Zampa finished with 4/34, getting the wicket of Trent Boult in his final over.

What a performance from the Aussies. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Kiwi fans were not happy by the result.

“This nz side gives me early 90’s vibes. Absolute s**thouse,” one wrote on X.

Another added: “Bowling has been superb but once again NZ caused their own downfall when momentum completely changed when they should’ve had Cummins out if not for field placing error.”

Another said: “Blackcaps all over the place.”

But it’s a great sign for Australia who stated before the match they were targeting the Test matches after the Kiwis went to the top of the World Test Championship ladder after crushing South Africa in a recent series.

Cummins was named man of the match after adding 1/19 off three overs to his 28 with the bat.

“I don’t know how I ended up with (the man of the match trophy) but I’ll take it,” Cummins said.

“Everyone had a good night, it all seemed to come off.”

The Kiwis has been crushed by the Aussies. Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY / AFP

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said the Kiwis were confident at the halfway mark before Australia took charge.

He said the game was decided through “wickets through the power play”.

At 3/27 after six overs, it was the seventh worst powerplay New Zealand had had in T20Is.

Captain Mitch Marsh said it was “a great win for Australia”.

“Our backs were against the wall — I thought we were 50 short,” Marsh said.
“But the way our bowlers came out and performed was outstanding. A collective effort and it was awesome.”

It means Australia retains the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a match to go.

The third and final T20I will be held on Sunday.

7.55pm — Australia turn the tables

New Zealand are up against it keeping the series alive with the side 4/69 after 11 overs chasing 175 to win.

Even worse, the Kiwis seemingly a batter down after Devin Conway was injured when keeping early in the match.

Glenn Phillips is the Kiwis’ key if they can chase it down but there’s not a lot of batting to come after him.

With the weight of a nation on his back, Phillips, who was also miked up for his innings had to tell the commentators to leave him alone when he’s on strike.

“Can I ask you guys a small favour? Just while I’m facing, because I can hear you all at the same time. Just while I’m facing and then between balls you can talk,” he said.

The commentators didn’t talk to him for the rest of the over as he was on strike. They talked to him at the nonstrikers end but when he got back on strike, Phillips said: “You can talk at the moment, don’t be shy.”

Fans were all for Phillips telling the commentators to be quiet.

One fan said: “Glen Phillips telling the commentators to STFU is all the proof you need that putting a mic on a batter is f**king stupid.”

Another said: “TVNZ just needs to take the f**king mics and ear pieces off the NZ players. Glenn Phillips just said that he could hear them while he was batting and asked for them to shut up. They haven’t spoken to each other since.”

Another added: “The TV commentary team should absolutely not be talking to Glenn Phillips when he’s trying to bat, what are they thinking?”

7.30pm — New Zealand crumbling

Maybe 174 was a great score for Australia.

In the sixth over, New Zealand have lost their third wicket for just 26 runs as Mitchell Santner chopped on.

On the tiny Eden Park ground, the Kiwis have struggled to get anything away and already need over 10 an over.

Even worse is that Devin Conway, who opened in the first game, has gone for scans after injuring his hand while wicketkeeping.

New Zealand could be the equivalent of four down with not much on the board.

6.45pm — Australia all out for 174

Pat Cummins has given Australia something to bowl at but they are a long way from where they would want to be.

The Aussie Test and ODI skipper batted smart rather than fast to score 28 off 22.

Having been 2/104 in the ninth over, Australia have struggled to 8/171 with one ball left in the penultimate over.

While in most games, 180 is a competitive total but Eden Park has seen eight scores over 200, including a high of Australia’s 5/245 back in 2018.

It appeared Australia was heading there again until the middle order collapse of 4/18.

The bowlers did their best but it really shouldn’t have been up to them.

But 174 all out is at least something to bowl to.

6.15pm — Make that 4/18

Australia, what are you doing?!?

It may be a postage stamp but you still have to score the runs.

Matthew Wade has been caught and bowled, trying to hoick a ball over the leg side but instead just bunted it straight back to Mitchell Santner.

6.10pm — Australia falling apart here

Josh Inglis has holed out in the deep to see Australia lose 3/11.

The team are now 5/115 with 9.5 overs remaining.

Tim David and Matthew Wade have to save the day.

6pm — Three balls flip ‘run fest’ on its head

Ben Sears has been outstanding. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Australia’s lost its third wicket as Kiwi bowler Ben Sears is on fire.

Sears had Head and now Maxwell, as the Aussie master blaster was caught trying to hit down the ground.

He’s also only gone for 16 runs in his two overs, with Josh Inglis hitting his first ball faced for four.

While Australia have 108 in what is the 10th over, they quickly lost the wicket of set batter Mitch Marsh as he was caught on the straight boundary trying to hit yet another six.

Going from 2/104 at over 8.4, Australia are 4/115 at the end of 10.

What t ... Bottling a terrific start.

Anything below 210 would be a crime.#AUSvNZ
— paRaY_YasiR âœï¸ (@ParayYasir2) February 23, 2024

5.50pm — Head cleaned up for 45

Ben Sears has cleaned up Travis Head, going straight through the Aussie opener.

But Head had done his job, getting Australia off to a brilliant start with 45 off just 22 balls.

In 6.4 overs, the wicket sees Australia 2/85.

However, it seems as though Australia will need every run possible.

Eden Park is a postage stamp and Australia have already hit seven sixes and just four fours.

20/0 in the first over. An absolute run fest on the cards at the Eden Park.
— Srikrishna ðŸðŸ€ (@1998Srikrishna) February 23, 2024

But while there are plenty of runs on offer, fans have lashed out at the stadium with square boundaries almost coming to right angles in the corners.

One fan said: “Eden Park is probably the worst cricket ground in the world. No idea why there international matches still played here.”

Then again, if it’s runs you’re interested in, this is the ground for you.

Australia’s biggest ever T20I chase was at the ground, catching New Zealand’s 6/243 in 2018.

5.25pm — Smith gone for 11

Steve Smith had played some of the craziest ramp shots you’ve ever seen but he’s lasted just seven balls in one of his final chances to impress ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Smith had scored 11, making the most of the short Eden Park boundaries but a ball from Lockie Ferguson beat Smith with late swing, thundering into his pads.

While it looked like Smith may be saved by the inside edge, it went pad to bat, leaving Smith plum.

While the umpire gave it not out, it was a hard decision, with New Zealand only deciding to review with two seconds left.

5pm — Kiwis called out over Warner, Smith signs

New Zealand may be known as the nice guys of world cricket but their fans have shown they have no chill when it comes to Australia.

Warner took aim at Kiwi crowds who relentlessly abused Josh Hazlewood at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Incredibly, this was before the ball tampering scandal, the only time during his career that David Warner had played Tests across the ditch.

But fans were also taking their chance to take aim at Warner and Steve Smith, with signs pointing back to the pair’s press conferences after the 2018 Sandpaper-gate scandal.

Kiwi fans have no chill. Photo: Fox Sports

While Kiwi commentator Mark Richardson said: “It’s a shame (Warner isn’t playing). I love it. I think this is part of it. It’s New Zealand-Australia, it’s a big brother, little brother scenario. We love the competition. I think it’s fantastic for cricket in this country.”

Not everyone was so enthused however.

Freelance cricket broadcaster Tasneem-Summer Khan tweeted: “The same fans who lip service ridding the sport of toxic masculinity will be the same people who hold up signs of Warner and Smith crying, 6 years later, thinking they’ve pulled a quick-witted barb.”

#AusvKiwis, what did he say at the toss; Australia are good with the bat especially,ok let see what the bowlers do,& those gronks in the crowd holding up pics of Warner& Smith your pathetic, Smith's not even their.3 - nil cop that!ðŸ¥ºðŸ˜ƒðŸ˜
— Michael Clune (@leg_less69) February 23, 2024

Warner took aim at the crowd before the series, saying: “The crowd, yeah, they got personal, but if they have to get personal, that’s their character.

“I just go about my business. But that’s upon each individual, if that’s what they feel like they have to do, then so be it.

“If you want to pay your money to come and abuse people, you have to go back and lay in your own bed.

“We’re here to play the game of cricket that we love, enjoy and put bums on seats to keep the game going.”

New Zealand fans revelled in Warner’s dismissal, booing the retiring Aussie opener after he was caught in the first T20.

And one of the biggest cheers of the night came when Australia was bowling and a young fans said he most looked forward to was “David Warner getting a duck”.

Before the match, Waitaki mayor Gary Kircher hit back at Warner’s claim Oamaru was a “ghost town” when he played there during New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 competition in the summer of 2010-11.

Kircher referenced a local hardware store in his response, saying: “With a wide range of sandpaper and other abrasive products – something Mr Warner is more than familiar with”.

“If he has the time to visit, we’d be more than happy to show him around Ōamaru – once the Black Caps are finished with him”.

4.50pm — Warner out as Kiwis win toss, bowl

Australia are batting first but it won’t be David Warner faces up first as he’s been left out of the team for the second T20I.

Steve Smith comes in for Warner while Matthew Wade will take the gloves from Josh Inglis, although the West Australian will play as a batter — Matt Short has been left out after being unused in the first match.

Nathan Ellis has also come in for Mitchell Starc.

New Zealand have also made three changes, leaving out Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi and Rachin Ravindra for Trent Boult, Ben Sears and Will Young.

Black Caps captain Mitchell Santner revealed Ravindra pulled up sore after his 35-ball 68.

4.30pm — Australia comes clean on Smith T20 snub

Steve Smith came into the series seemingly needing to impress across all three games of the series to hold his place in the Aussie side, but was left out of game one.

It was a bitter blow for Smith, who is most likely to slot in at the top of the order if he forced his way into the squad, despite the likes of David Warner, Travis Head and Josh Inglis being ahead of him in the pecking order.

But while it appeared to be curtains for Smith’s T20 World Cup aspirations, coach Andrew McDonald has left the door ajar for one of Australia’s greatest ever batters.

Smith will play at Eden Park and open the batting after McDonald revealed the Aussies’ plans.

The three-match T20 series is taking a back seat in planning, with those players doing double duty in white and red ball cricket sharing their time between the formats.

Smith will get his shot. Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

McDonald said that Smith just being there showed he was still in Australia’s planning for the T20 World Cup.

“If he wasn’t in our thinking then he wouldn’t be on the plane over here,” McDonald said of Smith following Australia’s thrilling first-up win over NZ at Wellington on Wednesday evening.

“We’re playing him for a reason.

“He’ll get some opportunity here, he had some opportunities in India at the back end of a World Cup and we were planning for him to play in South Africa as well going as far back as August-September (last year), but he unfortunately had a wrist injury at the time, so he missed those three one-dayers.

“But he’s definitely in the thoughts. We’ll probably play him in a slightly different role to what we’ve seen in previous World Cups in T20 cricket.

“He’s gone to the top of the order in recent times, so batting high up there’s still competition for places.

“I suppose that’s a good problem to have.”