Finch and Maxwell unload as Agar makes T20 history in Aussies win over NZ in third T20I

Australia have bounced back to form with one of the more brutal assaults the team has pulled off in T20I cricket with the furniture copping the brunt.

An all round win for the Aussies with Maxwell breaking chairs and Agar breaking records.

Australia have bounced back from losses in the first two T20 internationals against New Zealand with a 64-run win, keeping the series alive with two games to play.

 

The batsmen finally fired with Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell finding form in a stunning reply, as Finch scored a 44-ball 69 and Maxwell 70 off just 31 as Australia's 4/208 proved too much for the Kiwis. 

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New Zealand did start the chase well but it quickly unravelled as Ashton Agar set the Australian record for best bowling figures in a T20 International, taking 6/30, the fifth best T20I bowling figures ever seen.

It also means that Agar has the top two bowling figures in a T20I by an Australian, going with his 5/24 against South Africa in Johannesburg in February 2020.

But it came after the big name batsmen bounced back to form.

Arguably the match changed in the very first over of the match with Finch surviving a strong LBW appeal that Fox Cricket commentator Mark Waugh believed was plumb, even after the decision was reviewed.

"I'm very surprised that that was given not out," Mark Waugh said. "To me that was dead.

"He got lucky there, maybe the luck Finch needed. I'm giving that out every day of the week if I'm an umpire, it just looked… a good chunk of that ball is hitting leg stump, that's out every day of the week."

Finch brought up his 50 in style.

Indeed it was as Finch climbed into the Kiwis, bringing up his first T20 50 in 25 innings with a reverse sweep for six that would have made Glenn Maxwell proud.

But it was also his downfall as he was dismissed for a well made 64 reverse sweeping for 69 in an innings that will wave off the wolves from his door after tough IPL and BBL campaigns before the New Zealand series. 

"His confidence is back, just takes a bit of luck, maybe a ball just missing leg stump and you're back in the game," Waugh said.

Seemingly inspired by Finch, Maxwell teed off after a slow start pounding 65 of his runs in just 20 balls including 28 off Jimmy Neesham's final over.

He was at his brutal best, even breaking a chair with a pull shot that flew into the stands.

"Do not get in the way of that one," Isa Guha said on Fox Sports.

Lucky there's no crowd, Glenn Maxwell could have killed someone. #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/uoeGXNBczq

— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) March 3, 2021

Glenn Maxwell has just put a six through an empty seat in the stands. 😱

Glad there weren't any crowds, that might have killed someone! 🔥 #NZvAUS

📸 - Fox Cricket pic.twitter.com/hlR6YHBMMh

— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) March 3, 2021

It pushed the score past 200 in a great total but New Zealand weren't going away quietly.

Led by Martin Guptill, New Zealand raced to 2/59 off the power play and well in the game having scored at 10 an over.

But when Guptill was dismissed, it was all downhill for the Kiwis with Agar injecting himself into the match.

After his first over went for 12 with three fours and he copped some criticism from the commentators, Agar's second over saw three wickets fall as the New Zealand batsmen kept finding the fielders.

Agar kept it low key.

Debutant Riley Meredith was the pick of the quicks, taking 2/24 from four as he entered the international scene.

The result sees the five-match series move to 2-1 to New Zealand with the fourth and fifth matches on Friday and Sunday respectively.