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Match reports

Australia v New Zealand

Wisden's review of Australia v New Zealand

Geoff Lemon
15-Apr-2017
At Dharamsala, March 18, 2016. New Zealand won by eight runs. Toss: New Zealand.
New Zealand ended a difficult 12 months against Australia with minor payback, replicating their win against India by defending a low total on a slow pitch. Khawaja aside, Australia blundered in pursuit of 143. From 44 without loss, they slipped to 66 for four, before Maxwell and Marsh helped reduce the requirement to 27 off three overs. But Sodhi completed a miserly spell of leg-spin, and McClenaghan undid Marsh and Agar with slower balls. Australia needed 19 off the last, bowled by Anderson, who immediately delivered the critical blow by removing Faulkner. They should have fared better after watching New Zealand's similarly death-or-glory approach yield equally middling results. There were exceptions: Guptill struck Agar - asked to bowl his left-arm spin in the third over, despite a lack of experience in the powerplay - for three sixes, and Munro's switch-hit late cut stood out for chutzpah. Zampa's sole over of leg-spin cost only three, exposing Smith's conservative reliance on the seamers. But, overall, Australia's efforts in the field were adequate: Watson and Faulkner bowled especially tightly, and two run-outs in the last over set the right tone for the break. The batting, though, could not maintain it.
Man of the Match: M. J. McClenaghan.