Australia vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI at Cairns, AUS v NZ, Sep 08 2022 - Match Result

9:16pm Well, the series may be gone for New Zealand but the Super League points are at stake. The teams have narrowed the gap and Australia are on New Zealand's heels at No. 5 on the points table, with only NRR separating them. Two days to go before the final ODI gets underway. Do join us for then. For now, that's all from us as I sign off on behalf of Venkat, Vairavan and Vishal. Ciao!

Sumith: "NZ innings length : 198 balls. Number of dot balls : 146! "

9:10pm We are set for the presentation!

Aaron Finch, Australia captain: "It's been hard. The first 40 overs were incredibly difficult but the tailenders showed us the way. Smith did well and then Starcy finished well. We knew we got to a total we could defend well and we did that well. Mitchell set the tone in the first over and Abbott - I have never seen something like that. The wicket started to slow up and a bit lower. As the pressure built up, we knew we had the discipline to bang away. We knew we had to be aggressive in the powerplay and the wicket will deteriorate and get slower. Although we have been five-down early, we have been able to get to a good total."

Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain: "Obviously, it was not the best innings with the bat. We tried to weather the good bowling and take it deep. Everybody has got their own minds and make their own decisions but we'll reflect on that. It was not your modern-day ODI but needed graft and take it deep, which Australia managed. There'll be a number of conversations. We need to be a lot better than that. It will be a new surface and a lot difference. Australia put us under pressure and managed to get good partnerships and bowled well."

Mitchell Starc, player of the match: "I was too involved today for my liking. We knew if we hung in there, we could get as many as we could. It was not easy to bat on, fairly slow. For someone like Abbott to come in and bowl four maidens on the trot, Zamps to get a fifer, Josh doing Josh things, was great."

Eric: "Let's keep Finch. Who cares if he gets ducks all the time. As long as he acts a lucky charm and Aus wins."

Coops: "Man of the match surely has to go to Starc? The extra runs and bowling performance really key to Aus winning." We should find out soon.

Skm: "Will Australia enforce the follow on? " No, the margin is just 114 ;)

9:02pm Australia retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, thanks to a humongous 114-run win. This is all thanks to some odd batting from New Zealand, who seemed - oddly - happy to defend their way into trouble. Perhaps they didn't expect Australia to be as relentless as they were.

Here's Zampa: "Probably I didn't bowl my best, The full toss I bowled to Kane didn't come out right. We didn't know if dew will come into play. Feels good to wrap up the series. To win against the No. 1 side is great."

Sixth-lowest ODI total for New Zealand and it turns out to be an abject surrender. Something that few would have seen coming at the halfway mark, when Boult and Henry had shared seven to keep Australia to under 200. But the 78 runs that the last two Australia wickets added certainly pumped them up and that reflected in the way they bowled. Conway and Williamson found strike rotation very tough, Mitchell and Bracewell tried to bat positively but in vain. Eventually, Smith's half-century turned out to be gold dust. Back with the presentation in a bit.

Five-for for Zampa anyone?

Mythili : "NZ lost the plot in the PP. They assumed that 196 is worth taking all the time in the world, in the process put themselves into a hole out of which they never came out! Didn't even attempt strike rotation - Aus have been ruthless in the field! " They probably didn't foresee the extended pressure from Australia.

Ahsan: "No wickets for 20 balls.... I fear the game might just be slipping away from Australia...." haha!

Trent Boult with the bat, anyone? Hold on to your hats!!

Drinks on the field for the last time tonight.

Brad: "Is there anything to take away from this game for either side? This really isn't indicative of the pitches they will be using in the World Cup so it really seems hard to draw anything useful apart from a confidence boost. " Of course, lots to take back. Boult and Henry's spells, lower-order confident batting for Australia. And of course the form of Zampa and Abbott's performance as well. Not all doom and gloom as they say.