New Zealand beat defending champions Australia by 89 runs, a great start in T20 World Cup

Sydney. Devon Conway’s 92 not out off 58 balls was followed by Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner for three wickets each as New Zealand beat defending champions Australia by a huge margin of 89 runs in the opening match of the Super 12 leg of the T20 World Cup here on Saturday. Started his campaign in a grand manner by defeating The 31-year-old left-handed batsman smashed seven fours and two sixes in his scintillating unbeaten innings as New Zealand posted a mammoth total of 200 for three when invited to bat first.

Young opener Finn Allen (42 off 16 balls) along with Conway gave New Zealand an aggressive start. Both added 56 runs in 25 balls for the first wicket. While chasing the target, the Saudis (3 for 6 in 2.1 overs) gave the initial setbacks, while the same Santner (3 wickets for 31 runs in four overs) trapped the middle order batsmen in their spin, which made the team 17.1 overs 111 Got out on the run. This is Australia’s second biggest defeat in terms of runs in T20 Internationals.

Against New Zealand, the team has lost for the first time since 2011 on their own soil. Southee walks David Warner (five runs) in the second over of the innings. Warner, trying to play a pull shot, hit the ball on the wickets. Mitchell Marsh (16 runs) then took some good shots to get Australia back but Santner caught Australia captain Aaron Finch (13 runs) at the hands of captain Kane Williamson. Soon after, the Saudis made Marsh their second victim.

Santner dismissed the dangerous Marcus Stoinis (7 runs) and Tim David (11 runs) with his clever dismissal, as Australia returned half the team to the pavilion in 10.2 overs. Glenn Phillips took a brilliant catch of Stoinis by diving, while Jimmy Neesham took David’s catch. Lockie Ferguson took wicketkeeper Matthew Wade (2 runs) while Ish Sodhi dismissed Australia’s hopes by dismissing Glenn Maxwell (28 runs). Earlier, Conway avoided taking too many risks during the innings but it did not affect his running pace. This wicket-keeper batsman completed his half-century in the 13th over of the innings by sending Adam Zampa’s ball to the visitors.

He became the second fastest batsman after David Malan to complete 1000 runs in T20 International cricket during this innings. Jimmy Neesham (26 off 13 balls) had more strike in the last over of the innings, missing out on completing his maiden century in this format. Neesham took the team’s score to 200 runs by hitting a six against Hazlewood on the last ball of the innings. The 23-year-old Allen, who replaced veteran Martin Guptill, proved once again why he is being called the future star of the format by hitting three sixes and five fours in the opening overs. He also made his intentions known by hitting two fours and a six in the opening over of the legendary Mitchell Starc.

Allen also hit a six against the Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins, who came to bowl in the second over, which made the team to start the attack with 17 runs in this over. Hazlewood got Allen out and brought Australia back in the match but Conway then put on a 69-run stand with Williamson (23 runs). For Australia, Hazlewood took two wickets and Zampa took one wicket.