AUSTRALIA TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND, 2025
Marsh hammered 85 off just 43 balls. © Getty
Tim Robinson’s maiden T20I century went in vain as Australia made a winning start in the three-match Chappell-Hadlee T20I series. Led by skipper Mitchell Marsh’s 85, Australia hunted down the 182-run target with 6 wickets and 3.3 overs to spare.
After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Australia had New Zealand in trouble early. Tim Seifert was out chipping to mid-off in the first over before Ben Dwarshius dismissed Devon Conway and Mark Chapman off successive deliveries in the second leaving New Zealand on 6/3. Robinson and Daryl Mitchell ensured that there was no further damage in the PowerPlay and began mounting a counterattack.
Robinson, who was slow to start, got going by smacking a six and a four off Stoinis in the sixth over before repeating the act in the following over bowled by Xavier Bartlett. He went on to raise fifty off just 31 balls in the ninth over and his 67-run stand with Mitchell ensured that his side was back on track at 93/3 after 10 overs.
The stand was broken when Mitchell holed out to long-on in the 11th over and Australia managed to regain some control. While the scoring rate fell, Australia were quite poor in the field and handed Robinson as many as four reprieves. He was first put down by Travis Head in the 13th over and benefitted from a missed stumping in the 15th. He was then put down twice off successive deliveries in the 17th, once more by Head and then by Tim David. Robinson made the most of the chances he was offered and brought up his maiden T20I century off the penultimate delivery of the innings. Despite losing a couple of wickets to run-outs, New Zealand finished strong on 181/6 after Robinson launched the final delivery for six.
In pursuit, Australia were off the blocks quickly with Marsh smacking a couple of boundaries in each of the first two overs and a six in the third. There were boundaries aplenty as Head joined in by smacking three fours in the fourth over. Australia raced to fifty in just the fifth over before the opening stand was broken in the sixth by Matt Henry, who bounced out Head.
That, however, did little to stem the flow of runs. Matt Short wasted little time to get underway with a four and a six. Marsh brought up his fifty by smacking consecutive sixes off Zakary Foulkes in the ninth over as Australia surged well ahead of the asking rate. New Zealand were left with little hope as Australia continued to score ruthlessly. The wickets of Short, in the 12th over, and Marsh, in the 15th, were too little too late as Australia polished the total off with ease.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 181/6 in 20 overs (Tim Robinson 106*, Daryl Mitchell 34; Ben Dwarshius 2-40) lost to Australia 185/4 in 16.3 overs (Mitchell Marsh 85, Travis Head 31; Matt Henry 2-43) by 6 wickets
© Cricbuzz
