Tim David’s last four (10-ball 31*) and skipper Mitchell Marsh’s 44-ball 72* powered Australia to a remarkable victory in pursuit of 216 against New Zealand at the Sky Stadium in Wellington on Wednesday (February 21). Chasing 216, Australia needed four off the last ball as David guided the Aussies to a stunning six-wicket victory in the first of five T20Is.
Opting to bat first, New Zealand posted a combined batting performance of 215 for 3. Finn Allen (17-ball 32) and Devon Conway (46-ball 63) got the Kiwis off to a bright start. At No.3, Rachin Ravindra – who has been on a scoring spree since the 2023 ODI World Cup – took the momentum forward and scored a brilliant 35-ball 68. Towards the end of the innings, Glenn Phillips (10-ball 19 not out) and Mark Chapman’s 13-ball 18* propelled the Black Caps to a total of over 200 with the Australian bowlers struggling to control the run-flow.
Only captain Marsh conceded less than eight per over (3-0-21-1) as all the other bowlers, including Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa, were held dear. All-rounder Glenn Maxwell was also taken to the purgatory when his two overs missed 32 runs.
Australia started the run with Travis Head and David Warner showing a lot of urgency. Marsh played for his side as he held the innings and did not allow his team to go completely out of the game with his timely interventions. Cameos from Maxwell and Josh Inglis also helped, before finisher David stepped in to finish proceedings in style.
Marsh was named man of the match as his all-round display gave Australia a 1-0 lead. His innings included 2 fours and 7 sixes at a strike rate of 163.64.
