Australia clinches T20 thriller by 1 run
Adam Voges’ breathtaking catch in the dying moments and a sensational spell by Nathan Bracken helped Australia beat New Zealand by just one run in a T20 thriller at the SCG.
The Sydney Cricket Ground once again lived up to the recent reputation of churning out close contests and Sunday’s clash was one more addition.
Chasing 151 to win, the tourists lost by one run after Brendon McCullum, New Zealand vice-captain looked set to lead the team to victory by smashing 61 off 47 balls before a brilliant Adam Voges catch sent him back.
New Zealand started shakily losing two wickets for just 12 runs. However, McCullum put on 61 runs with Neil Broom in a promising third-wicket stand before Broom fell for 36 top-edging a James Hopes delivery to Callum Ferguson with the score at 73-3. Grant Elliot (23) then joined in and shared a 58-run stand for the fourth wicket as the Kiwis neared the target.
With 45 required off 4 overs, McCullum hit 20 runs off James Hopes over, and with 20 runs needed off 12 balls, the match was all but in the bag.
The first ball of the 18th over bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus , looked destined to go for a six but Voges, at long off, pouched it just inches inside the rope. Showing high level of composure, the 29-year-old Voges threw the ball into the air before attempting to regather it. He quickly regrouped and lunged forward to take the all important wicket.
The Kiwis never recovered from the setback and with 14 required off the final over by man of the match Nathan Bracken, the visitors finished up at 5-149 with McCullum'S big brother Nathan hitting a four and six off the last two balls.
Nathan Bracken bowled superbly throughout, with match figures of 4-1-16-0. The left-arm fast bowler also became only the second bowler from Australia to bowl a maiden over in Twenty20 internationals.
Earlier, Australia’s stand-in skipper Brad Haddin had won the toss and elected to bat first.
Tim Southee and Iain O'Brien removed dangerous opening pair Haddin (15) and David Warner (23) relatively cheaply before Butler and Vettori bowled a tight spell.
Hussey and Voges added 52 runs for the fourth wicket, allowing the Australian to revive the innings. However, in an attempt to score briskly, Voges (26 runs off 24 balls) departed and Hussey (41 runs off 39 balls) followed the suit soon.
Tight bowling from Vettori and an encouraging return for Ian Butler in his first international in over four years helped stem the flow.
Vettori took one for 23 off four overs and two excellent outfield catches to restrict Australia to 150 for seven off the 20 overs. It left the tourists requiring a run rate of 7.55 per over.
James Franklin, who was flown in specifically for the match, was surprisingly given just one over, the first of the match, in which he conceded just 6 runs.
The Kiwis included five Twenty20 international debutants -- Butler, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Neil Broom and Iain O'Brien in the playing XI to Australia's three, Callum Ferguson, Peter Siddle and Moises Henriques.
Prior to the Twenty20 game, the two sides had contested for the Chappell-Hadlee ODI series that had finished at 2-2 after the last ODI had to be abandoned due to rain at the Gabba, Brisbane on Friday.