Dharamsala: New Zealand won their second consecutive match of the World Twenty20 after beating Australia by eight runs in a group phase clash here on Friday.

New Zealand sored 142/8 after winning the toss and taking first strike and then restricted their opponents to 134/9 at the HPCA Stadium. The Kiwis beat hosts India in their opening game by 47 runs.

Fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan was the star of their neat bowling performance, taking 3/17 and derailed Australia’s innings.

New Zealand picked up wickets regularly to restrict Australia from gaining enough momentum.

They needed 19 runs from the last over, bowled by Corey Anderson and then 12 from the last three balls but came up short.

Earlier, Australia recovered from a Martin Guptill (39) blitz to restrict New Zealand to 142/8.

Guptill belted 39 runs as the Kiwis powered to 58 in six overs.

But a collapse, losing three wickets for 15 runs, jolted their charge.

Guptill, skipper Kane Williamson (24) and Corey Anderson (3) all were caught in the deep while attempting big shots.

Glenn Maxwell (2/18) claimed two wickets in the slump. All-rounder James Faulkner also contributed with identical bowling figures.

The wickets kept tumbling, including two run-outs in the final over, as New Zealand’s run-rate continued to drop.

Colin Munro steadied in his own style, switch-hitting throughout a knock of 23.

But Munro also handed over his wicket meekly.

Veteran batsman Ross Taylor managed only 11.

Brief scores: New Zealand 142/8 (Martin Guptill 39, Glenn Maxwell 2/18);

Australia 134/9 (Usman Khawaja 38, Mitchell McClenaghan 3/17)

(IANS)

Shaun Marsh’s 49 helped Australia to victory

by BBC

Adelaide: Australia sealed a 2-0 victory in the three-match series against New Zealand with a three-wicket win in a gripping inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide.

Set 187 to win after bowling the Kiwis out in the first session on day three, the hosts were made to work hard for every run.

Trent Boult took 5-60 but Shaun Marsh’s 49 and 28 each from Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh proved decisive.

Josh Hazlewood took a career-best 6-70 to help dismiss New Zealand for 208.

All of the real drama, though, was reserved for the evening when, for the third day running, the extra swing of the pink ball ensured a regular fall of wickets.

Boult was the main beneficiary, adding a five-wicket haul to the 2-41 he claimed in the first innings to keep an increasingly nervous home side and crowd on edge throughout what had seemed a straightforward chase.

Hazlewood shines with pink ball

In the absence of Mitchell Starc, who has been unable to bowl or field since injuring his foot on Friday, Hazlewood came to the fore, spearheading the Australia pace attack in impressive fashion.

The 24-year-old helped the home side dominate the first session, getting them off to the best possible start by dismissing BJ Watling – caught at slip by Steve Smith – before the Kiwis had added to their overnight lead of 94.

Hazlewood completed his five-wicket haul when he had Mark Craig caught behind for 15 to leave New Zealand 140-7.

After spinner Nathan Lyon had Mitchell Santner, the innings’ top scorer with 45, stumped and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh claimed a third wicket by having Tim Southee (13) caught pulling at deep backward square, Hazlewood finished New Zealand off by bowling Boult.

Doug Bracewell was the last man standing, his 27 not out helping the visitors set a modest target of 187.

Boult gives New Zealand hope

Wary of a repeat of the extra swing generated by the pink ball in the first two days of the Test, Australia set about their chase in an urgent fashion, amassing 34 runs in five and a half overs.

Their progress was checked, though, as Boult began to capitalise on the increased movement to trap Joe Burns lbw for 11.

The Kiwi seamer repeated the trick to dismiss Australia captain Steve Smith, shortly after David Warner had edged Doug Bracewell to Southee at second slip following a typically rapid 35 from 37 balls, to leave the home side vulnerable at 66-3.

Voges and Shaun Marsh steadied the ship with a resilient partnership of 49 – the third highest of a low-scoring match – before Boult struck again, dismissing the former by finding an edge that was again taken by Southee at second slip.

Marsh’s crucial innings

Having lost partner Voges, Shaun Marsh showed superb resilience to forge another important partnership with brother Mitchell.

The pair put on 46, taking Australia to within 26 runs of victory before Mitchell departed, caught off a top-edge by Kane Williamson from the bowling of Mitchell Santner.

Shaun Marsh added 15 more crucial runs with Peter Nevill before he too fell, caught at slip off Boult, to silence the crowd and bring Peter Siddle to the crease.

Boult provided one more twist, getting Nevill to nick one to a diving BJ Watling, but Siddle and the limping Starc finally saw Australia home.

by Robert Smith, AFP

Adelaide: New Zealand held a tenuous 94-run lead in the absorbing day-night third Test after a second day of tumbling wickets at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

The Kiwis, trailing 1-0 in the series, struggled to build a defendable total to present Australia in the fourth innings after another fast-paced day’s cricket of 13 wickets before 42,372 fans.

116 for five At the close, the Black Caps were finding batting difficult under lights and were 116 for five with a result looming on Sunday’s third day in the scheduled five-day Test.

New Zealand had lost their top batsmen and at the crease were B.J. Watling on seven with debutant Mitchell Santner not out 13.

“Definitely no figure. Whatever we end up with we’re just going to have to get some wickets but more importantly having that new ball as close to twilight as possible,” senior batsman Ross Taylor said.

“If we can keep them out there and keep our bowlers from bowling not as many overs tomorrow, then we give ourselves the best chance.”

Josh Hazlewood led the Australian attack with three wickets in the absence of injured spearhead Mitchell Starc as the pink ball again dominated the bat.

Hazlewood removed both openers with mesmerising ball movement under lights. Martin Guptill sliced to Mitch Marsh in the gully for 17 and Tom Latham was tempted by a wider delivery and was caught behind for 10.

Hazlewood had Kane Williamson dropped on one by Adam Voges in the slips but the star Kiwi batsman soon feathered a catch to Nevill off Mitch Marsh for nine to complete a low-scoring match.

Captain Brendon McCullum followed for 20, leg before wicket to Marsh and Perth Test double century-maker Taylor fell the same way to Hazlewood for 32.

“The wicket’s not that bad to have so many wickets taken in two days,” Hazlewood said.

“We had a middle-order collapse today. We should probably be still batting now. We’ll try and fix that for the second innings.”

The second day turned on a contentious challenge decision in Australia’s favour before dinner, enabling them to go on and grab a 22-run innings lead.

Nathan Lyon survived a review in which ‘Hot Spot’ revealed a mark on the back of his bat before he had scored.

The review was churned over for minutes before the TV umpire Nigel Llong decided there was not enough to go on despite the Hot Spot evidence to give Lyon out, caught off spinner Santner, with Australia reeling at 118 for eight and trailing the Kiwis by 84 runs.

Lyon walked three-quarters of the way off the ground believing he was out before he returned to continue batting and join in a record Australian trans-Tasman series 74-run ninth-wicket stand with Peter Nevill.

Lyon was eventually out for 34 as the Australians hit back to take an innings lead with incapacitated Mitchell Starc smashing two massive sixes off spinner Mark Craig.

Starc, who came into bat at No.11 after being diagnosed with a stress foot fracture on Friday, thrilled the home crowd with his prodigious hitting.

Nevill was the hero and was the last man out for his highest Test score of 66 leaving the hobbling Starc unbeaten on 24 which included two sixes and three fours.

Doug Bracewell finished his side’s best bowler with three for 18 off 12.1 overs.

It was rough justice for the Kiwis, who have been on the receiving end of some controversial umpiring decisions.

Australia were in dire trouble at 116 for eight at tea after a rampant Kiwi bowling performance in the first session.

The Black Caps snared Steve Smith’s prized wicket when he charged off-spinner Craig only to be caught by wicketkeeper Watling.

The Kiwis had the Australians well on the back foot with Peter Siddle out four balls later in the same Craig over and then Hazlewood was bowled by Santner for four in the final over before tea.

Just 62 runs were scored by Australia for the loss of six wickets in the first session off 29.5 overs.