A “clinical” Australia yesterday beat New Zealand by 27 runs in the rain-shortened third Twenty20 in Auckland to complete a clean sweep of the series.
Responding to Australia’s 118-4 from 10.4 overs, New Zealand scored 98-3, falling short of a target adjusted to 126 off 10 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
The required run-rate grew quickly after the home side lost two quick wickets before Glenn Phillips posted their top score for the second straight game, finishing on 40 not out off 24 balls.
Photo: AFP
Australian pace bowler Spencer Johnson impressed in his first appearance of the series taking 1-10 off his two overs.
Three rain stoppages curtailed Australia’s innings after they were asked to bat first at Eden Park.
Opener Travis Head top-scored with 33 off 30 balls, but the most punishing batting was player-of-the-match Matthew Short’s 27 off 11 balls and Glenn Maxwell’s 20 off nine.
Australia dominated the series, winning the opener by six wickets in Wellington on Wednesday, followed by a 72-run victory in game two in Auckland on Friday.
Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, promoted to Australian captain after Mitch Marsh was rested for the final game, said the series was ideal preparation ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in June.
“We wanted to have a look at the depth in our squad and we were lucky enough to do that today with Spencer and Matty Short,” Wade said. “Our bowlers were unbelievable today, the way they came out and executed. It was as clinical a bowling effort as I’ve seen from an Australian outfit.”
“For Matthew Short to come out and bat the way he did is really exciting for the future,” he added.
New Zealand were not helped by injuries, which ruled out key batsmen Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway at different stages of the series, while veteran Kane Williamson was absent because of the birth of his child.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner would not use that as an excuse, saying Australia were simply too good.
“They’re obviously a quality side,” Santner said. “The first game was a close one, but we were obviously outplayed in the last two.”
The first Test of a two-match series between the teams starts in Wellington on Thursday.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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