2022 T20 World Cup: New Zealand crush holders Australia on opening night

The Kiwis produced a near-perfect show to subdue the hosts at the SCG; Devon Conway’s 58-ball 92 helped set a 201-run target before the bowlers sealed an 89-run win in the first Super 12 tie

It was tournament favourites India last year. This time it was hosts Australia’s turn to suffer a crushing defeat in their opening match of the T20 World Cup, laying bare the unpredictability of the format. Forever the underdogs, New Zealand gave the holders a hiding with a 89-run victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. With this heavy defeat, Australia’s net run rate has taken a beating and they may need to win every match from now on to stay on course for the semi-finals.

The seasoned Conway was content playing the second fiddle with Allen hitting all around the park, as they raced to 56 for no loss inside four overs. (Getty Images)

New Zealand lost the toss, but young Finn Allen got the World Cup Super 12s off to a racing start with a 16-ball 42. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it’s understandable for a 23-year-old New Zealander’s records to go under the radar. That’s perhaps why, despite coming with the reputation and numbers of having the best strike rate in the business in a short career, Allen’s attacking ways seemed to have caught the home side unawares in the early exchanges.

After Allen’s belligerence, dominating a 56-run opening stand in 4.1 overs, there was some meekness in New Zealand’s innings. Allen got out in the fifth over, after which skipper Kane Williamson’s subdued run-a-ball 23 failed to keep up the momentum. Left-hander Devon Conway held his own through it all though, finishing with an unbeaten 92 (58 balls, 7x4,2x6), smacking Josh Hazelwood beyond the long-on ropes the final ball to lift the Kiwis to 200.

Thanks almost entirely to Conway’s measured strokeplay after the Allen blitz, never missing out on taking advantage of the loose ball, all the Australian bowlers ended up conceding more than nine runs an over. This despite switching to mix-ups, and Adam Zampa’s skills. James Neesham helped boost the death-overs scoring rate with a handy 13-ball 26*.

In reply, New Zealand came searching for Aaron Finch’s pads in the first two overs and got David Warner in the bargain. Finch freed himself and deposited Trent Boult in the third over several rows up in the stands beyond the mid-wicket boundary to bring himself into the contest. But he soon fell to left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, Williamson’s ploy to contain Mitch Marsh with early spin resulting in the end of the Australian skipper.

Three wickets in the powerplay and Australia had Steve Smith benched for the match. The power-hitters had to justify their presence, and bat at a lower gear if they could, to resurrect the innings. But they were well and truly stifled by New Zealand’s spin-twins Santner and Ish Sodhi as both Marcus Stoinis and Tim David fell trying to test the boundary ropes. Matthew Wade was soon dismissed to Lockie Ferguson’s pace and Glenn Maxwell (28 – 20b) could only do so much damage with his switch-hits.

Santner and Boult aren’t even contracted players anymore, but they play at the big stage because New Zealand’s playing pool is limited. It was enough on the night to register a thumping victory and serve yet another reminder to the cricket world—never count the Black Caps out.