Cricket World Cup 2023: Australia vs New Zealand result, score, match highlights, wickets, standings, when is Australia’s next game?
The Black Caps came within touching distance of pulling off a miraculous run chase in Dharamshala on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Australia from securing its fourth consecutive victory of the World Cup.
After being set a record 389-target for victory at Himachal Pradesh Association, New Zealand young gun Rachin Ravindra scored a masterful 116 (89) and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham smacked 58 (39) at the death to send an almighty scare through the Australian camp.
However, the Australians ultimately held their nerve, defeating the Kiwis by five runs to boost their chances of a semi-final berth.
It was the highest-scoring World Cup match in history, with 771 runs accumulated across the 99.2 eventful overs.
“To come so close obviously hurts,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham confessed in the post-match presentation.
“When you’re chasing a score close to 400, you have to play the perfect game.
“I’m really proud of the guys.”
Earlier, Travis Head celebrated his long-awaited return from injury with a vicious 59-ball century, steering Australia towards 388 all out, the nation’s highest team total against New Zealand in ODIs.
The 29-year-old, later named player of the match, combined with David Warner (81 from 65 balls) for a brutal 175-run opening partnership, while the New Zealanders were left to rue five dropped catches in the field.
“It was a hell of a game,” Head said in the post-match presentation.
“It’s still early days, but it’s nice to be back.”
Australia cleared the boundary rope 20 times, a national record, also becoming the first team in ODI history to surpass 350 in three consecutive matches.
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O'Keeffe mocks Kiwis' toss decision | 01:32
Latham won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that quickly backfired when Head and Warner blasted 93 runs from the opening eight overs. Head feasted on some sloppy bowling from Black Caps seamer Matt Henry, who was guilty of overstepping the crease and giving away costly free hits.
It was a brutal onslaught from the Australian openers, who blasted 118 runs during the Powerplay, one short of the World Cup record. Head thumped overpitched deliveries down the ground, while Warner was more productive square of the wicket, nailing an assortment of sweeps and cut strokes.
Warner brought up his half-century in 28 deliveries, while Head only needed 25 balls to reach the minor milestone on his World Cup debut. The South Australian was handed a reprieve in the 13th over when spinner Mitchell Santner put down a one-handed catch off his own bowling and gifted another life on 75 when Glenn Phillips bottled a tough chance at mid-wicket
Warner fell agonisingly short of becoming the first Australian to score hundreds in three consecutive ODIs, dismissed by Phillips in the 20th over after chipping a return catch back to the part-time spinner.
Not long after, Head brought up his fourth ODI century, grinning with delight as he acknowledged the adoring crowd. However, the left-hander’s demolition came to an abrupt halt in the 24th over after misjudging a straight delivery from Phillips that crashed into the pegs.
Aussies capitalise on NZ nightmare over | 00:45
Runs dried up after Head’s departure, with Phillips securing his maiden three-wicket haul in ODIs when Steve Smith spooned a regulation catch towards mid-off for 18. Much to New Zealand’s frustration, Marnus Labuschagne was gifted an early life on 1 after Daryl Mitchell dropped a low chance at third man, denying Trent Boult his first wicket.
Mitchell Marsh crawled his way towards 36 (51) before playing all around a straight delivery from Santner, who also knocked over Labuschagne in his following over for 18. The Black Caps spinner was unlucky not to snare a third breakthrough later in the over, denied an LBW dismissal against Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis by Umpire’s Call on Hawkeye.
Glenn Maxwell looked poised to recreate his Delhi heroics, whipping out an assortment of reverse sweeps and paddles — one of the Victorian’s sixes sailed 104 metres, making it the longest shot of the tournament to date.
The introduction of Neesham in the 45th over proved a masterstroke, with the experienced all-rounder removing Maxwell for 41 (24), but the New Zealanders continued to shoot themselves in the foot with clumsy fielding and dropped catches. Inglis and captain Pat Cummins were both put down in the 48th over, combining for a rapid 62-run partnership for the seventh wicket that featured five sixes.
However, Australia lost 4-1 in a late collapse, with Boult taking three wickets in the penultimate over — Cummins was trapped LBW for 37 (14), his highest score in ODIs, while Inglis contributed a classy 38 (28).
New Zealand’s run chase got off to a blistering start, with openers Devon Conway and Will Young plundering 55 runs from the first six overs. However, Josh Hazlewood put Australia in a dominant position by toppling both openers during the Powerplay – Conway flicked a full delivery towards short fine leg for 28 before Young’s outside edge found the fly slip fielder for 32.
Mitchell and Ravindra counterattacked in the middle overs, forming a 96-run partnership for the third wicket and keeping the required net run rate within touching distance. The right-hander brought up his half-century in 42 deliveries but fell victim to leg-spinner Adam Zampa shortly after, holing out to long-on for 54 (51).
Ravindra, having passed fifty for the fourth time in the tournament, combined with Latham for a 54-run partnership before the Black Caps skipper top-edged a reverse sweep against Zampa, caught at short third man for 21.
Despite wickets sporadically tumbling at the other end, Ravindra continued carving Australia’s bowlers towards all corners of the picturesque venue, bringing up his second ODI hundred in 77 deliveries with a monstrous six over mid-wicket. While he was at the crease, New Zealand still had a glimmer of hope.
The following delivery, Ravindra chipped a regulation return catch back to Maxwell, with the ball bursting through the off-spinner’s fingers. However, the 35-year-old went from zero to hero later in the over by dismissing Phillips, who lazily slogged towards long-off for 12.
The match was seemingly in the balance with ten overs to spare, but Cummins brought himself back into the attack and snared the decisive breakthrough, with Ravindra caught on the boundary rope by Labuschagne.
The odds were heavily stacked against New Zealand, but Neesham kept the Black Caps in the contest with a flurry of late wickets. Despite losing Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry in quick succession, there was enough time for the 33-year-old to become a national hero.
Labuschagne helped New Zealand’s cause by misjudging a catch at long-on in the 49th over, stepping on the boundary rope after swallowing a catch to knock six runs off the deficit. Adding to the drama, Australia’s slow over rate meant only four fielders were permitted outside the inner ring for the final over, with 19 runs required.
Starc, who had an atrocious day with the ball, donated five runs by sliding a wayward delivery down the legside, making the equation 13 runs required from five balls. The odds were arguably in New Zealand’s favour.
A couple of superb outfield efforts from Maxwell and Labuschagne denied a pair of boundaries, with seven runs needed from the last two balls. In yet another twist, Neesham was run out on the penultimate delivery after scampering through for two to retain strike, with Inglis lunging towards the stumps in desperation.
Injured tailender Lockie Ferguson, who was nursing a sore Achilles, hobbled out to face the final delivery, with the New Zealanders requiring nothing less than a six for victory. However, he couldn’t get the job done, with Starc producing a well-directed full delivery that was chipped towards cover.
“That was awesome,” Cummins laugh in the post-match presentation.
“Sometimes I had to remember I was in the middle of the cricket field, not a spectator.
“It was a fantastic game.”
Australia will next face reigning champions England at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday, November 4, with the first ball scheduled for 7.30pm AEDT.
