New Zealand beat the current champions and hosts Australia by 89 runs in the first match of the Super 12s of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Saturday in Sydney.
Devon Conway made an unbeaten 92 for the Kiwis and their bowlers also played exceptionally well to seal the match.
New Zealand were asked to bat first after they lost the toss. Conway and Fin Allen proved they had no problem batting first- they posted 56 runs in the opening stand in only four overs. They smashed the Australian bowlers all around the ground in Sydney.
New Zealand never looked back from this blistering start. Allen was the first batter to get dismissed by the Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood for 42 off just 16 balls.
But Conway was firm at the other end of the wicket and continued to demolish the Australian bowling line. He batted until the end of the innings and smashed wonderful shots.
Conway ended on 92 off just 58 deliveries with seven fours and two sixes. He guided New Zealand to a massive total of 203 for three wickets.
In reply, the hosts were expected to respond well but surprisingly they could not do that on a surface that they know better than any participating team. They were completely outclassed by the Blackcaps.
The Australian batting line was broken down like a pack of cards. Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins were the only batters for the hosts to have past the 20-run mark. Veteran pacer Tim Southee and spinner Mitchell Santner scalped three wickets each for New Zealand. Australia, eventually, tumbled to 111 in 17.1 overs and lost the match by a massive margin of 89 runs.
