The autopsy
Let’s be honest, Australia really coughed that one up. New Zealand were off to a barnstorming start through Guptill (39) and Williamson (24) but once Maxwell, Faulkner, Watson and Marsh applied the clamps, wickets came regularly. 143 thus felt like underachievement, even on a pitch that didn’t promote fluent stroke-making.
The Aussie chase started beautifully as well. Khawaja batted like a man possessed when he had all the strike and Australia went at 10-an-over for the first five. But then Watson went and Smith lost their heads, as did a subdued Warner. Denied pace on the ball and the freedom to play his shots, Khawaja soon departed too. Maxwell and Marsh both ventured into the 20s but neither could finish it off, so it was left to the likes of Agar and Faulkner to try and scrape their side home and neither could. Once Australia had slipped behind the required rate beyond the 10-over mark they were done.
Ish Sodhi was superb with 1-14 from 4 and Mitch McClenaghan likewise with 3-17 from 3 to ice it. New Zealand held their composure, the Aussies lost their heads. Australia had taken a gamble going into this match, playing Ashton Agar when common sense might have suggested otherwise. This time the selectorial punt backfired so their campaign is off to a losing start.
That’s about it from us but thanks for joining in the fun. Make sure to stop by again for plenty more live action from the World Twenty20.
Updated
McCullum might be my favourite cricketer ever, yet I think I like the black caps even more now he's retired #WT20
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) March 18, 2016
Cracking game. #WT20
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) March 18, 2016
The Kiwis win it by 8 runs!
Anderson has held his nerve and so have the Black Caps! They’re home by 8 runs as the Aussies fall in a heap late in their modest chase. Needless to say that Dave Warner and Steve Smith, still side by side, are no longer smiling.
WICKET! Coulter-Nile b Anderson 1 (Australia 132-9)
The Kiwis are home! Coulter-Nile chops on after Peter Nevill’s six had given Australia hope but unless there’s a no-ball from Anderson with his final delivery, 9 off 1 looks unrealistic.
Updated
WICKET! Faulkner c Guptill b Anderson 2 (Australia 124-8)
Faulkner has a crack but holes out too! The Kiwis are all but home now. Australia’s made a real hash of this chase so it’ll take a miracle from here. 19 off 5 is the equation for Nevill and Coulter-Nile.
19th over: Australia 124-7 (Faulkner 2, Coulter-Nile 0)
That excellent McClenaghan over done, Australia need 19 from the final over. A very tall order that, especially for two new batsmen.
WICKET! Agar c Taylor b McClenaghan 9 (Australia 123-7)
Agar departs! And again an Aussie batsman departs hitting out to the deep but it’s a very tidy catch by Ross Taylor, who covers some ground before diving to hold the chance at fine leg. Agar thought he’d flicked a six but he’s on his way.
WICKET! Marsh c Milne b McClenaghan 24 (Australia 121-6)
Marsh departs! Well that throws the cat amongst the pigeons. He was the man who really needed to do it for Australia but he biffs one straight up into the air and Milne makes no mistake at long on. James ‘The Finisher’ Faulkner will need to step up to the plate now. Australia needs 22 from 11 deliveries.
18th over: Australia 121-5 (Marsh 24, Agar 9)
Sodhi’s over shapes as a decisive one now. There’s a single to both batsmen before Marsh gets some width to drive but his lavish stroke is a fresh-air shot and only a single follows. Steve Smith screws up his face on the sidelines. With a Guptill misfield Agar gets one more. 22 off 12 is the task.
17th over: Australia 116-5 (Marsh 21, Agar 7)
Clonk! Marsh goes on the attack again and belts Santner for another straight six when the spinner serves him up a half-volley. He could win it off his own bat, Marsh. Maybe Agar just needs to stay off strike. Or not? Agar finishes the over in fine style, skipping down the track and hammering Santner for another straight six. The tables have turned here. The hunter has become the hunted. 27 from 18 is the equation for the Aussies.
16th over: Australia 101-5 (Marsh 13, Agar 0)
Cometh the hour, cometh the Agar. He was slogged out of the attack earlier but Ashton Agar now has a chance to become the hero for his side, but he’ll need to get trucking. Shouldn’t Faulkner be out there first? Just asking questions... Either way, Ish Sodhi has been superb today. That’s 1-9 off 3 for him so far. He might be bowling his side to a big win.
WICKET! Maxwell c Williamson b Sodhi 22 (Australia 100-5)
Maxwell holes out! Oh no, the Aussies are right back in the muck now as the Victorian plays an inside-out slog but only manages to slice it high and straight into the hands of Williamson. That’s not ideal for his side.
15th over: Australia 100-4 (Maxwell 22, Marsh 12)
If the Aussies are worried about what remains of this chase they’re certainly not showing it in the dug-out, where Warner is having a big laugh with Steve Smith. Right on cue, Mitch Marsh strides down the track and thumps Santner for a towering straight six. The Aussies end the over needing 43 from 30 – theoretically straightforward in T20 terms but not on a track like this.
14th over: Australia 89-4 (Maxwell 18, Marsh 5)
Maxwell’s having a nightmare run trying to middle the ball at the moment but he’s making up for his lack of timing with sheer velocity and finding greater reserves of luck the harder he swings. He even unfurls a reverse pull but only picks up a single in return for the high degree of difficulty. New Zealand must fancy themselves here on an up-and-down deck.
13th over: Australia 85-4 (Maxwell 16, Marsh 3)
Maxwell is throwing himself into the task now and gets priceless and consecutive boundaries off Milne, the second of which is a decidedly arsey inside edge past his leg stump. Flailing vainly to get to it is keeper Ronchi, who is an odd-looking character, isn’t he?
12th over: Australia 71-4 (Maxwell 6, Marsh 2)
This is tough going for Maxwell and Marsh – both new at the crease and facing a stern challenge to find fluency with the clock ticking. I feel like the expression on the face of their boss here is quite apt:
@rustyjacko Pic of Benito Mussolini in cricket gear promised. Pic of Benito Mussolini in cricket gear delivered. pic.twitter.com/qBIII4xTbW
— Robert McL Wilson (@Parisbob2001) March 18, 2016
11th over: Australia 68-4 (Maxwell 4, Marsh 1)
New Zealand are in the box seat now and young Mitchell Santner is really playing his role having dismissed key pillars of the Australian chase in Smith and Warner. Peter Salmon, meanwhile, has just emailed me a photo of Andrew Zesers being run out, which seems like a dubious omen for Australia. Hey Peter, a hot tip: @AndrewZesers on Twitter will get you the man himself! He’s only got 18 followers. Shall we try and get him up into Kanye territory, where he belongs?
WICKET! Warner c Guptill b Santner 6 (Australia 66-4)
Warner holes out to the deep! Can you believe that? Well, I guess you can really. Anyway, his first big stroke of the game comes right out of the middle but he’s thumped it straight to Guptill on the fence. Santner has 2-2! Chaos!
10th over: Australia 66-3 (Warner 6, Maxwell 3)
That wicket came from the final delivery of the Elliott over and Maxwell’s the new man for Australia with Sodhi wheeling away with his leggies. Suddenly runs are scarce and danger lurks everywhere for the batsman. Williamson grants his spinner a slip, too. With the regular fall of wickets Australia’s run rate is flat-lining.
WICKET! Khawaja run out 38 (Australia 62-3)
Calamity for Australia! Khawajs is run out! He really lagged when Warner called him back for a second and even with a dive, Australia’s batting ace is done for with a superb, flat throw from the deep. It leaves Elliott with a simple job to take the bails and Khawaja is on his way. Terrible stuff from Australia. They’re falling apart here.
8th over: Australia 55-2 (Khawaja 33, Warner 3)
With no Nathan McCullum in this side, skipper Williamson has some work to do with the ball and arrives now with his off-spinners. He does an excellent job of it in this first over and there’s only three runs from it.
7th over: Australia 52-2 (Khawaja 32, Warner 1)
Warner gets off the mark with a single but does so off the final delivery of the Santner over, which means that in-form Khawaja is denied strike again. He’s sort of marooned at the moment. He was flying a couple of overs ago but can’t get a sniff as wickets fall around him.
WICKET! Smith stumped Ronchi b Santner 6 (Australia 51-2)
Hooley dooley! Smith’s run down the track to young Mitchell Santner and had a fresh air shot, so Ronchi’s task to take the bails is a mere formality! How about that? What a strange moment that was. Warner will be here any minute after all. The skipper is gorn!
6th over: Australia 50-1 (Khawaja 31, Smith 6)
Steve Smith wanders to the crease now, which serves as a brief reminder that David Warner is still in a sort of batting purgatory down at four. Smith’s off the mark in imperious style, essaying to the fence the kind of cover drive you’d expect of a man who’d been batting for an hour or more. Textbook stuff, that shot. You could paste a photo of it into Bradman’s ‘Art of Cricket’.
OBO favourite Robert McLiam Wilson is here! “Damn. Over-excited by the image of Donald Trump in generic cricket whites, I’ve just spent more time than is reasonable searching for a picture of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in cricket gear,” he says. “No luck. But I seem to remember there’s a pic of Mussolini that could pass muster. That would be thrilling.” In cricket gear? Really? I’ve got one of ZZ Top in whites, I know that.
WICKET! Watson c Williamson b McClenaghan 13 (Australia 44-1)
Watson’s gone! And that is well deserved for McClenaghan, who was robbed of a wicket last over and now howls in delight as the Aussie all-rounder clubs him straight to Williamson at mid-off. Boy did the Kiwis need that one.
5th over: Australia 42-0 (Khawaja 31, Watson 11) - Target: 143
This is better from Anderson, though Khawaja is still treating every delivery like an opportunity to load up a giant plate at the Pizza Hut all-you-can-eat buffet. It’s all Margherita in this over. Only five from it, though Anderson seems to be hobbling at the end of it.
4th over: Australia 37-0 (Khawaja 29, Watson 8) - Target: 143
Mitchell McClenaghan appears now and thinks he’s trapped Khawaja in front but when Nigel Llong emphatically disagrees, insult is added to injury for the bowler with Khawaja flogging him through cow with a rasping pull shot. Worse: the LBW shout should have been given. That’s a cruel blow for the Kiwis.
3rd over: Australia 30-0 (Khawaja 24, Watson 6) - Target: 143
Williamson has to try something now and that something is grant Elliott, whose 11 wickets in 13 T20I’s do include a four-wicket haul. Khawaja probably hasn’t studies those numbers and imperiously drives him for another eye-catching boundary. He’s batting like a genius so far – proper shots, minimal fuss. Watto’s barely had to lift a finger but when he finally gets on strike he reverses onto the back foot and drives four of his own.
2nd over: Australia 20-0 (Khawaja 19, Watson 1) - Target: 143
Adam Milne appears now and Khawaja’s living on the edge a little here but flicks four more over the outstretched hand of Ish Sodhi at deep mid-on. Might Sodhi have made that with his other hand? Too late now. More convincing is a square drive that Khawaja spears past the man at backward point and out to the rope. He smoked that one. Some prediction machine they’re using on the broadcast says Australia is ahead now, which seems the kind of conclusion we could probably draw ourselves. Call me a cynic.
1st over: Australia 11-0 (Khawaja 10, Watson 1) - Target: 143
Okay, we’re off in the Australian chase with Corey Anderson wheeling away to Usman Khawaja and his rubbery wrists. Khawaja takes a ball and then crunches a short one through mid-wicket for a confident boundary. There follows a gorgeous late cut down to third man for a single. I’d happily watch him do that 100 times to be honest. Actually, can that. I want more cover drives like the one Khawaja creams wide of cover to pick up another boundary. Khawaja’s barely worked up a sweat and Australia’s already flying.
Updated
I know that England went through a lot of players during the ‘89 Ashes
...but they really should have known the sort of pies that Donald Trump would be dishing up.
On peut rien rajouter... Christ! @histgeoblog pic.twitter.com/iqljFRD0Cr
— Robert McL Wilson (@Parisbob2001) March 18, 2016
Okay, so 143 to get for the Aussies
Some figures for you: Watson had 1-22 off 4, Marsh 1-26 off 4 and Maxwell was excellent with 2-18 from 3, the same analysis as James Faulkner. Zampa was unfortunate he was only granted one over, which went for three runs, but Ashton Agar was the opposite – Guptill flogged his full tosses into the stands for 18 runs in a single over. But once Guptill (39) and Kane Williamson (24) were gone, it all kind of stalled for the Kiwis. Their hope now is that the ball is holding up on this pitch and so batting fluency is thus a trying pursuit.
New Zealand post 142
Wicket! Elliott run out (Nevill) - 27
20th over: New Zealand 142-8 (Milne 2)
There’s a thumping pull shot from Milne first up but Maxwell is well positioned to cut off the boundary and the final delivery is a fizzer for the batting side when Elliott is run out by the keeper in the process of scrambling for a bye. That was a super recovery from the Australians. I thought they’d be chasing 200. 143 is much more gettable. I’ll grab a drink and be back with some figures.
Updated
WICKET! Santner run out (Maxwell) 1 (New Zealand 140-7)
20th over (2 deliveries left): New Zealand 140-7 (Elliott 27)
Elliott starts with a two and the Aussies then make a hash of a run-out chance when Maxwell’s throw from the deep is too wild for Nevill to reel in behind the stumps but a few balls later the very same fieldsman makes amends with a beautiful throw to have Santner short of his ground as the Kiwis look for two.
19th over: New Zealand 134-6 (Elliott 22, Santner 0)
Faulkner finishes with 2-18 from his 3 overs and it’ll be up to Mitchell Santner to keep Grant Elliott on strike in the final over of the Black Caps’ innings. Nathan Coulter-Nile will bowl it.
WICKET! Ronchi c Maxwell b Faulkner 6 (New Zealand 133-6)
Faulkner is handed the responsibility of the penultimate over and it’s a luxury for Australia that he won’t have used up his full allotment today. As ever, he delivers, keeping things tight until Ronchi biffs one out into the hands of Maxwell at deep mid-wicket.
18th over: New Zealand 129-5 (Elliott 20, Ronchi 3)
Crunch! Elliott steps out towards leg to give himself room and when Marsh follows him with a length ball the Kiwi is able to us the pace and spear it through cover for a boundary. Marsh started inauspiciously but like Watson, he’s been a key to this Australian recovery and would have finishes with the same analysis as Watson if he hadn’t dropped short with his final ball. Elliott belts it through square leg for four. 1-26 off 4 for Marsh. Still handy.
17th over: New Zealand 118-5 (Elliott 11, Ronchi 1)
One-time Aussie Luke Ronchi arrives with two more deliveries of Shane Watson’s spell to go and dabs the second down to third man to get off the mark, leaving the lumbering all-rounder with 1-22 off his 4 exceptional overs. Did I say he was a vintage car earlier? He was like a ‘63 Valiant with his bowling tonight.
WICKET! Taylor c Marsh b Watson 11 (New Zealand 117-5)
Taylor goes! Shane Watson’s back for his final over and again Elliott gets lucky with an inside-edge, but after Taylor finally gets one out of the screws with a big six over cow, he holes out to Marsh at mid-wicket. Watson deserved that wicket, to be fair.
16th over: New Zealand 107-4 (Taylor 5, Elliott 8)
New Zealand need runs any way they can get ‘em at the moment and Elliott duly obliges with an inside-edge down to the fence at fine leg, fortune that leaves Mitchell Marsh rocking his head back for a minor sulk. Cameras zoom in on the ball at that point and it’s been shredded to pieces by this pitch. Rough as old boots, this one.
15th over: New Zealand 99-4 (Taylor 4, Elliott 1)
That wicket was the last ball of the 14th over, in case you were wondering. Coulter-Nile appears again now and Grant Elliott is the new batsman for New Zealand. I thought they’d reach 200 at the six-over mark but 150 is about the best they can hope for now. Taylor and Elliott will need to get a wriggle on for that to happen though.
WICKET! Munro c Faulkner b Marsh 23 (New Zealand 97-4)
Another Kiwi holes out when he’d just found some touch! This time it’s Munro, who winds his wrists over a lofted drive out towards cow and cracks it into the hands of Faulkner in the deep. The Aussies have another breakthrough right as it looks as though New Zealand might charge again.
13th over: New Zealand 96-3 (Munro 23, Taylor 3)
“It’s a very short grass” bellows Michael Slater and that statmenet goes for all the various blades the ball quickly passes when Munro plays a reverse glance thingamajig down to the fence at fine leg. Better still is a switch-hit through the left-hander’s conventional cover region, which cannons for four as Maxwell grimaces. Four byes finish a profitable over for the Black Caps.
12th over: New Zealand 82-3 (Munro 14, Taylor 1)
Watson’s back for another trundle and it’s excellent stuff again – three dots and then a near run-out to mid-off when the Kiwis start to get anxious for runs. Munro is 13 with that but it’s taken him 16 deliveries to get there.
Guy Hornsby has dropped by. “Everyone’s 3rd favourite team (come on, the Afghans nick it for at least a week) is playing and that’s a pretty hefty start here, even though Guptill’s gone now. They are such a lovely bunch to watch, and I don’t just say that as an Englishman watching someone play Australia. Really, I’m just trying to pretend this afternoon’s game isn’t happening. Only England could be facing an exit 48 hours after their tournament started.”
I thought Australia might out-England England here, but they’ve come good in the last six overs.
Wickets are good.
— Jonathan Dixon (@JonnoDixon) March 18, 2016
A correct statement.
11th over: New Zealand 79-3 (Munro 12, Taylor 0)
Ross Taylor’s up now and he’s facing a suddenly buoyant Glenn Maxwell, who’s jagged two significant wickets to get his side back on track. Munro swats a few out to the deep with a switch-hit but that aside, it’s a gem of an over from the off-spinner. It cost only four runs and Anderson is back in the sheds.
WICKET! Anderson c Agar b Maxwell 3 (New Zealand 76-3)
Anderson goes! Another Kiwi perishes flogging it out into the deep and again it’s Agar who holds the catch, confidently calling himself in and then clasping it well above his head to make sure. The wheels are falling off this New Zealand innings. Australia’s patchwork bowling attack is suddenly having a ball.
10th over: New Zealand 75-2 (Munro 8, Anderson 3)
Mitch Marsh is Australia’s seventh bowler of the innings now and his first delivery is reflective of that slot in the pecking order; so comically wide that Munro can’t even reach it. But a few balls later Marsh gets one to hold up a little and Anderson almost bunts it to a diving Coulter-Nile at short cover. Anyway, the brakes are well and truly on now. Australia has pegged this back admirably after Guptill’s early blitz.
9th over: New Zealand 69-2 (Munro 5, Anderson 1)
There’s no let-up for the Aussies, because big-hitting Corey Anderson arrives now. He’s cautious for now and that’s not a bad approach to the sneakily effective Maxwell.
Guptill's T20 average v Australia is now greater than his Test average v Australia. All it took was Ashton Agar's bowling. #WT20
— Glenn Valencich (@glennvalencich) March 18, 2016
WICKET! Williamson c Agar b Maxwell 24 (New Zealand 66-2)
Now Williamson goes! The Aussies are right back in it now. What’s more, it’s Agar who swoops around in the deep to hold a nerve-settling catch. He did so because Glenn Maxwell had been drafted in as the spin option. It reaps immediate dividends and the Kiwi skipper is gorn!
8th over - New Zealand: 65-1 (Williamson 24, Munro 2)
Colin Munro arrives at the crease now and as he does, an unnamed friend has just posited the theory that Agar was selected merely because he is “totes adorbs”, which certainly sounds like a phrase that would raise Rod Marsh’s pulse. Right on cue, Our Ashton misfields when there was a run-out chance on offer. Oh dear.
Faulkner and Zampa have put the clamps on this innings, by the way. There’s not much life in this pitch and without Guptill bombing it to all corners, that is now more apparent. New Zealand finish the over with another quick single to Agar’s trembling arm. Might be time to get him away from mid-on, I reckon.
WICKET! Guptill c Maxwell b Faulkner 39 (New Zealand 61-1)
Guptill holes out! And James Faulkner is absolutely delighted, charging out into the deep to congratulate Maxwell on an excellent catch out near cow corner. Boy did the Aussies need that.
7th over - New Zealand: 61-0 (Guptill 39, Williamson 22)
Adam Zampa’s on now for some leg-spin because, well, things can’t exactly get any worse and he’s a better prospect for four overs than Agar. He has a throaty caught-behind appeal against Guptill when the stringbean Kiwi sweeps him but Erasmus is disinterested. Zampa varies his pace and length and it’s more than handy, his first over. Excellent stuff.
6th over - New Zealand: 58-0 (Guptill 37, Williamson 21)
Nathan Coulter-Nile is back as Smith continues to tinker with the attack. He’s steady for a bit but Guptill is in the mood today and soon strides down the deck and hoists him over long-off for a towering six. He looks like a man taking out six months of Aussie-inflicted pain right now. Good on him, I suppose. Every bit as good is Williamson’s classical square drive to finish the over with four more. It’s all a bit easy for the Black Caps. They’re caning it.
Peter Salmon is back. “While you’ve been watching Watto, I’ve just been through every test Tim Zoehrer played, in Australia’s horror years of 1986-87. The biggest gap is only to David Boon.Moving on to Andrew Zesers next, but feeling like we could have a record happening out there. An exciting day for Australian cricket!” Speaking of World Cup selection bolters; no better than Zesers.
5th over - New Zealand: 44-0 (Guptill 29, Williamson 15)
I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone in the venue but Ashton Agar has been replaced by James Faulkner, who seems a more reliable proposition in these early stages than the young man who barely got a bowl for his Big Bash League side. He’s still belted for a couple of fours through the on side as Williamson gets his mojo happening. The second wasn’t without risk but Watson – diving at short mid-on – couldn’t quite haul his well-upholstered frame into the path of the ball.
“A couple of points before I turn back to the football, to clarify that’s round ball football although it does get confusing at this time of year,” says Phil Withall. “Firstly Shane Watson seems to possess the same range of facial expression as Steve Smith, that of a slightly confused spoilt child. Secondly Agar Agar is a very popular gelatine substitute preferred by vegans, solidifies things could be an omen.” Yeah, Phil, that’s just the thing mate...
4th over - New Zealand: 35-0 (Guptill 29, Williamson 6)
“I’ve just astonished myself by finding out that Watson is only 34,” says Bob O’Hara. “It feels as if he’s been that age for years, with his body just about to finally fall apart. I’m not sure if he should be applauded or commiserated with for that sort of longevity.” Well, for now he’s being shown confidence by his skipper and returns for another over. He repays it with a stingy six balls that would only have cost two if not for a Mitch Marsh misfield, which is a lot easier to type than say, I’m sure you’ll agree.
3rd over - New Zealand: 32-0 (Guptill 28, Williamson 4)
Boomshakalaka! Ashton Agar arrives for his first spell of the tournament and offers Guptill a pair of fluffy cream pies - two full tosses that are mercilessly spanked over cow for six. There’s a lull of three dots but Agar really can frown after all and does when his final delivery is dispatched over his head for another maximum. The Kiwis are flying! Agar...well, he’s not. He’s been savaged for 18 runs in his first over.
2nd over - New Zealand: 14-0 (Guptill 10, Williamson 4)
Peter Salmon has a selection quandary. “Just wondering if Agar to Zampa is the biggest alphabetical difference ever in one international team? Especially when following each other in the batting order?” he asks.
Peter, normally I’d be straight off to my custom-designed Wisden shelf, but for now the sight of Shane Watson’s vintage chassis gliding towards the crease for some bowling action. There’s not much protection on the leg-side for big Watto, but he’s right on the button with his first trio of deliveries. Line and length lives!
Watson’s adopting his famous hands-on-the-head-can-you-bloody-believe-I-didn’t-get-him-with-that-one pose when Guptil gets un under edge for one, but it was hardly a jaffa. Settle down, Shane. Watson is cursing himself a ball later when he strays onto Williamson’s pads and the Kiwi master flicks him away to the rope. The over finishes with a big LBW shout, but Watson’s the only one doing the shouting. Hardly the moral support he was hoping for from his cordon.
1st over - New Zealand: 9-0 (Guptill 9, Williamson 0)
Okay, let’s do this. Umpire Marais Erasmus lowers his arm and it’s Nathan Coulter-Nile steaming past him with the new ball for Australia. He will have more spinners for company in this game, with Agar and Zampa favoured ahead of John ‘The Big Duke TM’ Hastings, who is a tad unlucky.
There’s a couple of dots and then Guptill edges wide of slip for four biscuits down to the very short boundary at third man. Next it’s real crowd-pleasing stuff: a filthy half-tracker swatted to the long-on boundary with an equally filthy straight pull. Guptill’s away. The crowd – and it’s a sparse one to be honest – goes appropriately wild.
Ashton Agar Hour
It’s all a bit weird, isn’t it? The poor kid has taken just six wickets in his last 10 games of professional cricket and he’s being thrown into the fray for a big World Cup game. Will that form line reverse tonight? We shall soon see. Right now we’ll have the anthems, which are typically anthemy.
I’m not saying this game isn’t an exciting prospect
...but if in addition to predictions, comments and quips, you want to email or tweet me a picture of your favourite (preferably embarrassing) replica cricket shirt, please do. I’ve just been alerted to this bargain currently available in Australian stores. Ten bucks?? What does that buy you these days? Two coffees? Or...a peerless statement of style.
@rustyjacko Still more bargains at Rebel Shepparton. pic.twitter.com/jzo8hocbfi
— Anthony Leach (@ahleach) March 18, 2016
Our teams tonight
Australia: Khawaja, Watson, Smith (c), Warner, Maxwell, M Marsh, Faulkner, Nevill, Agar (yes, you read correctly), Zampa, Coulter-Nile.
New Zealand: Guptill, Williamson, Munro, Anderson, Taylor, Elliott, Santner, Ronchi, Milne, McClenaghan, Sodhi.
The guys I’m looking forward to watching after a going cold turkey on cricket in recent weeks: Mitchell ‘mini Vettori’ Santner, Mitch McClenaghan, Our Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa, who gives it a rip.
Mitchell count: Australia - 1, New Zealand - 2.
Updated
Preamble
Hello OBOers and welcome to this World Twenty20 clash between Australia and New Zealand, two sides who’ve seen a lot of each other of late and promise to provide us with a solid night’s entertainment.
Russell Jackson here to take you through it all. Autumn has set in down under and it’s freezing cold and rainy at OBO HQ, but thankfully the forecast has cleared somewhat in Dharamasala. Feel free to email, tweet and contact me in any other way you see fit. Maybe pass a message on through my mother. She’s good for at least two phone calls per day.
New Zealand have won the toss! And they’ll bat, a little unsurprisingly. With no McCullum now, Kane Williamson is in charge for the Black Caps. I’ll be back in a tick with teams.
Updated
Russ will be with you shortly. In the meantime, check out the latest on the ominous weather forecast for tonight’s game, which might actually force him to live blog his dinner instead.
