That’s all from Eden Park where New Zealand have thumped Australia in the first of three ODIs to decide ownership of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. We’ll be back to do this all again on Saturday from Wellington. Until then, bowlers, keep Mankadding, and batsmen, just keep it in the crease and there’ll be nothing to worry about.
Updated
Well played @skysportnz, ending with a slow motion montage of Australian wickets to the tune of Don't Dream it's Over... #burn #NZvAUS
— Brett McKay (@BMcSport) February 3, 2016
Some reaction from Eden Park:
Steve Smith was happy with the way his team bowled, restricting New Zealand to 307. “I thought we pulled it back quite well with the ball. 300 was about par on this ground.”
The Aussie skipper not prepared to throw James Faulkner or Matthew Wade under the bus for the breakdown of their partnership during Australia’s run chase. “When you’re six down chasing over 6 rpo you’ve got to play your shots and that’s the way you’ve got to play.”
Brendon McCullum was understandably delighted with how his farewell series began. “It was a really good performance. We could have got a few more than what we got. I thought 280 was about par. The surface was not as quick as you might have thought... It slowed up as the game wore on. Once the ball got older it was more difficult to score. We had to utilise that new ball.” Which is exactly what Martin Guptill did off the top, ably supported by youngster Henry Nicholls who was name checked by his skipper for keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
“Our bowling effort was as good as we’d put out in a while,” McCullum added with more than a hint of understatement.
“It’s a thre-match series and we’ll enjoy this win against a very good Australian team. We’ve got to bank those memories and experiences but tomorrow we’ll turn our attention to Wellington.”
Eden Park, 2016: New Zealand made more than Australia and New Zealand combined at Eden Park in 2015. Australia 2016 made less than either.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 3, 2016
New Zealand win by 159 runs
Well, that all happened in a hurry. Australia crumbling to 148 all out from just 24.2 overs. A very sorry display indeed from the World Cup holders.
WICKET! Hastings c Guptill b Santner 8 (Australia 148)
Two in two for Santner! That’s it. All over. Australia capitulating before the halfway mark of the chase. Hastings launching a drive high and into the safe hands of Guptill. Ugly end to an ugly innings for Australia.
WICKET! Richardson c Williamson b Santner 19 (Australia 148-9)
Mitchell Santner on for his first twirl and he grabs a wicket with his first ball. Tossed up outside off stump, Richardson aims a slog, toe-ends it, and it’s snaffled safely by Kane Richardson.
24th over: Australia 148-8 (Hastings 8, Richardson 18) Target 308
Another six for Richardson! Clearing the front leg and smacking the pacy Milne miles. Same technique next delivery goes for four. Same again third delivery; swing and a miss.
Robert Wold Petersen: I don’t think anyone’s saying that Mankading isn’t in the laws of cricket (or, if they are, they don’t know those laws very well). The point, as I see it, is that it’s there to prevent a batsman taking liberties, much like the provisions for batsmen to be dismissed obstructing the field or handling the ball.
Was Ngavara deliberately attempting to gain an unfair advantage? I seriously doubt that, so I think Mankading him, while undoubtedly legal, was inappropriate. I don’t even need to appeal to the rather nebulous concept of the ‘spirit of cricket’ to support this position, only the rather more robust one of ‘sportsmanship’. A horrible way to lose a game. Or win one. Thanks, Rob.
23rd over: Australia 137-8 (Hastings 8, Richardson 8) Target 308
Matt Henry back on, sniffing a five-for.
Hang on a minute, what was that? Kane Richardson strokes a classical lofted straight drive for six, provoking a burst of modest fireworks from in front of the sightscreen. They were very New Zealand fireworks. Almost apologetically unassuming. Hastings hoicks a couple of fours too to make this a good over for Australia. Too little too late mind you.
22nd over: Australia 122-8 (Hastings 0, Richardson 1) Target 308
Milne very worthy of his first wicket and Faulkner did a good job for Australia. No use going down wondering in these situations.
If you're up to it, watch Australia's extraordinary collapse at Eden Park here: https://t.co/HHkgR2Zlpp #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/p7p5V1qmEK
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 3, 2016
WICKET! Faulkner b Milne 36 (Australia 121-8)
This one will be over in a hurry. Faulkner misses with another ugly swipe and the returning Milne cleans him up. Classical ‘they miss, you hit’ situation.
21st over: Australia 121-7 (Faulkner 36, Hastings 0) Target 308
Important partnership breaker for New Zealand that one. Hastings the next man in and he’s got a battle on his hands.
OUT! Anderson breaks the partnership as Wade sends one HIGH to Nicholls in the deep. Gone for 37. Australia 7-120 #NZvAUS
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 3, 2016
WICKET! Wade c Nicholls b Anderson 37 (Australia 120-7)
The live-blogger’s curse is alive and well! No sooner had I capitalised MAY than Wade launched Anderson high into the Auckland sky and into the waiting palms of Henry Nicholls.
MAYbe not, after all.
20th over: Australia 120-6 (Wade 37, Faulkner 36) Target 308
Grant Elliott arrives into the attack to the haunting strains of Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love’. A highlight of Marc Almond’s career presumably.
This partnership is blossoming for Australia. Now the largest ever seventh wicket stand for the World Cup winners against New Zealand. We may, I stress MAY, have a match on our hands after all.
19th over: Australia 113-6 (Wade 35, Faulkner 31) Target 308
Anderson begins the over with the eighth wide of the innings. The ninth arrives a short while later. Eight-ball over to follow the nine-baller of Milne.
In between extras Faulkner wallops another one just high enough over mid-off.
Milestone: Faulkner raises his 500th run in ODI chases. Ok, I'll stop now. Maybe.#NZvAus
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 3, 2016
Geoff, you can’t stop until Faulkner does.
18th over: Australia 105-6 (Wade 34, Faulkner 26) Target 308
The trek that is Milne’s trudge to his bowling mark gives ample opportunity to study his obvious handsomeness. A touch of Ben Affleck, a dash of Robin van Persie, a soupçon of Shaun Tait and the Wild Thing comparison roars out with a pair of leg side wides to start the over. The second of these was a corker, following Faulkner into Harmison territory.
Faulkner’s having fun out there. Working another leg side chaser from Milne for four just past the wicketkeeper’s dive. Next ball he misses with an almighty mow, lucky to turn around and find his stumps conveniently shorter than required for the bails to be disturbed. Wisely he rotates the strike after that near miss.
17th over: Australia 95-6 (Wade 33, Faulkner 20) Target 308
Another escape for Faulkner, top edging a slog into a leg-side gap. Anderson taking the pace off the ball, forcing a few mistimed shots from this pair. Another slower delivery has Wade driving into his boot.
16th over: Australia 91-6 (Wade 32, Faulkner 18) Target 308
I like Adam Milne. He’s a good old-fashioned fast bowler. Tears in like Mark Renton running away from the cops, bowls a heavy ball with his right shoulder working overtime, and wears the open-mouthed befuddled expression of a man who shouldn’t be overburdened with cognitive processes.
Despite regularly pushing 150 kph, Milne is still deposited into the upper deck towards midwicket thanks to a sweetly struck pull shot from Wade.
15th over: Australia 81-6 (Wade 24, Faulkner 15) Target 308
Corey Anderson and his liquorice all-sorts into the attack as this run chase settles into something resembling an innings.
Reckon Faulkner's unbeaten second-innings run is in a bit of strife with 35.2 overs to go.#NZvAus
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 3, 2016
14th over: Australia 79-6 (Wade 24, Faulkner 15) Target 308
Better from the tourists with Wade taking ten runs from Milne’s over. Six of those came from a meaty top edge over fine leg.
All this Australian run chase needs now is a Mankad. A perfectly legitimate mode of dismissal, in case you were still chuntering over the West Indies U-19 World Cup incident.
13th over: Australia 69-6 (Wade 14, Faulkner 15) Target 308
The host broadcaster’s graphic for a bowler’s pace has the header: “Speedball”. I’m not sure they’re aware of its ‘street’ meaning.
Faulkner’s not going to die wondering, throwing the bat at everything and most of it lofted. He connects a couple of times off Boult to bring up a brace of boundaries, the second through the covers was particularly sweet.
Milne up to 152 kmph with the last ball of his first over #heat #NZvAUS ^WN
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 3, 2016
Updated
12th over: Australia 58-6 (Wade 12, Faulkner 6) Target 308
Milne the first bowling change and he’s greeted by Wade lobbing him over square leg for four. Good comeback though, Milne hitting 146 kph and rapping the Australian gloveman on his fingers.
You can see how the combination of Henry and Milne could become a potent pace pairing for New Zealand. Added to Southee and Boult’s guile and you have a very tidy international attack.
On another note, Aust heading for fourth consecutive defeat since Lehmann DVT diagnosis
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) February 3, 2016
11th over: Australia 53-6 (Wade 7, Faulkner 6) Target 308
Relentless pressure from New Zealand, keeping their foot on Australia’s throat. Boult into his sixth over and continuing to cause trouble. Faulkner’s a fighter though and he keeps the scoreboard moving with a pulled boundary.
Just a reminder that the pitch remains flat, the new ball is only moving a touch, the bowling is not express pace, but Australia have just had no answer to the subtle variations of pace and lateral movement from the Black Caps.
10th over: Australia 47-6 (Wade 7, Faulkner 0) Target 308
Incredibly, there was no wicket that over. Trent Boult and Matt Henry have ripped through Australia’s top order in devastating fashion.
And, breathe...
AUS right now at suxes & suvens. #NZvAUS
— Ned Zelic (@NedZelic) February 3, 2016
WICKET! Marsh c McCullum b Boult 0 (Australia 41-6)
Nurse! The screens! This is chaos. Utter, unimaginable chaos.
Marsh is gone. Edging a left-arm angler from Boult to McCullum’s safe hands in the slips.
SCENES!! #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/ALlVeYPBGB
— Mitch McCann (@MitchMcCannNZ) February 3, 2016
WICKET! Maxwell c Williamson b Boult 0 (Australia 40-5)
I see it, but I don’t believe it. Maxwell the latest to go!
Full outside off from Boult, Maxwell tries to go over mid-off but it’s too close to Williamson who leaps and fetches it from the sky one-handed. Brilliant catch.
WICKET! Bailey c Anderson b Henry 2 (Australia 40-4)
8th over: Australia 40-4 (Maxwell 0) Target 308
What is going on here!? Bailey the latest to go, chipping a simple chance to Anderson at midwicket off a full straight delivery from golden-arm Henry. It was just reward for the paceman who had seen Anderson drop Maxwell in similar fashion earlier in the over.
Calamitous stuff from Australia.
Updated
7th over: Australia 39-3 (Bailey 2, Maxwell 0) Target 308
Replays show Warner would have succeeded in a review. It looked touch and go to the naked eye but Bailey must have convinced Warner there was no hope in overturning the decision.
New Zealand don’t care, they’re sinking their teeth firmly into this.
WICKET! Warner LBW Boult 12 (Australia 39-3)
New Zealand are rampant! Warner peels off the shot of the innings so far, lofting Boult back over his head effortlessly. The next delivery is a touch shorter though, angling into the left-hander. Warner misses, the Kiwis appeal and the finger’s raised. A long deliberation with George Bailey follows but Warner walks.
The ball hit Warner above the knee roll with both feet off the ground...
6th over: Australia 35-2 ( Warner 8, Bailey 2) Target 308
Great start from Matt Henry. How does Australia respond? Dig in or counterattack?
Matt Henry. Takes wickets. Simple. #NZvAUS
— Andrew Gourdie (@Andrew_Gourdie) February 3, 2016
WICKET! Smith b Henry 18 (Australia 33-2)
The host commentators have been waxing lyrical about Smith being a played-on chance with his bat so far from his body against the in-swinging ball, and right on cue, the timbers are shivered in just that fashion. Henry, bustling in over the wicket, responds to being pulled for four with one much fuller that Smith tries to drive through the covers and inside-edges onto his pegs. The ball nipped in a fraction, just enough to put Smith’s timing off.
5th over: Australia 29-1 ( Warner 8, Smith 14) Target 308
Boult over the wicket to the right handed Smith, fashioning a touch of swing back into the Australian skipper. Curiously, halfway through the over he switches to around the wicket and immediately looks less threatening. Smith onto the front foot straight away and his leg side boundary is followed by a slog over mid-on from Warner to complete the over.
4th over: Australia 20-1 ( Warner 4, Smith 9) Target 308
Nothing complicated from Matt Henry: full, fast, straight and angry.
That Guptill catch improves with every replay and the quality fielding continues with Williamson at mid-off turning a certain four into a dot-ball run out chance. Superb stuff.
3rd over: Australia 18-1 ( Warner 4, Smith 8) Target 308
Cue social media outrage featuring the word ‘Khawaja’...
Nearly a second! Boult full and getting a smidgen of late swing into the right handed Smith, expansive drive and it flies past the keeper in the air off the inside edge. Good over from Boult, forcing Smith back into his crease.
WICKET! Marsh c Guptill b Henry 5 (Australia 10-1)
2nd over: Australia 13-1 ( Warner 4, Smith 3) Target 308
Matt Henry’s right arm angry to complement Boult’s guile and he begins scratchily. The first delivery is a wide over the batsman’s head and the second short and wide and worked by Warner for three. Marsh is served a similar option from the buffet and he slaps the first boundary of the chase, through the covers.
Hang on! What’s going on here? After an over of short and wide tripe Henry nails one on a length that traps Marsh prodding from the crease and edging to Guptill in the cordon. An unexpected flying start for New Zealand!
Updated
1st over: Australia 2-0 ( Warner 1, Marsh 1) Target 308
Trent Boult opens proceedings for New Zealand, bowling to two slips at Shaun Marsh. He’s on the money from the off, nailing that off-stump line, varying his length but, crucially, no noticeable swing.
Marsh rotates the strike and Warner’s first delivery hits him on the pads, prompting an extremely optimistic LBW appeal.
Calm start to Australia’s run chase.
Stat attack: every time NZ have reached 300 batting first on home soil they’ve won.
Aust need their biggest ODI run chase on NZ soil to pass @BLACKCAPS 307 at Eden Park. Highest to date is 248 at Hamilton 2010 #NZvAUS
— Andrew Ramsey (@ARamseyCricket) February 3, 2016
2016. When NZ cricket fans complain about a score of 307 in an ODI against Australia #NZvAUS
— Sports Freak (@Sportsfreakconz) February 3, 2016
Thanks Geoff, another fine job at narrating what was a fascinating New Zealand innings. 400 looked achievable, then 300 looked unlikely, and 307 seems imposing on paper but we’ve seen in recent months how 300-plus scores are not what they once where.
You’d think the Black Caps will have to bowl Australia out to win, rather than aim to restrict the runs on what is a good track and a small ground against a line-up in red hot form.
Don’t forget you can join in and have your thoughts published. Twitter is the easiest way, via @JPHowcroft or email me at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@guardian.co.uk if you require more than 140 characters. Looking forward to hearing from some of you.
Australia need 308 to win
A good batting effort in the end for New Zealand, bringing the innings back with some late momentum, though it could have been better had they not got bogged through the middle of the day.
Guptill and McCullum got it off to a flyer, the captain out for a fast 44 but Guptill carrying on to 90. With Williamson making a rare duck, things got a lot harder once Guptill departed.
Nicholls kept things together until the 35th over, but his dismissal was the start of a journey down Struggle Street. None of the rest of the middle to lower order could get going, until Santner late in the piece joined with Milne and Henry.
Even with that late flurry, Santner ends up 35 not out from 39 balls, which tells you how many dots he soaked up earlier in his innings.
Hastings was by far the bowling pick with 1-39 from his 10, while Mitch Marsh had 2-35 from 7. Hazlewood and Faulkner got two each but went for over 60 from their allotted overs. Maxwell went for 30 from three, but produced the pivotal run-out of Guptill.
360 was a real chance for New Zealand at the halfway mark. Australia have proved adept at chasing scores around 300 lately - let’s see if they can do so in foreign conditions.
Geoff Lemon on my way - m’colleague Jonathan Howcroft will be along at any minute to keep you company in that attempt.
50th over: New Zealand 307-8 ( Santner 35, Henry 5)
Can’t do much with that strike though, a mis-hit pull to mid-on. One run.
Faulkner bowling left-arm over, angling across Henry who goes with the cross-bat slog and misses. A No10 classic. He likes it so much he does it again. Then puts his hands out at the umpire to request a wide. It... does need to be far away from the stumps for that one, Matt.
Santner has had enough, and sprints a bye through to the keeper on Henry’s third swing and miss. But his attempt to clear the long-off rope only goes down the round for one.
Australia have two short third men for the last ball, so Henry flouts them by clipping it over midwicket, fielded in the deep, and the batsmen belt back for two.
49th over: New Zealand 302-8 ( Santner 33, Henry 3)
A wide against Hazlewood outside off gets almost the biggest cheer of the day.
Santner and Matt Henry trade singles. One, two, three. Can’t beat the field at long-on with a strong drive. Need to find gaps, as Henry takes strike and drags it to deep midwicket. One.
But Santner can find it, with a powerful straight drive that misses the other stumps, goes between a leaping Umpire Gould’s legs, and hits the fence.
“Starman, waiting in the sky,” was what Starjump Gould was humming.
There goes that 300. Santner keeps strike from the last ball.
WICKET! Milne c&b Faulkner 14 (10 balls)
48th over: New Zealand 292-8 ( Santner 26, Henry 1)
Top running for two, Santner wanted it as soon as he dabbed Faulkner towards long-on. The ball was running slow, the batsmen quickly.
Good move, because Faulkner’s next ball is full pace and fully pitched, and Santner hits it straight for six! Short boundaries, yadda yadda, but that landed way up the concourse in about the dozenth row and was dropped in the aisle.
Three runs from the next ball, after Hazlewood at short third man misfields and lets it through him. Chases back and stops it going for four, after Santner tried to steer that away past him.
That puts Milne on strike, who bashes a straight drive that should have been four. Somehow Faulkner sticks up his left hand, flips the ball up in the air, then while on his knees reaches out and calmly takes the rebound.
Henry belts a single down the ground, Santner dashes one to keep strike. Over.
47th over: New Zealand 279-7 ( Santner 14, Milne 14)
Milne shows why he’s up the order, with a solid clout for four, down along the ground wide of long-on. He follows up with an equally hard shot aganist Hazlewood, but this time straighter and the outfielder stops it.
Santner still isn’t middling them, and eventually Milne spares him of his misery by calling for a single to a Santner shot that just squeezed out near the batsman on the pitch. Milne was almost through for the run before Santner realised it was on.
18 balls left to crack 300, when 360 was on the cards earlier.
Updated
46th over: New Zealand 272-7 ( Santner 13, Milne 8)
Milne adds his second run early. Santner takes a leg bye, then Milne nearly runs himself out next ball but gets back.
Just as well, because he clouts Faulkner over backward square leg via the top edge for six. The fieldsmen in the deep were signalling each other trying to work where it gone. Into the atmosphere was where.
45th over: New Zealand 264-7 ( Santner 13, Milne 1)
Two runs to start that over, as Santner pulled Hazlewood to deep backward, then gave Ronchi the strike with one. But the wicketkeeper was gone next ball.
Adam Milne, the first of the bowlers rolls out. A strong ODI average of 25, but only by virtue of being not out in six of his nine innings. 75 career runs is a less impressive metric, high score of 19.
He adds his 76th career run just to raise a finger at me.
WICKET! Ronchi b Hazlewood 16 (26 balls)
Or Hazlewood could roll on into Ronchi’s stumps. Spot on yorker, Ronchi trying to drive, it beat him on the way through.
44th over: New Zealand 260-6 (Ronchi 16, Santner 10)
Santner breaks free! Oh, we knew he would. This exotic bird of paradise was not meant to be caged. Let your brilliant colours soar across the sky.
Ronchi gets it going first, with two to deep midwicket, and a single. Then Santner tees off against Richardson with a clean strike over wide long-on. Simple yet effective to a fullish ball.
He tries again, the crowd egging him on, but can only drag a single.
That’s ok, because it allows Ronchi to slug a pull shot between the two men in the deep at midwicket. New Zealand could still shake 300 if they roll on.
43rd over: New Zealand 246-6 (Ronchi 9, Santner 3)
Santner is drowing here. He came out in his Test match debuted and teed off, clean hitting over the field wherever he liked. In an ODI, by the end of Mitch Marsh’s over, he’s 3 off 18.
A single and a leg bye in the 43rd over. If we’re going to carry on about the spirit of cricket, start with that.
42nd over: New Zealand 244-6 (Ronchi 9, Santner 2)
Finally, Ronchi hits a little patch of open road. Just a touch short from Richardson, giving room to lean back and pull over midwicket.
But it’s back in traffic soon enough: good comeback from Richardson, who cramps him for room the next three balls.
41st over: New Zealand 240-6 (Ronchi 5, Santner 2)
Santner a single to third man. One section of the crowd gets very ugly towards umpire Gould when he doesn’t call a wide against Hastings. Replays show it flicked Ronchi’s pad. Frustration mounting.
Another over goes by for only two runs. This is the ODI batting equivalent of a peak-hour freeway.
40th over: New Zealand 238-6 (Ronchi 4, Santner 1)
Richardson desperately dialing his figures back into respectability after some early mauling, too. Ronchi is 4 from 11, Santner 1 from 11, two attacking players trying to keep their heads. Or maybe just stuck.
39th over: New Zealand 236-6 (Ronchi 3, Santner 0)
And another over for a single, this one from Hastings. Discontent beginning to brew among some quarters of this Eden Park ground, where people were so happy at the start of the day’s cricket.
38th over: New Zealand 235-6 (Ronchi 2, Santner 0)
Ronchi getting to face a few balls, Santner a couple, both have plenty of time really to work themselves into the game. Richardson bowling, no one scoring.
New Zealand have dropped off dramatically. The over before Guptill got out, they made 12.
Since then, their overs have gone for 5, 2, 5, 3, 11, 3, 9, 3, 5, 5, 2, 2, 2 and 1.
37th over: New Zealand 234-6 (Ronchi 1, Santner 0)
Losing wickets early doesn’t seem like a big deal when your middle order is cruising, but it does leave you exposed once they get out - even if they make some decent scores.
As has happened here. Out comes Mitchell Santner, who batted so impressively in the Adelaide Test match last November.
WICKET! Anderson c Richardson b Hastings 10 (20 balls)
The pressure keeps on telling, the collapse is on. Anderson couldn’t get Hastings away, and just after chopping a drive past his stumps, he slaps another to cover.
36th over: New Zealand 232-5 (Anderson 9, Ronchi 0)
Interesting scenes, as the ex-Aussie wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi comes out in New Zealand colours. Two power hitters at the crease, one left-handed and one right. It won’t be quiet, that’s all I know.
Even Anderson’s defensive push into the covers is hit with power, and Smith in the covers has to dive for it.
George Bailey is floating behind point with the broad-brimmed yellow hat on. Hazlewood is inside the circle at third man. Anderson settles for a single to mid-off.
Two runs and a wicket. Suddenly Marsh has a very respectable 2-34 from 6.
WICKET! Nicholls c Wade b M. Marsh 61 (67 balls)
And the pressure tells! Nicholls has played so well, but he goes for a pull shot against Marsh and doesn’t get it. Only a high top edge that Wade steadies beneath and snares.
Updated
35th over: New Zealand 230-4 (Nicholls 61, Anderson 7)
Anderson getting a bit twitchy too, against Hastings. Tries a big walloping pull shot that he edges into his pad. Plays outside off and is beaten. They only get two from the over.
Australia building some pressure here.
34th over: New Zealand 228-4 (Nicholls 60, Anderson 6)
Nicholls waiting for Faulkner, neither batsman is timing him very well as they search for cuts through point and pushes to cover.
Five from the over, the stand-off continues. Waiting for something to break.
33rd over: New Zealand 223-4 (Nicholls 56, Anderson 5)
Drinks are done. Hastings is moving his lines around a bit, but not giving the batsmen much in the way of width. They’re content to minimise the risk and accept three singles from his over.
It’s a funny position here. New Zealand are still going at 6.75 an over, and could well and truly give 350 a shake. But they could equally lose a couple of wickets and crash out for 260. No one’s on top. Yet.
32nd over: New Zealand 218-4 (Nicholls 54, Anderson 2)
Here’s James Faulkner to try to rehabilitate his bowling figures. They’re a little shaky but they make it through their first meeting at the clinic and they have hope for the future.
Henry Nicholls offers a helping hand by sweeping a single from what would have been a leg-side wide had he left it alone. Anderson takes a brace. That’s it.
One over at a time, James. Just take one at a time.
Unfortunately, that’s drinks.
31st over: New Zealand 215-4 (Nicholls 53, Anderson 0)
Here comes Zangief... sorry, Hastings... from the Southern Stand end.
Not happy in combat though, as Nicholls pulls him for four, then cuts for four more to raise a half-century!
Excellent innings, his second fifty in eight ODIs thus far, and he’s been the glue they needed after Williamson’s rare duck.
30th over: New Zealand 206-4 (Nicholls 44, Anderson 0)
Three runs and the wicket from Marsh’s over. A fair comeback in his last three overs after his first couple went for plenty.
Here’s Corey Anderson though. And he can hit. Had the fastest ton in ODIs for about five minutes before AB de Villiers relieved him of it.
Updated
WICKET! Elliot c Hastings b M. Marsh 21 (18 balls)
Wickets may be what stops NZ from making the most of this fast start though. Another one, as Elliot tries to repeat the straight drive for six, skews it from the toe, and Hastings runs around from mid-off for a comfortable catch in the drop zone.
Updated
29th over: New Zealand 203-3 (Nicholls 43, Elliot 19)
Right, the pause is over! Elliot doing his best bowler taunting strikes Hazlewood’s full ball straight down the ground for six. So Hazle goes short, and Elliot cuts for four. Hard yards with the ball, as the 200 ticks by with - wait for it - 21 overs to go.
28th over: New Zealand 192-3 (Nicholls 43, Elliot 8)
Marsh sneaks in another quiet over. Only three from it, though one of them could have seen Nicholls run out. This time Maxwell missed.
27th over: New Zealand 189-3 (Nicholls 42, Elliot 6)
Nice square drive from Elliot for his first boundary, with Hazlewood back into the attack.
A couple of very excitable spectators just below our position seem to have come with a specific plan to target this bowler. Despite all of this forward organisation, the only taunt they’ve deemed sufficiently tested for match conditions is, “Hey Hazlewood, you’re shit.” It’s simple, admittedly though a little difficult to discern on enunciation grounds, and with as yet unverified effectiveness.
One offers a standing ovation as Elliot takes a run to square leg. “Good single,” encourages our friend. Knowledgeable crowd...
26th over: New Zealand 184-3 (Nicholls 42, Elliot 1)
Predictably the scoring eases up after that dismissal, with Mitch Marsh bowling. Nicholls’ calling was noticeably louder that over, you had to observe!
They’re still only around the halfway mark, meaning a big 300+ is well in consideration here if those lower down the order can keep it running.
Updated
25th over: New Zealand 182-3 (Nicholls 41, Elliot 0)
Out comes Elliot, hero of the World Cup semi-final. The run-out certainly wasn’t Nicholls’ fault, but he’ll probably feel bad.
It’s bad news for NZ too - Guptill is one of those players who can get to his hundred and then go really big, as with his 189* against England or his 237* in the World Cup.
WICKET! Guptill run out Maxwell 90 (76 balls)
Calamitous running. Nicholls dribbled one out to the off-side, Guptill just went without checking, Nicholls said no but by that point Guptill was halfway down. He would have made it back had the direct hit missed, but it was Maxwell swooping in from cover, so it didn’t.
From Oprah to Soup Nazi: no ton for you. He’s played excellently.
Updated
24th over: New Zealand 177-2 (Guptill 88, Nicholls 38)
Six! Nicholls puts his first mark in that column with a hook shot at a leg-side Marsh delivery that clears fine leg.
Then again for four! This one more convincing, as he got it along the ground through deep backward. Their run rate is up near 7.5 at the moment.
His boundary riders are at third man, deep point, long-off and deep square leg.
23rd over: New Zealand 165-2 (Guptill 87, Nicholls 27)
Four! Gets through Shaun Marsh, it could have been a chance as Guptill uppercut Faulkner over point. Marsh started coming forward, bailed out, then lost the ball as it dipped and pitched in front of him, and straight through.
“Khawaja wouldn’t have misfielded that,” go the sarcastic mutters around the travelling Australians.
Then four again, this time edged through third man. Martin G. is rattling along, one good over away from a ton in his style.
22nd over: New Zealand 154-2 (Guptill 77, Nicholls 26)
Mitch Marsh now with the ball. Made a century in his last ODI, but also had to bowl the last over and couldn’t defend 14, from memory, against India to win.
I haven’t yet seen a eureka shot from Nicholls - you know, the one that makes you think “He’s got it.” As in, he’s got this innings, he’s in. But he’s still moving along alright, and getting away with things, like this drive over cover for four that evades Sniffer Smith’s attempted catch in the circle.
Nicholls gives Guptill the strike, and he leans back to pound another six over backward square leg on the pull. Wouldn’t he love a breakthrough century against his gold-clad rivals.
This is Martin Guptill's highest score v Australia in any format (previous best 64 in an ODI in Brisbane in 2009). #NZvAUS
— Kimberlee Downs (@KimberleeDowns) February 3, 2016
Updated
21st over: New Zealand 142-2 (Guptill 70, Nicholls 21)
Faulkner tries to stem the scoring, which is currently close to seven an over. Not bad for a platform. He does alright, as the batsmen tick five runs around with a selection of nudges.
Which also sounds like ‘A selection of nudgers’. Wonder if that’s like a confederacy of dunces.
20th over: New Zealand 137-2 (Guptill 67, Nicholls 19)
It’s a pretty tidy over from Maxwell, just a wide and a couple of singles in the first four balls, but then Guptill monsters the fifth ball over straight midwicket.
It was full, he genuflected, and got that full sweet swing of the bat that a tall batsman can manufacture when the ball is right in his spot.
It was, and then it wasn’t, as it sailed high down the vehicle race beneath the scoreboard that leads out of the ground. Satisfied, Guptill cuts the final ball for four.
19th over: New Zealand 124-2 (Guptill 56, Nicholls 18)
Shot from Nicholls. He walked at Richardson and hit his drive on the move, straight of mid-off and directly down to the ropes. Settling in well and truly.
18th over: New Zealand 117-2 (Guptill 55, Nicholls 12)
Well, the leg-glance may not be the most fired-up shot in the book. But Guptill plays it, misses it, and picks up five wides as it goes wide of his pads. Maxwell bowling, he’s swept away for a single next up.
Nicholls comes on strike, who hadn’t done a great deal yet, but he shows that he’s settling in with a lofted on-drive that lands just short of the straight rope.
An expensive over that proceeded so serenely that it looked economical.
Updated
17th over: New Zealand 105-2 (Guptill 53, Nicholls 7)
It’s Oprah day here at the cricket, everybody gets to bowl a tidy over. Even Richardson, as his disciplined line outside the off stump concedes only two singles before the drinks break. Here’s betting that Guptill is having a couple of tequila bulldogs to fire himself up.
Updated
16th over: New Zealand 103-2 (Guptill 52, Nicholls 6)
So to spin, or at least whatever Australia has that passes for spin. Namely, G. Maxwell. He immediately settles into the spin-bowler’s dance, conceding five singles to the batsmen through his over. The team hundred ticks by.
15th over: New Zealand 98-2 (Guptill 50, Nicholls 3)
Word around the internet is that Williamson hadn’t made an ODI duck in close to three years. Hmm.
Guptill makes up some of the difference by lifting another simple six down the ground, then cutting Richardson for four behind point to raise his fifty.
He was terrible in Australia during the Test matches but he’s been on a limited-overs scoring spree on home soil.
Updated
14th over: New Zealand 84-2 (Guptill 37, Nicholls 2)
Hastings back. The bear-man is angry. Suddenly New Zealand’s innings has been trapped in a woodland cave.
Nicholls gets a single, Guptill gets a single. That’s all they can do, even the man with his eye in stuck on strike for three balls as Hastings settles into his channel. The dull red rhythm of the struggle.
For more on fighting bears, UK poet Ross Sutherland wrote a sonnet for each character from the arcade game Street Fighter II. Yes, he did. And here’s a relevant one.
Zangief
Arriving on the black isle’s shores alone,
the Russian picks his partner from the trees.
Fur stinking of shit, its idle drone
a waltz, the final dance of amputees.
His thumb pushes back its narrow skull,
The claw lacerations masked by Ginseng,
The thin air, leaving his sense so dull
that the snap of its neck is unconvincing.
It makes a map of Russia with its death,
the ice cracking beneath it slick with red.
Perhaps this is why the wrestler hefts the
beast the mile back to the boat instead
of cleaning wounds or bandaging his veins.
He bleeds until he sees those stars again.
Updated
13th over: New Zealand 82-2 (Guptill 36, Nicholls 1)
24 years old, playing his eighth ODI, and Henry Nicholls is asked for fill in for Kane Williamson. No big deal. He’s already got one more run than Williamson by the end of the over.
WICKET! Williamson c S. Marsh b Hazlewood 0 (8 balls)
There’s starting slowly, then there’s finishing early. Williamson mistimes the drive, and Marsh is there at short cover to claim it. Massive for Australia given KW’s recent incredible run.
Updated
12th over: New Zealand 80-1 (Guptill 35, Williamson 0)
Hastings on the comeback trail here, taking advantage of Williamson’s preference to start watchfully. A Guptill single puts his partner on strike and the dot balls follow.
11th over: New Zealand 79-1 (Guptill 34, Williamson 0)
Williamson arrives at the crease to bring some calm to proceedings. The champion of the Eden Park Wicket-Fest of ‘15. Looks like Faulkner prefers playing New Zealand.
WICKET! McCullum b Faulkner 44 (29 balls)
That’s his way! As so often, McCullum gets NZ off the filer but falls without making it a really big score. A mighty slog at Faulkner, a few balls after flat-batting him down the ground for six.
The stumps go down, the crowd goes up in adulatory applause as their man leaves the arena for the final time in Auckland. For him, a possible six international innings remain.
Updated
10th over: New Zealand 71-0 (Guptill 33, McCullum 37)
Hastings continues. McCullum raises his 6000th ODI run with a brace down the ground. A single, then a couple through the covers. That’s it.
9th over: New Zealand 66-0 (Guptill 31, McCullum 34)
Enter James Faulkner, who struggled against India. One wicket in his two T20 matches and went at 11 an over, with five wickets in his five ODIs going at more than 6 per over.
This one goes for five, just the one bash for four through mid-off by Guptill. Remember Faulkner was man-of-the-match in beating this side in the World Cup final.
8th over: New Zealand 61-0 (Guptill 27, McCullum 33)
John Hastings comes on, always a man who likes like he might have just rolled in from a bar fight. Or maybe a bear fight, he is extremely large.
He’s a in a brawl here, for sure. Lands the first few jabs, with Guptill beaten twice and cowed into defending once. But then Guptill bends at the knees to lace a cover slash between the two fieldsmen to the fence, then smacks six runs over long-off to finish the over.
In frigid forests across the globe, bears breathe easy.
7th over: New Zealand 51-0 (Guptill 17, McCullum 33)
They have a certain way they like playing, this New Zealand pair. Hazlewood wide again, McCullum goes the kitchen sink route, and it takes the top edge over third man. Four.
Hazlewood drills one past McCullum’s bat, into his pads, but it was going down leg and the appeal is ignored. Then another dot ball
But you can’t get much joy from McCullum when he’s in this mood. He leans outside off, bends at the knees like he’s doing some kind of Slavic naval dance, and ramps the ball back over his head to the beer-sponsor boards flickering on the distant screen.
It’s hard knock life for (bowlers).
6th over: New Zealand 42-0 (Guptill 16, McCullum 25)
Richardson to McCullum, a touch fuller, and the New Zealand captain responds by leaning back and pounding it off the bottom edge through midwicket for four.
Guptill matches that when he gets strike, his preferred method a very smooth late uppercut over gully, where the aforementioned Maxwell lurks fruitlessly. Ah, to lurk without fruit. One of natures worst condemnations.
Richardson full, Guptill just pops him over mid-on with a checked drive. Boundaries aplenty.
5th over: New Zealand 28-0 (Guptill 8, McCullum 20)
Now another maiden! What crazy Jekyll-and-Hyde innings is this? What about consistency? Think of the children.
Hazlehoff produces a few beauties that only draw forward defensives from Guptill. And a couple that beat him. Great comeback over.
Rocket is on point. “I remember a cute picture by Melbourne cartoonist Ron Tandberg - showing a German woman in a deck chair at the beach - captioned ‘Gert by Sea’. I always think of that picture when I hear that line.”
4th over: New Zealand 28-0 (Guptill 8, McCullum 20)
“Wait for me, skip,” pipes the tousle-haired kid Marty, as he pumps Richardson’s first ball of the over high over long-on with an eventual drop zone in an unknown location.
I lost that ball in the skeins of white cloud above the stand. Some around here are suggesting it got onto the roof? Maybe you know more than me, dear reader. Send me a pigeon.
Single. McCullum nearly has a Glenn Maxwell moment, as he charges and then leaves. Fortunately for everyone’s blown minds that ball was wide of the off-stump, Richardson may even have channelled it there to evade the attacking stroke.
If so, good prescience. McCullum bashes the next couple into the ground and then to the field.
Updated
3rd over: New Zealand 21-0 (Guptill 1, McCullum 20)
A couple more dot balls from Hazlewood, on that very accurate dry line, fourteen of these deliveries in total, and then...
Six! Well, it had to happen eventually. Either that or he would have got out. But McCullum gets all of the first one, out of the screws over wide long-on into the seats. Then four! On the pull shot, out through midwicket. Four more! This time squarer via the pull shot again. And six to finish it off, this time from the top edge, sailing over fine leg. McCullum is now 20 from 11.
Maybe that back-of-a-length approach isn’t such a great idea?
Updated
2nd over: New Zealand 1-0 (Guptill 1, McCullum 0)
Kane Richardson from the other end, and it’s the same story. This time Guptill is the batsman missing outside off, then being tucked up a couple of times.
Looks like these Australian bowlers are very deliberately not straying full, because they don’t want to be hit down the ground over these Lilliputian boundaries.
A maiden! In a one-day international. Dreams do come true.
Updated
1st over: New Zealand 1-0 (Guptill 1, McCullum 0)
Hazlewood begins his run-up from approximately in my lap in the front row of the press box. Incredible view here, as Guptill takes a single and McCullum is hit on the thigh pad. It really does feel like he could hit a ball straight up here. Well, he definitely could, he’s hit them a lot further.
Not this over though, as he misses three big cross-bat slogs outside his off-stump, one on the charge, two staying put. Hazlewood in his classic back-of-a-length mode. Funny, I don’t remember it working for Steven Finn versus McCullum in the World Cup.
The last ball Hazlewood attacks the stumps, McCullum jabs to square leg, and the over ends with but a single run scored.
The anthems play, the flags fly, the teams are lined up so close to us that I could reach out and touch their adorable singing faces.
Update: “girt by sea” remains a terrible, terrible song-line.
Teams? Certainly.
Australia
Marsh
Warner
Smith (c)
Bailey
Maxwell
Marsh
Wade (w)
Faulkner
Hastings
Richardson
Hazlewood
New Zealand
Guptill
McCullum (c)
Williamson
Nicholls
Elliott
Anderson
Ronchi (w)
Santner
Milne
Henry
Boult
Australia win the toss and bowl
Kia ora, bro, as I am assured is the traditional greeting in these parts. Welcome to the land of the Long White Wait No I’m Not Going to Resort to Cliché. Or at least will try valiantly. Let’s see how we go.
Geoff Lemon with you indeed from Eden Park, and this place is a picture. A postcard. Maybe one of those locket photos of a sweetheart. As in, it’s tiny. I’ve watched rugby here before, but never cricket, nor thought of it as a cricket ground.
But when you sit above the sightscreen and look back down the pitch, you realise that your seat is at approximately mid-on for the MCG. I doubt you could ever watch an international batsman from such close quarters.
The square boundaries are longer, but even they aren’t that long. There should be runs aplenty, but we said that in the 2015 World Cup game where neither side comfortably got to 150. A lot depends on whether the ball will swing.
Steve Smith had decided that he wants to suss that out before facing it, so he has elected to bowl.
Updated
Geoff will be here shortly to guide you through the first innings. In the meantime, here’s the news on the exclusion of in-form Australian batsman Usman Khawaj:
.png?w=600)
