So we’re heading to Hamilton all square, which is great fun. That game is on Monday. Much credit for the all-squareness needs to go to Mitchell Marsh and John Hastings, who came together with the result far from a formality, and shared 122 very important runs to carry the Australians home. Davey Warner and Usman Khawaja batted very nicely earlier, before Australia rather collapsed. But the series is alive! We, at Hotel OBO, will see you on Monday. If you can’t wait to see us, then pop over to South Africa, where Simon Burnton is typing you through another ODI.
Have a great weekend. Bye!
AUSTRALIA WIN BY FOUR WICKETS
47th over: Australia 283-6 (Marsh 69, Hastings 48)
Wow, the Duke has made that look very easy. Boult continues and there’s a flat bat smack past mid-off for four, then finishes the job with one hell of a slap down the ground. Four more. Shot. So AUSTRALIA WIN! Four wickets the margin, and the series is level.
46th over: Australia 279-6 (Marsh 69, Hastings 40)
Only 14 to win, and B-Mc’s gone to his fastest man. Milne time. Oh, six time. Hastings just clears the legs, swings the arms and connects. It’s a low full toss and it’s in the stands over midwicket. Shot. Two balls later Hastings just glides down to third man for one, then Milne, with a series of changes of pace, finds three dot balls to Marsh, which is great going. Just seven to sin.
45th over: Australia 268-6 (Marsh 69, Hastings 33)
Here’s comes Boult again. He’s going round the wicket and first ball is just diverted down to third man and they get a single. The next three legal deliveries are all dots, but he throws an over the head bouncer in to ruin a good thing slightly. The last two are singles, with Marsh driving, then Hastings doing the same, but his lands only just short of McCullum at cover. It’s a good stop in the end, but they scamper the single.
44th over: Australia 264-6 (Marsh 68, Hastings 31)
New Zealand are a little bit desperate now, and Henry is gallantly running in, giving his all. This is a good over, but Australia are just a bit better, and take eight from it. The first ball is a slower one and bunted over mid-off for four. Shot. There’s another slower ball later in the over that Hastings send to backward square for two.
Updated
43rd over: Australia 256-6 (Marsh 63, Hastings 28)
Ok, here’s Boult. It’s alright, I found him. No, he was behind the couch. It’s fine, don’t come in, I’ve found him.
First ball is good, beating Marsh’s shot into the pad. Second ball is good, struck straight to mid-off. Third ball is good, a slower-ball bouncer that Marsh misses on the pull.
Fourth ball is ok, tapped for a single. Fifth ball? Not so good, shovelled over mid-off by Hastings for four.
42nd over: Australia 251-6 (Marsh 62, Hastings 24)
Something of an anticlimax now, as these batsmen close on the target with single runs rather than single blows for four or six. Also as Grant Elliott comes on to bowl. Where’s Boult?
31 needed now. Wickets needed now. Now now. Right now now.
41st over: Australia 247-6 (Marsh 60, Hastings 22)
60 balls left, 39 runs required. One more wicket a while back and New Zealand would have been in great position to stroll in a win.
Hate to say it, but there’s been a touch of the choke about the way things have fallen apart. Misfields, terrible overs, pies, boundaries, as Marsh and Hastings have travelled on with ease.
Anderson continues. Boult has three overs left, Henry one, Milne two.
Marsh drives a run. Hastings just glides one away. He’s been sensible - he can smash a long six, but hasn’t been swinging at everything. Just doing a job for his team.
He’s something of an accidental inclusion: he got a gig in a few ODIs in England in 2015 by virtue of being in the country playing county cricket when they needed topping up. But he’s performed so well once elevated that by now he really has to be picked.
Four singles. 35 needed now.
40th over: Australia 243-6 (Marsh 58, Hastings 20)
John Hastings wants us to know that he’s here. The first boundary is lucky, fumbled on the rope by Santner. The second is brutal, pulled straight, and so hard that Mitchell Marsh literally hurls himself face-down on the ground.
He was like a man evading mortar fire, Marsh. The ball missed his helmet by inches, and Hastings had to jog down to the far end to pick Marsh up and reassure him it was alright.
Milne follows up with a leg-side bouncer, wide, then when he attacks the stumps Hastings just presents a calm forward defence. That must be as enraging for a bowler at this stage of the game as seeing the ball sail away.
39th over: Australia 234-6 (Marsh 58, Hastings 12)
Finally, McCullum has to go back to one of his extra bowlers. Anderson is the lucky winner.
Marsh does that thing he loves, the front-foot cut shot where there’s a bit of width. Make that 50 to win.
A couple of singles, but then he stops Marsh from scoring from the last two balls, thanks in no small part to a fine save from Guptill at gully. Guptilly? Guptilly lace and a pretty face? I don’t know, I’m getting the 90-over DTs.
38th over: Australia 228-6 (Marsh 53, Hastings 11)
Hastings is getting confident, even if perhaps he shouldn’t. He nearly takes out Marsh with a drive, then gets a single, then when he gets the strike back tries to ramp a bouncer while also ducking it and falling over. Impressive.
Four runs from Milne, who has three overs left after this. He needs to be the wicket-taker. Australia need 54 more.
37th over: Australia 224-6 (Marsh 52, Hastings 8)
Santner bowls the last of his spell, and after his wickets today they just want to see him off. Singles knocked towards leg, or driven down the ground. Four from the over.
3-47 from Santner’s 10, to go with his 45 not out. Man of the match, unless Marsh can pinch it from him by seeing Australia home.
36th over: Australia 220-6 (Marsh 50, Hastings 6)
Marsh! Responsibility on him, eyes on him, and he says “Bring it on.”
He hasn’t looked especially comfortable so far in this innings, but he gets it going as Matt Henry bowls his ninths. First, a shorter ball pulled for four. Then, the fuller response driven to the on-side for four more.
Finally, another short ball, bashed over midwicket for six via the pull shot.
A couple of singles, a two, and that makes 18 from the over, Australia’s victory target down to 62.
35th over: Australia 202-6 (Marsh 35, Hastings 3)
Another quiet one, Santner twirling them down, that over goes for three, including an inelegant Hastings hit to the on-side.
34th over: Australia 199-6 (Marsh 34, Hastings 1)
They’re aiming for that tactic of seeing out the frontliners, I reckon. Hastings gets strike after one ball of Henry’s eighth over, and defends and defends and defends. Gets a run from the last ball.
Updated
33rd over: Australia 197-6 (Marsh 33, Hastings 0)
The Duke to the middle, grumpy Matt Wade to the dugout, another single-run over to Santner’s credit, and he now has 3-40 from his eight.
84 from 16 overs, but the wickets are making that tricker.
WICKET! Wade c Milne b Santner 2 (9 balls)
What a catch! Wade pulls high out the deep, Milne misjudges a bit coming in from the rope, then as he sees it clearing him he pedals up in the air like he’s riding a levitating exercise bike, and throws out a casual left hand where the ball sticks.
He lands, turns, luckily doesn’t step on the rope, and throws his arms in the air to the roar of the Western Stand crowd who are just over the barrier.
32nd over: Australia 196-5 (Marsh 32, Wade 2)
Milne bowls his sixth. Four runs from it, Marsh going along alright.
Boult, Henry and Santner each have three overs remaining.
That means the fifth bowler theoretically has five overs to deliver. Elliott, Anderson and Williamson have delivered five between them.
McCullum is clearly reasoning that with such a low required run rate (4.7 at the moment) Australia will either get the runs early, or get out. Either way, the frontliners must bowl now.
Australia might reason that they can just survive these overs from the good bowlers, and wait for some late overs of junk to be delivered by part-timers.
Tactics, tactics.
Who are you tipping?
31st over: Australia 192-5 (Marsh 29, Wade 1)
Warner gone, just short of what would have been his sixth ODI hundred. More importantly, his team 90 runs short of victory.
The wicket and two runs from Santner’s over, 2-39 from his seven. If NZ get up he’ll be man of the match for sure.
WICKET! Warner lbw Santner 98 (79 balls)
The crowd delirious as the key man falls! It was a fuller ball skidding on, Warner tried to flick Santner away, he missed and was hit in front.
Umpire Bowden, in his 200th ODI, said not out. Must have thought it took an inside edge.
McCullum reviewed, and DRS showed no edge, and the ball hitting halfway up middle stump. A decision can’t be more overturned than that. That was the table-flip of DRS reviews.
New Zealand haven’t loved DRS in contests with Australia of late, but they love it right now.
30th over: Australia 190-4 (Warner 98, Marsh 28)
Lovely from Warner: off his pads from Milne, clips the four through square with minimal effort.
He’s gone quiet the last few overs and let Marsh do the scoring, Warner knowing that he himself has to be the man to see Australia through. But that shot reminds you of the threat he poses.
A couple of singles, a two, and that’ s a profitable over for the chasing side.
They need 92 with the luxury of 120 balls in hand. New Zealand need wickets.
29th over: Australia 181-4 (Warner 93, Marsh 24)
Santner, left-arm tweak. The pattern continues. Warner gets off strike early. Marsh doesn’t score off a few, but wallops an uncultured boundary from one.
28th over: Australia 175-4 (Warner 92, Marsh 19)
Milne carries on. Warner off strike early. Marsh gets lucky again in the field, as Santner fumbles and lets the ball through him for four at deep midwicket.
A pleasant email in from Paul Hancott: “I’m curious about the difference in approach that you have as a commentator for a match like this, compared to a more amateur cricket match like the Big Day Not Out. Hearing semi-professional coverage of a level of cricket I have actually played was surreal and hilariously entertaining at the same time. Only four days until The Pinnacle opens its doors again.”
In explanation, the Pinnacle is a Melbourne pub that was badly damaged by fire, so good to hear it’s soon to be back. And that pub plays in a local pub league, whose knockout competition is the Big Day Not Out. I helped commentate that competition recently on an online station called White Line Wireless.
And to answer the question, the difference is not much. It’s about enjoying yourself, hopefully having the readers or listeners enjoy it as well, and making sure not to lose focus on the cricket.
Although doing it for the Guardian involves some level of payment, and possibly less swearing. So there’s that.
27th over: Australia 168-4 (Warner 91, Marsh 13)
Boult continuing, for reasons unknown given his last over. He’ll have only three left after this. It goes for five runs, Warner collecting most of them.
26th over: Australia 163-4 (Warner 87, Marsh 12)
Milne returns, the express man. Warner likes that, pulling over midwicket for four. No trouble.
Then Marsh gets a stroke of luck, edging to third man, and the slide to save can only knock the ball along the rope and eventually into it.
25th over: Australia 154-4 (Warner 82, Marsh 8)
Continuing with the strike bowler hasn’t worked. The pressure is on Marsh, but Boult lets it off with two nice wide balls for him to crunch for four through point.
24th over: Australia 145-4 (Warner 81, Marsh 0)
Every time a new batsman comes in during a pressure situation like this, it gives the bowling side a quiet over or two.
Warner is off strike from Henry’s first ball of the over, and Marsh can’t do anything with the other five.
First seven overs recap
Since we missed it. The short version: Australia smashed them. Khawaja and Warner got to 50 from the first six overs, forcing McCullum to bring on Williamson in the seventh to take the pace off the ball.
Didn’t really help, he went for sixes as well, and Australia had their hundred partnership up after 13 overs.
But once Khawaha went, after hitting them beautifully, three more wickets slid away.
23rd over: Australia 144-4 (Warner 80, Marsh 0)
Wellity wellity wellity. Mmmmmmmarsh made his first ODI century last week, was it, in Melbourne. Or the week before. Cricket time flies. He also just sold for a million bucks to the Ripening Prune Superbaddies, or whatever the new IPL mob is called.
His team needs those runs today, and the dollars won’t help.
Maxwell had driven four down the ground before he was out, but that was it.
Updated
WICKET! Maxwell b Boult 6 (10 balls)
Not pressure, but a touch of bad fortune: Boult drops a little short, Maxwell pulls, and the bottom edge hits his pad and ricochets into the base of his stumps. It’s on.
22nd over: Australia 139-3 (Warner 79, Maxwell 2)
Only three from the Henry over. Pressure?
21st over: Australia 136-3 (Warner 77, Maxwell 1)
Maxwell has to decide how to play this. The massive pull-slog that he misses completely might not be the way.
Boult has been brought back, because they need another wicket. Warner is the key, but Maxi can take it away faster, if anyone can.
Carter Bree sends me a telegram: “ I enjoyed your commentary all morning. I waited for the second half to visit the pub ($$$ on pints) but your radio silence meant I was 7 overs late. Whose fault? Macpherson. Stitch that doll. I’ll send the pins. Tell me that man is out of a job.”
We’ll be nice about that one, Carter. Any humble journalist on their way to work can be caught up in a high-stakes terrorist drama and be forced to become the hero that London needs. I’ve seen it in films.
“Looks like Aussies to win. Keep in there (need those updates, my dollar on says).”
He writes back moments later, “Might have to retract that Aussie win. How quickly times change.”
20th over: Australia 133-3 (Warner 75, Maxwell 0)
Maxwell survives the hat-trick ball, and another besides. But suddenly the equation is changed.
WICKET! Bailey b Henry 0 (1 ball)
Another worth the symbol! Bailey cops a peach, a cherry, an absolute beauty. Henry sends it down seam-up, it cuts off that seam back into Bailey, beats his inside edge as he tries to defend, and kisses the outside of the off-stump with a big sloppy smooch. A touch of tongue in that. It was like a Springsteen song.
WICKET! Smith c Ronchi b Henry 2 (12 balls)
Door ajar! The baby-faced captain is gone, pushing at a shortish Henry ball, it was brisk, took the edge and Ronchi dived right to haul in a top wicketkeeping catch.
19th over: Australia 132-1 (Warner 74, Smith 2)
Warner’s quiet time doesn’t last long. Like a toddler. Santner bowls, Warner bangs it through covers. Smith adds a second run.
18th over: Australia 125-1 (Warner 68, Smith 1)
An over that goes for... one? What word is this?
Warner takes a single first ball, and Smith bats out the deliveries against Smith, some defended, some not getting through the field.
17th over: Australia 124-1 (Warner 67, Smith 1)
When Khawaja made 14 in the Australian T20 side the another night, it was the first time in 10 innings across all formats that he’d been out for less than 50.
He put that right today, back in the half-century club.
Three runs from Santner’s over as Smith comes out.
Florence + The Machine just came on the PA at the Cake Tin. Good work, DJ.
WICKET! Khawaja c&b Santner 50 (49 balls)
Finally, a wicket worth the exclamation mark! New Zealand looked completely out of answers. But Santner came very wide on the crease, around the wicket, left-arm spin angled across a left-hand batsman, and Khawaja chipped up the return catch.
A crack opens.
16th over: Australia 121-0 (Khawaja 50, Warner 65)
In 16 overs New Zealand have used seven bowlers. Corey Anderson comes on with some left-arm hittable.
He had a shocker of an innings today, slow and uneventful. Words that rhyme with Corey: snorey, borey, can’t hit a ball for foury.
Yeah nah though - he took wickets galore at the World Cup, remember.
He only goes for seven from this over, no boundaries, which at the moment seems like a triumph. But Khawaja does raise yet another half-century to continue his remarkable recent run.
15th over: Australia 114-0 (Khawaja 48, Warner 60)
Single, single, single, single, so easy, then Warner sends a drive-cut-something off the edge over point for four. Santner the bowler.
14th over: Australia 106-0 (Khawaja 46, Warner 54)
This partnership rolls on, a more sedate over with only five runs from Elliott.
Here’s a suggestion for you.
Gold helmets are required if we're now going to wear the gold strip.
— Anthony Leach (@ahleach) February 6, 2016
13th over: Australia 101-0 (Khawaja 44, Warner 51)
Santner. Warner’s done looking. Over mid-off for six, and a half-century from 37 balls.
12th over: Australia 92-0 (Khawaja 42, Warner 44)
Desperate times for McCullum as he looks to take the pace off the ball. Elliott is bowling. I’m unkind, he does have 39 ODI wickets at 29.
Not this over though, as Khawaja smashes a pull down the ground, then Warner a drive over cover, netting eight runs in total. Plus the singles, 11 from it.
In the very modest world of OBO celebrity, Raymond Reardon is name-dropping. “Dear Richard,” he addresses Mr Gadsby, who was good enough to hold the fort, “good luck trying to find Will Macpherson as you probably find he is attending an early bucks day for Rusty Jackson.”
I can safely assure you that Mr Jackson resides in Australia and Mr Macpherson in the British Isles, so if that’s true then I’ve been cruelly excluded. Though I am in New Zealand.
Wonder if anyone has written any OBO slash-fiction?
11th over: Australia 81-0 (Khawaja 37, Warner 39)
Santner bowls his first over of left-arm spin. And they’re watchful! Warner and Khawaja have been gently rampaging, if that makes sense, a controlled innings of aggression from each.
But when Santner comes on they watch him, work four singles, and exit the over without incident.
10th over: Australia 77-0 (Khawaja 35, Warner 37)
Well, hello. Geoff Lemon back here with you, as I also prepare a Macpherson voodoo doll from scratch. It’s hard to multitask. If anyone else has ideas for vengeance, email me at geoff.lemon@theguardian.com, or tweet me.
In the 10th over here in Wellington, Warner has just bashed Milne into the crowd on the pull shot.
9th over: Australia 70-0 (Khawaja 35, Warner 31)
More of the same from the Aussie openers, Warner really opening up this time. Khawaja justifying his selection and then some at the minute. This is looking ominous for the New Zealand bowlers.
Updated
Afternoon everyone, apologies for the missing seven overs there but Mr Macpherson has gone AWOL so you’ll have to make do with me, Richard Gadsby, in the meantime. Well it’s not like you’ve missed much action... apart from Warner and Khawaja absolutely flaying the New Zealand attack for a rapid 58-0. At this rate, this could be little more than a cameo from yours truly. I’ll keep you posted sporadically while we get to the bottom of it. Apologies again.
Updated
Australia will chase 282 to win
Another Houdini act from Mitchell Santner, who has twice this series come in down the order at No8 and taken New Zealand from a possibly underwhelming total to an imposing one.
The 308 they made in Auckland was 150 more than they needed, so it will be up to Australia to compete better tonight. With Usman Khawaja opening the batting, we’ll see if all the hype will affect him, or whether he’ll keep crunching out the runs.
Thanks for your company. That’s it from me - Geoff Lemon out, and it will be Will Macpherson to take you through the second innings. Send him an email.
Updated
50th over: New Zealand 281-9 (Santner 45, Boult 2)
Hazlewood very wide of off, Santner misses. The bowler tries again, a centimetre wider, this time called wide.
Santner can only get a single next ball! Boult on strike.
He backs away, thumps it just over the non-striker, and goes for a run.
Santner loads up again, misses. Wade appeals, Boult runs, Santner doesn’t, Boult goes back, Wade throws to Boland, who turns and misses the stumps from only a few metres away. They run an overthrow! A bye?
Boult gets another single, then Santner can only smash the last ball down to long-on, hit so hard they can only get one run as the throw comes in.
“I wonder if you could help me,” asked Phil Withall, perhaps in relation to Glenn Maxwell. “The commentator just said ‘Great example of anticipation there, he just anticipated the wrong way’. Surely this would be a poor example of anticipation but a good example of aimlessly falling over. Which one is it? I’m confused now.”
I think that it was a great example of trying to anticipate, and a poor example of anticipation. At least that’s the ruling I’m anticipating. The anticipation is palpable.
49th over: New Zealand 275-9 (Santner 42, Boult 0)
Final partnership now, Santner needs to keep strike. He does so, with a couple of runs, then another pair, belting back after driving down the ground.
Keeps strike, as he goes very deep in crease to get a bit of room on a Boland yorker, and dragged it across the line with a good connection for four.
Keeps strike, as he tries to glide a wider yorker and misses.
Keeps the strike, as he can only dig out another yorker back to the bowler.
Keeps the strike, as he digs the last ball again but hustles a single.
KPIs achieved.
48th over: New Zealand 266-9 (Santner 33)
The over started with a single, then another sprinted double down the ground, driven by the non-striker Santner. He’s quick.
Hazlewood beat Milne outside off next ball, then removed him the one after. Milne made a sweet connection but didn’t direct it properly.
Henry didn’t score from his first ball, then was castled his second to finish things off. Hazlewood has 3-55 now.
WICKET! Henry b Hazlewood 0 (2 balls)
Simple stuff that. Henry charges, drives, misses, and the ball hits middle stump.
WICKET! Milne c Smith b Hazlewood 36 (27 balls)
Finally the stand breaks, Milne giving himself room and lashing to cover. The third to fall there today.
47th over: New Zealand 263-7 (Santner 32, Milne 34)
Twos are gold in this format, and the batsmen are taking them well. The first and the third pair are from good running. The second comes after Warner hits the stumps and there’s a ricochet. Eight from Boland’s over.
New Zealand will be loving this partnership. They put in 27 in Auckland, but they’ve more than doubled that here today, it’s currently 58.
Updated
46th over: New Zealand 255-7 (Santner 31, Milne 27)
Hastings to try to provide the yorkers from the other end. It nearly works, aside from the low fully second ball that Santner lifts over wide long-on for four.
Brilliant running by Santner fifth ball of the over, after Milne tucks a yorker out towards Warner at deep midwicket. The fieldsman was belting in, but Santner from the danger end sprinted from the second the ball was hit, and didn’t hesitate for a second, in the end beating the throw back in at the danger end.
Hastings tries a futile DRS review after a leg bye from the final ball, but it was outside the line.
45th over: New Zealand 246-7 (Santner 26, Milne 24)
First ball of the over, Boland dishes up a high full bunger that Milne can easily drive for four. Just missed the yorker.
Boland hits his next two yorkers, but Milne turns another into a full toss by charging it. Good innovation from an increasingly confident lower-order bat.
This is Boland’s strength though, and he’s getting his mojo. The next two yorkers are on the spot, or close enough, and singles are the only result.
Immaculate planning from Australia. They have David Warner as quite a wide long-off or long-on, depending on the batsman, knowing that he’s fast enough to dash across and cut off a straight hit from the yorker, and wide for the one that skews that way.
Seven from the over not a bad result at this stage of the innings.
44th over: New Zealand 239-7 (Santner 25, Milne 18)
So nearly a tight over from Marsh. A couple of dots, a couple of singles, Milne missing a shot, Santner defending a ball.
But from the last of the over, Santner pulls the old classic clear-the-front-leg wallop, and gets a length ball through midwicket to the fence.
“After the Eden Park game,” emails reader Danielle Tolson, “there was talk that the crowd abuse directed at the Aussies was too much. Has the guy at the Cake Tin with a sign reading ‘David Warner likes Nickelback’ gone too far?”
It’s a cruel accusation, but until we have the chance to put the question to David in today’s press conference, I think it’s best we don’t speculate.
43rd over: New Zealand 232-7 (Santner 20, Milne 16)
Adam Milne! The range, the variety. That over was like the produce on offer from a quality supermarket. First, he dabs Hazlewood through third man for four.
Then, he muscles six over square leg with a pull shot, leaning back and bashing it.
Third, to close the over, he’s aware enough to keep out a very good yorker and drive it for a single.
That makes 14 runs all up from Hazlewood’s over, vital for NZ.
42nd over: New Zealand 218-7 (Santner 18, Milne 4)
What an over. First, Santner launches a pull shot at Marsh and gets a mighty high top-edge for six.
Then there’s the most whimsical delay in cricket history, as a bright blue balloon dances and twirls against the black backdrop of the sightscreen cloth, waltzing behind the bowler as though it were a snatch of the absent blue sky.
Some American Beauty kid no doubt gets the whole scene on his camcorder, and will later use it to meditate on fragility, the construction of our shared aesthetics, and the transitory nature of existence.
Then Santner top-edges another pull, this one also soars high in the air but not as far, and Steve Smith running back from midwicket should take the catch. But he also should have left it for the outfielder running in, and instead Smith looking over his shoulder drops it as his teammate bails out of the contest.
Elaborate way to get a single. The crowd cheer.
Good for your health, cricket. I wonder, if one is watching New Zealand matches halfway up an alp, have they been sent to visit a santnertorium?
41st over: New Zealand 209-7 (Santner 10, Milne 3)
So it’s back to Santner and Milne, the Auckland duo. Four runs from Hazle’s over, Milne dusting off the leg-side flick a couple of times.
Nice to hear also from a member of the OBO’s alpine bovine yogic brethren, Robert Wilson.
“Watching the game from halfway up an alp on an ENTIRELY legal live-feed. [Emphasis author’s own.] I can seriously hear cowbells (I didn’t even know they did cows in the Alps). I love McCullum like a roomful of brothers but he now goes at it like a man just out of prison but who is also, paradoxically, intensely anxious about potency. Someone should tell him that there are exercises you can do. I’ve always liked your hair...”
I always thought cowbells were flowers. Culture, hey.
WICKET! Anderson c Wade b Hazlewood 16 (28 balls)
Second ball back, Hazlewood gets him, but he can thank Boland and Hastings for drying up Corey Anderson. He’s an explosive player, but whether it was the weight of responsibility or the accuracy of the bowling, he couldn’t get going today, and finally he feathers a drive to the keeper.
40th over: New Zealand 205-6 (Anderson 16, Santner 9)
Smith is trying to groom Marsh as a late-overs bowler, I think. Back comes the junior of the wetlands family. The crowd jeer a bouncer that is not called wide, so Marsh slips one down leg side to keep them happy. Four singles besides.
A big hello to Mike Mnichowicz, hailing us from Scottsdale, Arizona. “At the Desert Botanical Garden for an evening of Flamenco dancing and surreptitious OBO. A nicer combo than you’d think.”
That sounds sumptuous, really. All of one’s cultural needs fulfilled. I only hope that you’re eating an entire side of pork ribs painted in spray cheese, or some similar North American delicacy. What’s on the menu, Mike?
39th over: New Zealand 200-6 (Anderson 14, Santner 7)
Santner looks good, immediately gliding Boland to third man for two, but Boland blocks him up thereafter and forces a scrambled single. The team 200 comes up, but only those three runs from the over as Boland continues down the comeback trail.
38th over: New Zealand 197-6 (Anderson 14, Santner 4)
Three runs for Santner as he flicks Hastings’ first ball away, but the Duke ties down Corey Anderson utterly. A few short balls, a good bouncer, a tight line that won’t let him free his arms, all yielding five dot balls in a row.
36.3 overs down when Santner came in today, and 36.5 overs down when he came out in Auckland. In that first game he bedded down for a long time, survived, made sure he wouldn’t expose the bowlers and that he had a good read on the pitch, then attacked late to end up with 35 from 39 balls and take New Zealand over 300.
The principal difference today is that last time, NZ were on 234 when he came out. Today, with a slower start, they were only 193. If he could take them to 260 today, then, he’d be doing just as well.
37th over: New Zealand 194-6 (Anderson 14, Santner 1)
Boland delighted to see his bowling average plummet further: it was 259 in his four matches before today, 146 before that wicket, now it’s down in the luxurious sub-century regions of 97.33.
Mitchell Santner, who batted so well in Auckland in a similar situation, bats out the last four balls of the over for a single run.
WICKET! Ronchi c Marsh b Boland 19 (19 balls)
Problems for NZ now! Ronchi tries to flick Boland to the on-side, leading edge, and it settles in the hands of mid-on.
36th over: New Zealand 192-5 (Anderson 13, Ronchi 19)
John Hastings delivers his seventh over, as hard to get away now as he was earlier. Ronchi’s brace to deep backward square is the most fluent stroke in response, Anderson’s single from a cut shot is the only other one that scores.
35th over: New Zealand 189-5 (Anderson 12, Ronchi 17)
Scott Boland is back, the tall and burly right-armer. 24 runs from his four overs so far, but after Ronchi adds a single, Anderson adds half a dozen with a meaty pick-up pull shot over midwicket.
Anderson edges the next into his pads as he aims a big drive. Boland doesn’t have flattering ODI career figures in his brief waltz on the top dancefloor, but he’s a better player than they suggest. Only a single added thereafter.
34th over: New Zealand 181-5 (Anderson 5, Ronchi 16)
Zampa finishes his spell, a little tired perhaps as he strays onto the pads too much, but he only suffers to the tune of three singles. He finishes his debut bowling innings with 2-57 from his allotted 10 overs.
33rd over: New Zealand 178-5 (Anderson 4, Ronchi 14)
Six! Ronchi away immediately, gets a friendly short ball from Maxwell and puts it over the fence. Nine from the over in total, all to the wicketkeeper. He has a lot of overs ahead of him though.
32nd over: New Zealand 169-5 (Anderson 4, Ronchi 5)
As with Williamson, Zampa gets his next wicket from the second ball of the over. Luke Ronchi, the reformed Australian, is busy immediately. One dot ball to look at Zampa, then a couple of twos and a single.
WICKET! Elliott c Maxwell b Zampa 32 (47 balls)
Another for Zampa! And a carbon copy of the previous dismissal, except that Maxwell rather than Smith was taken at short cover. A bit of turn away from the bat and Elliott chipped it straight there.
31st over: New Zealand 163-4 (Elliott 32, Anderson 3)
It is, I suppose, one of the fallacies of modern ODI cricket that everyone has to go at a 100 strike rate. We’re accustomed to that from T20 now, but really a one-day score of 250 can still be competitive on a decent bowling pitch.
Which means that even if one player can put in a short, sharp, fast innings, others going at strike rates of 70 or 80 can be enough.
Three runs from Maxwell’s over as Elliott and Anderson look to steady.
30th over: New Zealand 160-4 (Elliott 31, Anderson 1)
Massive breakthrough for Australia from the second ball of the 30th. Williamson had come in after 4.2 overs, batted for a long time to get himself in, just started to look comfortable and open up, then got out in relatively gentle fashion.
That six the ball before was a gorgeous cover drive, but perhaps it tempted him to try it twice in a row, where his innings otherwise has been a model of discipline.
Corey Anderson is next man in, so now New Zealand have the gamble of their hit-or-miss attacking middle-lower order. Zampa has 1-48 from 8.
WICKET! Williamson c Smith b Zampa 60 (74 balls)
The key wicket falls! And it’s the debutant who gets it. What a moment for him. Williamson had just smacked Zampa for six, but the second ball of the over he mistimes a drive and chips to the Australian captain at short cover.
29th over: New Zealand 152-3 (Williamson 54, Elliott 31)
Maxwell a touch short, dragged in front of square on the cut shot, and that’s the 150 for New Zealand and a half-century for Kane Williamson, his 25th in ODI cricket along with his seven hundreds.
28th over: New Zealand 145-3 (Williamson 48, Elliott 30)
Zampa carries on, five more runs from it, with some hard running by both batsmen to turn one driven single into two for Williamson. Zampa has got through seven of his overs now and conceded 40.
27th over: New Zealand 140-3 (Williamson 44, Elliott 29)
Marsh has been going so well as the fifth bowler that Glenn Maxwell hasn’t been required. But at this comfortable stage of the game, captain Smith decides to give his spinner a run.
It so nearly pays dividends, as Williamson advances and drives, gets a big edge, and Hastings at short third man dives across but the ball lands just in front of his fingers.
Next ball drifts a little, and Elliott gets a genuine nick that runs just by Matthew Wade to go fine for a boundary.
26th over: New Zealand 133-3 (Williamson 42, Elliott 24)
Not so crash hot from Zampa, who sends down a full toss that Elliott smashes over square leg for six. Zampa has bowled with good control until now, but there’s always the risk of the ball slipping out.
Williamson gets the strike and lofts down the ground, but long-off comes around. Both he and long-on are very wide, a different story to things at Eden Park with the tiny straight boundaries.
25th over: New Zealand 125-3 (Williamson 41, Elliott 17)
The Hurry Up Brigade are made no happier by this Hastings over that goes for three singles. He has bowled six overs for 21 runs, which is 3.5 per over. Great effort.
24th over: New Zealand 122-3 (Williamson 40, Elliott 15)
Adam “Frank” Zampa back with his leggies. Williamson drives him down the ground for a couple of runs, between ticking over singles. Five from the over with minimal fuss.
‘Williamson’ is quite an annoying name to type over and over. Actually ‘McCullum’ isn’t the easiest as well. Why not something short like Burns or Smith or Marsh?
23rd over: New Zealand 117-3 (Williamson 37, Elliott 13)
The Decidedly Hefty White Duke, John Hastings, carries on with his traditional back-of-a-length style. Just bashes the ball into the pitch on that measure and challenges the batsmen. They take only three singles, all pushed into the off-side, not wanting to take on the bowling with a full stroke.
“What is Williamson doing?” scolds Satish. “37 off 56 should not be acceptable in this kind of cricket.”
Thoughts? I’d be inclined to say that holding an innings together is important at this stage.
22nd over: New Zealand 114-3 (Williamson 36, Elliott 11)
A nice cover drive from Elliott nets a couple, as Marsh continues. We seem to have entered the calm middle overs stage about 15 overs early today. It meanders along.
It might be hard time shots on this pitch. It looks tacky, a kind of Demerara sugar brown. That slowness might mean 250 is quite competitive, and with wickets in hand New Zealand could still push towards 280 or 300 as they did in Game 1.
Marsh now 2-16 from four overs, including four from this.
21st over: New Zealand 110-3 (Williamson 35, Elliott 8)
Yet another stingy over, two runs from it. Australia’s entire attack has concentrated on this line outside off.
This is a much bigger ground than Eden Park in all directions, so there’s some distance to that square fence as well as straight.
20th over: New Zealand 108-3 (Williamson 34, Elliott 7)
They still can’t get Marsh away. Elliot fires off a streaky cut shot, in the air, but it’s safe for a single. Two other singles and a leg bye from the over. The run rate is a fairly healthy 5.40, but it just feels like New Zealand are struggling.
19th over: New Zealand 104-3 (Williamson 33, Elliott 5)
Hazlewood pinning Elliott down after Williamson scores a double, then a one to raise the team hundred.
Three balls just outside off to Elliott, including one that beats the edge. But the last ball Hazlewood gets too wide, and Elliott gives it the kitchen sink to send it to the point boundary.
18th over: New Zealand 97-3 (Williamson 30, Elliott 1)
Grant Elliott is next in, and off the mark quickly. Marsh has 2-9 after two overs. Williamson will have to bat through now.
James Barden on email knows about correlation. “See, three wickets down for not many. Khawaja has had an immediate effect.”
WICKET! Nicholls c Wade b Marsh 4 (5 balls)
That’s a shot he won’t want to see again. Marsh comes around the wicket to the lefty, bowls extremely wide, and Nicholls chased it with a mistimed cut shot that he top-edges through to Wade.
Mitchell Marsh is: GoldenArm.
17th over: New Zealand 94-2 (Williamson 28, Nicholls 4)
Nicholls and Williamson are driving Maxwell to distraction, to the point that he dives the wrong way like a premeditating goalkeeper.
He’s at cover for the right-hander, midwicket for the left-handed Nicholls, and both batsmen keep flicking Zampa past him for singles and twos.
Zampa settling into a better length now, only four from the over.
16th over: New Zealand 90-2 (Williamson 27, Nicholls 1)
He’s developed a real knack for early wicket-taking, has Mmmmmmarsh, the Mitchell variety. His first ball of that first over was utterly pounded by Guptill for four, a pull shot that flew in front of square. But Marsh came back to get him with the fourth.
Out comes Henry Nicholls, who played so well in Auckland.
WICKET! Guptill c Khawaja b Marsh 31 (45 balls)
So a slightly slow and stodgy innings from Guptill comes to an end. He timed a few very nicely, but not many. He tried to go long, and instead skewed to deep cover.
15th over: New Zealand 84-1 (Guptill 27, Williamson 26)
Zampa is slightly reminiscent of Xavier Doherty in his stature and his approach to the crease. Aside from the obvious thing bowling with his other arm, and the other spin style. But they both have that little, sprightly, sandy look.
Four singles, Guptill still in the lead.
14th over: New Zealand 80-1 (Guptill 25, Williamson 24)
Guptill back in the lead now, after picking up Boland’s full ball and landing it over mid-on for four.
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13th over: New Zealand 74-1 (Guptill 20, Williamson 23)
Zampa again blows a tidy over from the last ball. With some help from Warner. A single to Guptill from the second ball, Williamson tied down for three, then cover-drives the last and Warner fumbles on the slide for four.
I’ve said Williamson has gone slowly, but he’s passed Guptill who’s been there longer. Williamson has faced two more balls though, 34 to 32.
12th over: New Zealand 69-1 (Guptill 19, Williamson 19)
Boland produces an excellent comeback over. Ball after ball, Williamson tries to come across and work the off-stump line through leg. Ball after ball, Boland beats him, eludes him, or has him clip to the field.
Two runs from the last ball is Williamson’s only blow.
11th over: New Zealand 66-1 (Guptill 18, Williamson 17)
Adam Zampa, on debut, comes on to spin his first delivery down the wicket for Australia. He has two men out down the ground, both quite wide, along with a deep cover point and deep midwicket. In the circle, the field is 3-2.
His first ball has Guptill struggling to keep it out of his pads. Thereafter though, Zampa drops short too often. Williamson doesn’t punish the first, pulled for a single to long-on, but he punishes the second with a gentle back-cut for four.
10th over: New Zealand 57-1 (Guptill 14, Williamson 12)
Boland returns, after all that. He may wish he hadn’t, as Williamson decides his own larval phase is over. He pulls his first boundary from a ball nowhere near short enough for it, then just raises the elbow and lifts another over mid-on with minimal fuss.
Boland’s second career wicket this match has brought his bowling average down to 137 from 259, but there is work yet to do.
9th over: New Zealand 49-1 (Guptill 14, Williamson 4)
Hazlewood takes a leaf out of Hastings’ book, sticking outside off stump, eventually forcing Williamson to move across outside that stump and use Hazlewood’s length to pull a single through square.
Boland delivered only the one over earlier. He was a very late inclusion, a handwritten intro on the team sheet after Kane Richardson’s name had been scrubbed out shortly before the toss.
Guptill takes a single, then Williamson glides another. Three only from another tidy over. Williamson is 4 from 17.
8th over: New Zealand 46-1 (Guptill 13, Williamson 2)
Hastings retains his discipline outside off. Williamson can’t get anything way. There’s plenty of gold clothing on that side of the wicket. There’s a wide and a single from the over. Nothing more.
A tweet in to the OBO from Beau, who if nothing else is pragmatic:
@GeoffLemonSport Hello from Berkeley, California where Spring is, um, springing. Have become a Black Caps fan as streaming them is easy here
— Beau (@beaudotgiles) February 6, 2016
7th over: New Zealand 44-1 (Guptill 13, Williamson 1)
It’s time. Guptill wants to get moving. Makes some space and clouts Hazlewood over long-on. It pitches short and rolls for four.
Then he goes the other way, hanging back a bit but timing his push well enough to split three fieldsmen and just beat the chasing Warner into the cover rope.
6th over: New Zealand 36-1 (Guptill 5, Williamson 1)
Immediate comeback from Hastings. 11 from his first over, 2 from his second, a maiden for his third.
Williamson also wants to play himself in, and Hastings probes around outside the off-stump, adding in a well-directed bouncer, and Williamson’s watchword is watchfulness. You can set your watch to it.
5th over: New Zealand 36-1 (Guptill 5, Williamson 1)
Well, the McCullum wicket fell to Boland’s second ball. Boland’s first ball McCullum had desposited metres over the sight screen with a huge straight drive. But his frenetic batting pace both enthrals and frustrates, as he often goes to the well far too often.
Kane Williamson emerges, makes sure there’ll be no repeat of his rare Auckland duck with a single first ball. Guptill bats out three more dots.
WICKET! McCullum b Boland 28 (12 balls)
There it goes, a big wicket as ever but one that is never too far away. McCullum undone on the charge again, trying to go over cover, misses, and Boland’s length means he just clipped the top of the stumps.
4th over: New Zealand 29-0 (McCullum 22, Guptill 5)
Guptill nearly caught by Mitch Marsh at a shortish cover, from Hastings: tried to smash the drive and only got a bit of it. Just square of Marsh, and they got two runs out to cover.
It forces a cautious reassessment from Guptill, who blocks out the rest of the over. He did this a fair bit early in Auckland, then smashed the bowling later.
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Drop me a line to tell me how you’re seeing the game, or where you are, or what you’re doing, or what you think of my hair.
On the Twitter thing @GeoffLemonSport, or email geoff.lemon@theguardian.com.
3rd over: New Zealand 27-0 (McCullum 22, Guptill 3)
Whacko! McCullum is enjoying this. A length ball from Hazlewood, and the New Zealand skipper is down the pitch and driving over cover for six! What a shot.
Then he drills a ball violently back at Hazlewood, which would have hurt as the bowler stopped it. Then a short ball pumped over square for another six, which might have hurt more.
The charging cut shot is brought out from the last ball, but Bailey at cover makes a sensational diving save to make a four into a dot ball.
2nd over: New Zealand 15-0 (McCullum 10, Guptill 3)
Oof! John Hastings bowled so well in Auckland, 1-39 from 10 overs in an innings conceding over 300.
He goes for 11 in his first over here. McCullum’s vicious cut shot first ball was nearly caught by Maxwell at point, but just cleared him. Then a pull the next ball for another boundary. A single, before Guptill takes two from an inside edge.
An over with plenty of hope for the bowler, but plenty of punishment too.
1st over: New Zealand 4-0 (McCullum 1, Guptill 1)
As they did in Auckland, Guptill and McCullum get off to a calm start. Two leg byes from Hazlewood’s first ball, a couple of singles thereafter.
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So, Richardson with an injury niggle, and Boland in. Leg-spinner Zampa makes his debut. And Shaun of the Marshes is dropped for... Khawaja. Khawaja. The name on a nation’s lips. When will he be brought in, they have clamoured? The answer is today.
A lot of pressure on national selector Rod Marsh over Khawaja. Here is a very compassionate (ahem) take on the issue from the excellent Ben Pobjie. Read on.
No changes for En Zed.
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Your teams for the day.
New Zealand
Guptill
McCullum (c)
Williamson
Nicholls
Elliott
Anderson
Ronchi (w)
Santner
Milne
Henry
Boult
Australia
Warner
Khawaja
Smith (c)
Bailey
Maxwell
M. Marsh
Wade (w)
Hastings
Zampa
Hazlewood
Boland
New Zealand win the toss and will bat
Brendon McCullum celebrates his farewell tour with another coin win. Once again the home side will set a target. It worked for them last time.
Good afternoon, as it is in the New Zealand isles, or whatever time of day it may be around the world. Geoff Lemon here indeed, raring to bring you the tales of woe and glory, or their nearest counterparts, from the Cake Tin stadium in the bay city of Wellington.
This is the second ODI of the trans-Tasman series, and I can report that New Zealand could retain the Chappell-Hadlee trophy that they rather ridiculously won for winning a single World Cup pool match early in 2015, after the two nations had not vied for the prize in too many years.
Now the trophy is on the line for a proper series contest, and it’s up to the team in gold to take that contest into a third and deciding match.
And yes, this stadium really, really, really does look like a cake tin. We are bathing in batter on the inside.
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Geoff will be here shortly. In the meantime, get yourself up to speed on Australia’s DRS-gate, which may or may not have prompted the tourists’ spectacular collapse in the opening match in Auckland.
