Auckland [New Zealand], February 24 (ANI): Following a 72-run victory over New Zealand at Eden Park on Friday, skipper Mitchell Marsh opined that Australia have been backed in the corners in the last 12 months and they have found a way to get out of such situations.
“Great win for Australia. Our backs were against the wall. I thought we were 50 short. But the way our bowlers came out and performed was outstanding. A collective effort. It’s one of those grounds where you get lured into the short boundaries. The wicket was good. Had steep bounce which we should be used to,” Marsh said in the post-match presentation.
“One of our mantras as a batting unit is to keep taking the game on and trusting our skills. I was proud of the fact we did that. I think all of our teams have been backed into corners in the last 12 months and we’ve found a way to get out of them. Tonight was another great example of that,” the all-rounder added.
Coming to the match, leg spinner Adam Zampa and speedster Pat Cummins guided Australia to victory over the Blackcaps in the second match of the series.
The Kiwis were bundled out for 102 runs in the 17 overs they played in response to Australia’s 174. The highest run-getter for the hosts was Glenn Phillips who scored 42 runs off 35 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes.
For the Men in Yellow, the pick of the bowlers was Zampa who snapped four wickets in his spell of four overs where he conceded 34 runs. Two wickets were grabbed by right-arm pacer Nathan Ellis in his three overs where he leaked just 16 runs in his spell.
One wicket each was bagged by Josh Hazelwood, Cummins and Mitchell Marsh in their spells where they conceded 12, 19, and 18 runs respectively.
Earlier in the first innings, the visitors were asked to bat first after the New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner won the toss.
The Australian side was bowled out for 174 runs on the penultimate ball of the 20th over. Opener Travis Head was the highest scorer for the side as he scored 45 runs from 22 balls which was laced by five sixes and two boundaries in his innings.
For the Kiwis, the highest wicket-taker was Lockie Ferguson who took four wickets in his spell of 3.5 overs where he conceded just 12 runs. Two wickets each were taken by bowlers like Adam Milne, Ben Seares, and Santner in their respective spells. (ANI)
