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WICKET! Maxwell c Guptill b Boult 25 (Australia 103-6)
Great progress! Maxwell falls to Boult for the fifth time in ODIs – he hacks a short ball across the line but it is brought up too quickly and the top edge is well caught by a Martin Guptill who runs into the deep.
32nd over: Australia 102-5 (Smith 53, Maxwell 25) Just a single off Neesham, it’s economical if a little threatening.
It’s actually been slow progress from Australia today.
31st over: Australia 101-5 (Smith 52, Maxwell 25) Boult comes in for a second spell and stiffly sends a short ball which Smith turns to take four and bring up his fifty! He keeps Australia in it.
A midweek day and night, 98 for 31, a half-century off 83 balls, this takes me back to Geoff Marsh’s ODIs of the 1980s and 1990s that we all love. #AUSvNZ
— Andrew Wu (@wutube) September 8, 2022
30th over: Australia 93-5 (Smith 47, Maxwell 22)
Maxwell is growing in confidence and performance with each final, surely it’s time for Boult to give him a try? Maxwell is not quite his bunny, but with four ODI dismissals there is a certain carrot cloud hanging over him when Trent has the ball. As it is, he slips Neesham perfectly outside off for four and then tries a booming drive which Neesham lets loose on his follow through. He was tied up, but seems disheartened not to cling to it.
29 overs: Australia 87-5 (Smith 47, Maxwell 17) Maxwell momentarily breaks the shackles, Santner drags one and Maxwell is on it in no time, cutting through mid-wicket for SIX! Maxwell allows himself a smile and a little punch, he’s been patiently waiting for it and he didn’t miss it.
28th over: Australia 78-5 (Smith 45, Maxwell 10) Maxwell has faced twenty dot balls in this innings, New Zealand have matched him well. Just a single from Neesham.
27 overs: Australia 77-5 (Smith 45, Maxwell 9) Santner is having an inspired spell here. He has bowled six overs for 13 runs and has the wicket of Carey in his back pocket.
26th over: Australia 74-5 (Smith 44, Maxwell 7) Jimmy Neesham into the attack, sides trimmed and long bangs blowing in the breeze as he walks to the crease. It’s full and pointing at the bearings. Just a couple on the scoreboard.
Glenn Maxwell has an ODI average of 3.5 against Trent Boult. The left guard has caught it 4 times. Australia not batting very deep today. I would love to see Williamson bring back Boult and try to knock them down in 40 overs. #AUSvNZ #CricketTwitter #Cricket #NZvAUS
— Dwaipayan Mukherjee (@Dwai_Doyen) September 8, 2022
I was thinking the same thing. Boult is back!
25th over: Australia 72-5 (Smith 43, Maxwell 7) Santner delivers a maiden, aims for the stumps and then throws the odd one to Maxwell to see if he feels like it. cat and mouse Maxwell was content to stick his eye in and hit the ball away.
Updated at 07.14 BST
24th over: Australia 72-5 (Smith 43, Maxwell 7) Smith brings up a welcome boundary for his side with a slightly crisp inside edge that goes between stumps and wicketkeeper and to the fence for four. Maxwell then slides a lift ball down point and the runaway for three runs.
23rd over: Australia 64-5 (Smith 38, Maxwell 4) Just a single off Santner. The pressure cooker just whistles.
Here’s the scoop. I think Carey knew he was gone.
22nd over: Australia 63-5 (Smith 37, Maxwell 4) Southee keeps things tight, just a single. Sean Abbot is the next man up and can certainly bat, but Smith and Maxwell have had a lot to deal with here. His focus at the minute seems to be to dig deep rather than try to get back into the game.
21 over: Australia 62-5 (Smith 36, Maxwell 4) Santner bowls slowly, giving it a bit of a loop, trying to play with Maxwell, tempt him into doing something rash. Then he does a faster one for good measure. Four above.
20th over: Australia 57-5 (Smith 31, Maxwell 2) Glenn Maxwell joins Smith. Australia very well on the ropes here. Maxwell is off the mark with a toe clip off a full ball from Neesham.
It was really Tom Latham’s. He knew he had his crazy too, running away with a big smile on his face. Carey seemed to know he was gone too, walking tormented to square leg with the air of a cursed man.
WICKET! Carey st Latham b Santner 12 (Australia 54-5)
Tom Latham thinks he’s got Alex Carey stumped here! He throws the bails as Carey tries a reverse sweep to Santner but misses a quicker ball and looks to drag it on the back foot from the safety of the crease. Crikes, it’s tight! There doesn’t seem to be anything behind the line, and sure enough, after many tortuous repetitions, Carey delivers. A guardian on the scalp.
19th over: Australia 55-5 (Smith 31, Maxwell 1)
18th over: Australia 52-4 (Smith 31, Carey 11) Three runs removed Neesham as Australia look to build up and take hold in this match.
17th over: Australia 49-4 (Smith 29, Carey 10) Mitch Santner is about to spin after the drinks break. A single for Smith and Carey. Now it looks cloudier in Cairns, not unlike South London, where dawn has quietly arrived.
Read all about it. Here’s a thoughtful piece on Zimbabwe’s current position in world cricket by my colleague Adam ‘Collo’ Collins. It’s worth your time.
16th over: Australia 47-4 (Smith 28, Carey 9) Steve Smith is settling into work here as he looks to rebuild for Australia. He’s punching and planing and punching and looks like he’s loving every minute of it. Of course it is. Time to have a drink. Kenco calling!
15th over: Australia 43-4 (Smith 25, Carey 8) Just a single off Tim Southee, very zinced.
Trent Boult’s swinger deserves its own podcast. Imagine the #AusvNZ stories
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) September 8, 2022
14th over: Australia 42-4 (Smith 25, Carey 7) Phew! Carey lines a booming ball wide and full from Neesham but fails to make contact. He settles for a back-footed single on the next ball. The field is stretched out here but New Zealand should keep looking for wickets, Carey and Smith capable of leading a recovery and giving Australia something to play under the lights later on.
13th over: Australia 40-4 (Smith 24, Carey 6) Southee is stingy and concedes just one run from his first over. It will be a double change with Jimmy Neesham replacing Matt Henry.
Aaron Finch becomes the first Australian to register five ducks in ODI cricket in a calendar year. #AUSvNZ
— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) September 8, 2022
A wild statistic, you might say.
12th over: Australia 39-4 (Smith 23, Carey 6) Just a couple of singles from Henry. Boult will have a shot, he was a little off the pace in his last over. Here comes Tim Southee.
Nathan Lyon on TV commentary after Aaron Finch’s dismissal:
“I’m not quite sure what to say in my position here.” #AUSvNZ
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) September 8, 2022
A little awkward.
11th over: Australia 37-4 (Smith 22, Carey 5) Steve Smith does his thing, clipping a rare loose ball from Boult off his hip and out for four. He then works a fuller ball on a similar line of distance for two more.
10th over: Australia 31-4 (Smith 16, Carey 5) Henry continues and keeps it tight, just a couple from Carey. The Kiwis have Tim Southee under their sleeve today but they will surely have learned from the first match and will keep Boult and Henry as long as possible and try to kill Australia right here. The home team have Maxwell waiting in the wings, but now not long after.
9th over: Australia 29-4 (Smith 16, Carey 3) Alex Carey joins Steve Smith with Australia currently at ‘Dickie’s Meadow’ as I might call it. struggle They are in fights. Carey takes three with a touch at mid-wicket. The Australian commentating contingent laments not only Australia’s top-order batting, but also their terrible use of the review system. Somewhere, Shane Watson’s ears are burning.
WICKET! Stoinis lbw b Boult 0 (Australia 25-4)
Plum Plum Plummety Plum! Boult places one on the big front pad of Stoinis and surely he is smashing the middle stump of the ground?! Yes, it is. GONE! Stoinis incredibly sends it over the top and burns the second and final over for Australia. Strewth.
8th over: Australia 22-3 (Smith 15, Stoinis 0) Ian Smith arrives on TV commentary and the big man purrs positively in this start for his countrymen. The TV footage also shows a split screen of Marnus’ two dismissals of Boult in this series and it’s fair to say you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart in an identity parade. Australia needs a partnership here… but they won’t have one… (ellipse of doom)
WICKET! Labuschagne lbw b Boult 5 (Australia 22-3)
Another one gone, another one gone… Boult nails Marnus in front and shouts out to Rod Tucker, who duly raises his finger. That looks dead. Dead I tell you. Labuschagne reviews in vain, the DRS shows the ball trickling down the leg stump and back to the dugout.
Boult then shows his swing bowling chops by greeting Marcus Stoinis with a first swinger. Too good Trent.
7th: Australia 22-3 (Smith 12, Stoinis 0)
6th over: Australia 19-2 (Smith 11, Labuschagne 3) Smith pounces on a short ball from Henry and pulls it to mid-wicket for four. Then he takes a single with a clip from the pads.
5th over: Australia 14-2 (Smith 6, Labuschagne 3) Boult delivers a maiden. It’s so good. Probing, perfect line to keep Marnus honest. Lots of “Don’t run!” in that finish.
4th over: Australia 14-2 (Smith 6, Labuschagne 3) Marnus joins his mentor at the crease with his green and gold back against the wall. He leaves immediately with a good march for three. Smith then repeats the shot gets a little harder and goes to the ropes.
Haven’t had time to drink my Kenco with this fast start,…