NZ beaten again as Warner fires
Black Caps fall again in limp performance as Australians complete a commanding whitewash at the MCG
It’s possible last night’s third defeat to round off a miserable ODI series against Australia, was New Zealand’s most depressing performance of the 3- 0 clobbering.
They had restricted Australia to 264 for eight, even allowing for a marvellous century by David Warner, but then New Zealand folded limply, the last nine wickets falling for just 73 in 22.2 overs.
They had a big winning chance. It wouldn’t have altered the outcome of the Chappell- Hadlee Trophy, which now resides in Australia’s hands, but a bit of pride and self- respect would have ensued.
Instead they had the stability of a house of cards in a stiff northerly.
Certainly Mitchell Starc and co bowled well but New Zealand, in good batting conditions, simply subsided from the time captain Kane Williamson went lbw to left armer James Faulkner. It became a procession and even though New Zealand were ahead of the required run rate, the pins kept falling.
Warner made an interesting observation after the Canberra match, when New Zealand were chasing 379 for an always unlikely win.
He suspected visiting teams went for broke during the chase too early, twitchy as the required run rate grew, instead of reckoning on pushing as close as possible before having a late dip
Yesterday Australia were 122 for four after 30 overs; New Zealand 130 for seven. Run rate fine, but too much damage done.
The first half of the match was given over to another demonstration of David Warner’s batting prowess, as he completed his seventh ODI century of the year.
Warner plundered a century off New Zealand in Canberra on Tuesday; this one — 156 off 128 balls — every bit as good.
It was the 11th century of his ODI career, his seventh this year and first at the MCG before being run out skillfully by Trent Boult off the final ball of the innings.
Only Sachin Tendulkar, with nine in 1998, has scored more ODI centuries in a calendar year than Warner, who shares second spot with another Indian, Sourav Ganguly in 2000.
Warner is in the form of his career. He’s making opponents pay.
This year Warner has hit 1388 ODI runs at 63.09, with a strike rate of 105.47. No one else comes close, other than his skipper Steven Smith, who is 254 runs adrift.
How he hurt New Zealand. That said, the bowlers generally did a good job sticking to the task deep into the innings. It was their best performance of the series, not that that’s saying much.
Had Warner been caught at 18 — a hard running chance to Nicholls at deep square leg — the shape of the match would have been significantly different. He had important support, after Australia had been put in a double Boult lock — Aaron Finch and Smith gone with 11 on the board.
But Warner bossed the show, cajoling fast running between the stumps with his partners, clouting four balls into the crowd and he scored 156 while nine colleagues shared 108.
Boult finished with three for 49 with two wickets apiece for Mitchell Santner and Colin de Grandhomme.
New Zealand . fly home early tomorrow and will begin preparations for the visit of Bangladesh, which starts with the first ODI in Christchurch on Boxing Day.