Teams go back to MCG with hosts in driving seat

AUSTRALIA v NEW ZEALAND ODI ROUND-UP

JUST over 18 months ago, Australia and New Zealand clashed at the MCG in the final of the World Cup. Over 90,000 people were at that event, but the latest Trans-Tasman clash will see just over a quarter of that.

Victories in Sydney and Canberra have sealed the Chappell-Hadlee series for the hosts and given them a much needed boost following their Test series loss to South Africa.

Australia took a 1-0 lead in Sydney after captain Steve Smith hit 164, while Martin Guptill’s 114 was not enough to chase down the 325 target that was set. That was Smith’s 21st international century across all formats over the last three years, with Australia scoring 76 hundreds in total across that time.

And the series was clinched in Canberra where a fine 119 by opener David Warner was backed up by Smith and Mitchell Marsh, who both passed 70 to take Australia to 378-5. It proved too much for New Zealand, with Pat Cummins claiming 4-41 as the tourists were all out for 262.

Despite the convincing victories, Australia coach Darren Lehmann knows things can change quickly.

He said:“I think they’ve got world-class players, when you get 370 it’s always going to be hard to chase down, we batted really well and they probably didn’t bowl as well as they’d like, which was the same for us two weeks ago when we didn’t bowl or bat as well as we’d have liked.

“He’s (Steve Smith) has obviously been scoring lots of runs regardless, since he’s been back in the side full time. He’s taken his game to another level and now he’s captain, he’s really raised it again as a skipper.”

Smith wasn’t just grabbing the headlines for his run scoring in the first clash. He was also grabbing the flying white ball, with a stunning diving catch to dismiss BJ Watling, already called catch of the Australian summer by some.

He hit four sixes in his knock, which came off 157 deliveries while Travis Head also hit a halfcentury. Josh Hazlewood was Australia’s star with the ball in Sydney, claiming 3-49 as New Zealand were all out with more than five overs to go.

And Head was at it again in Canberra, his 57 coming off just 32 balls as Australia cashed in on some poor New Zealand bowling. Only Mitchell Santner’s economy was less than a run a ball.

Watling, New Zealand’s wicketkeeper, said:“We just want to get better.We want to improve from those last two performances. We weren’t at our best and if we can do a few things better and put them under some pressure we’ll be better off for it.”