CONWAY STARS AS KIWIS CRUSH HOLDERS AUSTRALIA

MUMBAI: It was tournament favourites India last year. This time it was hosts Australia’s turn to suffer a crushing defeat in their opening match of the T20 World Cup, laying bare the unpredictability of the format.

Forever the underdogs, New Zealand gave the holders a hiding with a 89-run victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. With this heavy defeat, Australia’s net run rate has taken a beating and they may need to win every match from now on to stay on course for the semi-finals.

New Zealand lost the toss, but young Finn Allen got the World Cup Super 12s off to a racing start with a 16-ball 42. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it’s understandable for a 23-year-old New Zealander’s records to go under the radar. That’s perhaps why, despite coming with the reputation and numbers of having the best strike rate in the business in a short career, Allen’s attacking ways seemed to have caught the home side unawares in the early exchanges.

After Allen’s belligerence, dominating a 56-run opening stand in 4.1 overs, there was some meekness in New Zealand’s innings. Allen got out in the fifth over, after which skipper Kane Williamson’s subdued run-a-ball 23 failed to keep up the momentum. Left-hander Devon Conway held his own through it all though, finishing with an unbeaten 92 (58 balls, 7x4,2x6) to lift the Kiwis to 200.

New Zealand came searching for Aaron Finch’s pads in the first two overs and got David Warner in the bargain. But Finch soon fell to left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, Williamson’s ploy to contain Mitch Marsh with early spin resulting in the end of the Australian skipper. Three wickets in the powerplay and Australia had Steve Smith benched for the match. The power-hitters were stifled by Santner and Ish Sodhi as both Marcus Stoinis and Tim David fell trying to test the boundary ropes.

Brief scores: NZ 200/3 (D Conway 92*, F Allen 42). Australia 111 in 17.1 overs (T Southee 3/6). NZ won by 89 runs.*