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Steve Smith is the player of the match and the series. His 105 runs today were the difference between the sides. The big question remains: Will he be Australia’s next ODI captain?
Aaron Finch leads his men from the field for the last time, another victory and a trophy firmly rooted. His family is there to greet him at the border. A beautiful moment for a good cricketer and a thoroughly decent guy.
Aaron Finch retires with a win
nice photo
Updated at 1.42pm BST
Australia win by 25 runs!
Starc uses Ferguson with a yorker to bring on everyone’s favorite number 11, Trent Boult. Boult duly cuts a wide ball in the air to be caught for a glden duck! END OF THE GAME It was a sad end for New Zealand. Phillips dying to a nifty boundary catch from Sean Abbott proving the crucial moment, it was all Australia from then on. The Kiwis are still hoping for a win on Australian soil.
Australia win the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy 3-0
Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner congratulate Australia after their win. Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
Updated at 1.28pm BST
49th over: New Zealand 237-8 (Southee 5, Ferguson 2) More runs stifle New Zealand. Southee eventually hits a four down the ground, but it’s too little too late. Ian Smith sounds puzzled by the comment, he thought they finally had this one. Me too. Six off the penultimate over. They needed 31 off the last over. It does not appear.
48th over: New Zealand 231-8 (Southee 0, Ferguson 1) Eight straight dot balls as New Zealand collapse in the last over in Cairns. Do these nine points. Hazlewood hooks Ferguson with an artillery ball. TEN POINTS. And repeat. Painful for the Kiwis, they had this game in their hands. Ferguson gets a single off the last ball of the over, with ironic casualties. They needed 37 from 12 balls.
Updated at 1.19pm BST
WICKET! Santner c Green b Abbott 30 (New Zealand 230-8)
Santner out and this could be the game! A hard blow for New Zealand. Are they saying goodbye to a first win on Australian soil since 2009?
Tim Southee can’t put bat to ball and Abbott ends up with four runs. They needed 38 off 18. Need boundaries.
47th over: New Zealand 230-8 (Southee 0, Ferguson 0)
Santner walks from the field, caught by Green off Abbott. Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
Updated at 1.28pm BST
46th over: New Zealand 229-7 (Santner 30, Southee 0) No time to dwell on this dismissal of Phillips. Southee is the new batsman and he can slide a length ball. Starc bowls a yorker that hooks Santner on the pad and runs away for four! Careers much needed. Seven from the end and the crucial wicket of Phillips. They needed 39 off 24. Three wickets to go.
Updated at 1.13pm BST
WICKET! Phillips c Abbott b Starc 47 (New Zealand 224-7)
Starc goes for his yorker and gets away with a couple of points. Just wait! Is this the turning point in this game?! Phillips pulls Starc away and it looks like it will be six, but Sean Abbott slots the ball over the rope. BUT is it really on the ropes? Abbott takes a few tiny steps after the catch is taken and throws the ball towards himself as he steps on the boundary. Numerous repetitions… and it’s out! What a moment in this game.
Abbott catches Phillips for 47 to the delight of the Australia fans. Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
Updated at 1.13pm BST
45th over: New Zealand 221-6 (Phillips 44, Santner 29) Sean Abbott summoned by Finch with runs leaking and a wicket needed. Abbott has gone to his slower ball, taking the pace and making the batsman do all the work. Seven stolen runs from the top, looks like we’re going to the wire. They needed 46 from 30 balls.
44th over: New Zealand 215-6 (Phillips 42, Santner 26) Zampa in their final over. His first ball is sent back to head Santner for four! Santner winning the battle of the spinners so far. Seven more They needed 53 from 36 balls. Where’s your moolah?
43rd over: New Zealand 208-6 (Phillips 41, Santner 20) Starc returns with three overs up his sleeve. Santner hails it with a hard push over long on for SIX! This is a lovely little cameo of the bespectacled spinner. 10 runs from the over. This game is alive.
42nd over: New Zealand 198-6 (Phillips 39, Santner 12) Hazlewood in, a slower ball beats Santner…or not? Snicko shows a small edge on the toe of Santner, but neither Keeper Carey nor Hazlewood deemed it worthy of appeal. Departure for Santner and New Zealand. Four above. 71 of 48 is the equation.
41st over: New Zealand 194-6 (Phillips 37, Santner 10) Zampa continues, it’s ninth. Phillips scores it for another remarkable six! All bat speed and raw power. Nine runs, with the required rate.
40th over: New Zealand 185-6 (Phillips 30, Santner 8) Josh Hazlewood to bowl the 40th over and his eighth. Santner pounces on a short ball and hits it for four at mid-wicket. We are in the last ten overs, New Zealand need 83 from 60 balls. It bubbles well.
39th over: New Zealand 178-6 (Phillips 29, Santner 2) Adam Zampa is called to bat a few times, Santner making no mistake about his fellow twirler. Just three overs, including a wide leg.
Updated at 12.36 BST
38th over: New Zealand 175-6 (Phillips 27, Santner 1) Mitch Santner is the new man in and is the last recognizable batsman. He almost gets to the first ball of a yorker from Cam Green, but he just squeezes his bat in time! If he can stick with Phillips, the Kiwis are still in it. They needed 93 from 12 overs.
WICKET! Neesham c Smith b Green 36 (New Zealand 173-6)
Just when Australia was starting to sweat, they find a breakthrough. Neesham calls out to Steeve Smith at long leg and Cam Green takes the crucial wicket.
Labuschagne, Finch and Green celebrate Neesham’s wicket. Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
Updated at 13.08 BST
37th over: New Zealand 173-5 (Phillips 27, Neesham 36) Finch tuns Hazlewood to stem that flow of runs and try to reward a big breakthrough. New Zealand haven’t won an ODI in Australia for 13 long years, so there’s a lot to play for in the next hour or so. Phillips gets on the back of a length ball from Hazlewood and places it well, in the vacant mid-wicket region for four runs.
36th over: New Zealand 168-5 (Phillips 23, Neesham 35) Cam Green into the attack, Neesham works a length ball to long leg for two before powerfully pulling it away for four. Fifty partnerships by Phillips and Neesham, off 48 balls. Both are timing the ball well with it drifting under the lights. Seven runs out, 15 to go: New Zealand need 100 runs to win from 14 overs. They have five wickets in the dugout.
35th over: New Zealand 161-5 (Phillips 23, Neesham 28) New Zealand get going with Mitchell Starc! Neesham drives it powerfully down the ground for four before Glenn Phillips goes one, or two, better with a back kick for six! Some shot this. Starc looks annoyed, even more so when a thick outside edge slips through the gap to third over for four more. 16 runs above.
Updated at 12.23 BST
34th over: New Zealand 145-5 (Phillips 12, Neesham 23) Neesham plays a delicious late dab (is dab still a thing?) that runs away for four. beautiful moment Six overs, New Zealand quietly rebuilding.
Updated at 12.17pm BST
33rd over: New Zealand 139-5 (Phillips 11, Neesham 18) Starc returns to the attack after a swig of luminous liquid. He is 0-23 from his five overs so far. Three singles in the end doesn’t hurt the Aussies.
Neil Andrews emails about heavy spending in ODIs:
“Any thoughts on how to lighten up the middle overs in ODIs? Milking 4,5,6 singles and an over not very entertaining, even if tactically correct in the circumstances of a particular match (not just talking about Aus v NZ).
Maybe a little tinkering with the fielding restrictions:* 2 fielders in catching position all game; and/or* 1 less fielder outside the circle outside the current power play overs”.
Decent suggestions Neil, this series has experienced a bit of a slow down over the periods – poor Jonathan had one before, they can be a pickle for an OBO writer to deal with, let alone the fans and m ‘dare I say players. But then, maybe we’re all gluttons for action all the time in this day and age?
Updated at 12.16pm BST
32nd over: New Zealand 136-5 (Phillips 10, Neesham 16) Another decent over for New Zealand, Neesham looking aggressive. He gets on his face and nails a reverse sweep for four on Zampa. A lofted drive to wide mid off also gets him two. THROW! Neesham bowls the last ball of the back straight on Zampa’s head and the bowler pulls it over the bar. A difficult opportunity but an equal opportunity. By my count, there were three catch back into the grass in this inning. I think it’s time for a specialist training session. Anyway, drinks.
31st over: New Zealand 127-5 (Phillips 8, Neesham 9) Massive five runs off Abbott’s last over as this pair look to be proactive. On TV commentary, Ian Smith is scratching his chin as to why his countrymen can’t seem to get past their antipodean rivals. He doesn’t sound angry, just disappointed, which everyone knows is worse.
30th over: New Zealand 122-5 (Phillips 4, Neesham 4) Neesham gets off the mark with a well-swept four off Maxwell. The Kiwis need more of this, so far they have only allowed Maxwell to bowl them, even his loosest balls have only been fed for singles. Better, eight runs from the over. At the other end, Sean Abbott has 1-12 from his six overs.
Updated at 11.50 BST
29th over: New Zealand 114-5 (Phillips 4, Neesham 0) Jimmy Neesham is the new batsman, he joins Phillips at the crease with his side in a bit of a hole. The race pace is over seven and counting.
Updated at 11.50 BST
wicket! Williamson runs out (Labuschagne) 27 (New Zealand 112-5)
Oh no! Disaster for New Zealand as Williamson is stitched by Phillips, run over by a…