A late cameo from Jimmy Neesham was not enough for New Zealand to overhaul Australia's big total
Match Report:
ScorecardAustralia hold off Kiwis in high-scoring, last-ball thriller
Australia held their nerve in a World Cup thriller after New Zealand got within one blow of icing the largest run chase in tournament history in Dharamsala.
The Aussies withstood Rachin Ravindra's exquisite century and late-innings heroics from Jimmy Neesham after Travis Head (109 from 67 balls) made a barnstorming return from a broken hand to underpin a five-run win that went down to the wire.
Marnus Labuschagne made two huge plays on the leg-side boundary in the game's final over in which Australia were only permitted four fielders outside the 30-yard circle due to a slow over-rate.
Labuschagne made up for a missed late chance on the long-on rope that he parried for six the previous over by stopping a certain boundary on the patchy HPCA Stadium outfield and then running Neesham (58 from 39) out on the penultimate ball of the match.
It left a hobbled Lockie Ferguson, who hurt his Achilles earlier in the game, needing six to win off the last delivery. Mitchell Starc (0-89), thrown the ball for the clutch over despite a rough afternoon, made no mistake.
Captain Pat Cummins (2-66 from 10 overs) was the best of the Australian bowlers. He landed the big wicket of Ravindra (116 from 89) in the picturesque mountain city's dying light, to heighten the difficult of Neesham's task.
Australia remain in fourth behind third-placed NZ on net run-rate. Only India and South Africa, who handed Cummins' men consecutive defeats to begin their tournament, have better records than their 4-2.
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
IND
|
9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.57 | 0 | 18 |
|
2
SA
|
9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.261 | 0 | 14 |
|
3
AUS
|
9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.841 | 0 | 14 |
|
4
NZ
|
9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.743 | 0 | 10 |
|
5
PAK
|
9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.199 | 0 | 8 |
|
6
AFG
|
9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.336 | 0 | 8 |
|
7
ENG
|
9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.572 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
BAN
|
9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.087 | 0 | 4 |
|
9
SL
|
9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.419 | 0 | 4 |
|
10
NED
|
9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.825 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
A semi-final berth now looks assured for Australia even if England pick themselves up off the canvas in the clash of Ashes rivals in Ahmedabad in a week's time.
Head showed no ill-effects of the injury that sidelined him from his team's first five matches of the tournament, making NZ pay for dropping him twice as he sped to his fourth ODI hundred from 59 deliveries.
The 20 sixes struck by the Australians, 11 of which came in the first 13 overs of the match, were the most they have ever hit in an ODI. Cummins (a career-best 37, from only 14 balls) hit four of them to capitalise on late momentum built by Glenn Maxwell (41 off 24) and Josh Inglis (38 off 28).
Maxwell, following up his 40-ball hundred earlier this week, exploded in celebration when he dismissed Glenn Phillips in a decisive breakthrough with the ball. The off-spinner had, only four balls earlier, dropped a simple catch off Ravindra the delivery after he had reached a 77-ball hundred.
It was just about the NZ's No.3 only misstep. The crowd chanted the Indian-born Ravindra's name as he dazzled with exquisite stroke-play – a six over cover off a Cummins slower ball the standout.
He went from 50 to 100 in only 28 balls to leave NZ at the same score (5-292) after 40 overs as Australia had been at the same mark. It was the second hundred of a breakout tournament for the 23-year-old.
Josh Hazlewood's strong tournament had earlier continued with two Powerplay wickets - both openers were caught by Starc in roughly the same spot on the 30-yard circle – as NZ stumbled at important times in their chase.
Starc added third catch as Adam Zampa (3-74) dismissed Daryl Mitchell, a useful ally for Ravindra in a 96-run stand, and then skipper Tom Latham as the asking rate climbed.
Latham's decision to send Australia in after winning the toss – citing hope the early 10.30am (local) start time would help his pacemen – looked unwise after Australia's fast start.
The Black Caps shot themselves in the foot with a ragged fielding performance, dropping five catches, while they were not helped by Ferugson only being able to bowl three overs.
The true value of the Warner-Head fireworks became clear as the Kiwis turned the screws through the middle overs, restricting their trans-Tasman rivals to 4-74 across a period of 14.5 overs after Head was bowled.
Head's hundred, celebrated in understated fashion, came in just 91 minutes. By the time he was dismissed, bowled by Phillips for 109 from 67 balls, he had struck seven sixes and 10 boundaries.
The 29-year-old showed remarkable touch for someone playing their first match of the tournament, continuously pummelling length balls over the leg-side boundary.
Warner, who had been gunning for his third straight century, went blow for blow with his opening partner as he cracked six sixes of his own. The most impressive came off Trent Boult, who could only shake his head as the veteran ducked a short ball and still pulled him over the rope.
Phillips must have wondered why he did not bowl earlier amid the onslaught from Australia's two left-handed openers. He eventually dismissed both and added the scalp of Steve Smith to finish with 3-37 from 10 overs, and nearly added an extraordinary diving catch.
Santner came into the match as arguably the tournament's standout bowler but was treated with disdain by the Aussies. Maxwell smashed consecutive sixes in his final over to see him finish with the unflattering return of 2-80 (10 overs).
Australia's 2023 ODI World Cup fixtures
October 8: Lost to India by six wickets
October 12: Lost to South Africa by 134 runs
October 16: Defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets
October 20: Defeated Pakistan by 62 runs
October 25: Defeated Netherlands by 309 runs
October 28: Defeated New Zealand by five runs
November 4: v England, Ahmedabad (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT
November 7: v Afghanistan, Mumbai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT
November 11: v Bangladesh, Pune, 4pm AEDT
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa