Super Sixes SRL | NZ vs AUS Evaluation Chart - Spinners and Maxwell lead Australia to easy victory

ByAakash Sivasubramaniam, SportsCafe Editor

04/28/2020

New Zealand’s innings just went like a soda bottle - fizzed at the beginning before Australian spinners took the fizz out of the bottle. In the second run, it was Glenn Maxwell’s solo efforts in the middle-overs that led Australia to a dominant victory over a boring New Zealand side in the SRL.

Match Review

Going from 46/0 to 131/7 shows the real story of how New Zealand performed in the game - entertaining and stunning in the initial few overs before falling flat towards the end. After the start from Guptill-Munro, the so-called ‘best,’ middle-order failed and failed terribly against the mighty Australian spin attack. Both Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar turned the game and the contest around.

On the other hand, Australia played it safe right from the start, knowing that the chase was a meagre one. The openers played in a rather-watchful manner, which we have not seen thus far in the tournament. However, unlike their New Zealand counterparts, they did not fall flat in the middle-overs, with Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell steadying the ship, including some telling blows. In the end, it was a rather dull end to a rather-great rivalry.

Turning Point

Overs 7-10 or as you could also put it as ‘Australian spinners.’ They really changed the way New Zealand were playing and turned it into a rather-dull and lacklustre contest with the bat. Meanwhile, it was the ball which was doing the talking as the duo of Zampa and Agar picked up four wickets for just 35 runs, which is heinous in T20 cricket if not criminal. And, that really changed the way the game was played.

Highs and Lows

Glenn Maxwell’s form is more of a sigh than a high for the Australian management, with the all-rounder’s form being a punctured one earlier in the tournament. However, his return to form, along with his partnership with Steve Smith, really helped Australia complete a one-sided victory. The management were truly grateful to their rivals - New Zealand - for allowing the all-rounder to get back to the shape that we have always witnessed.

Oh, New Zealand’s performance with the bat is a definite low. Why do I say that? Well, if you have been following our SRL, you would almost but certainly know that New Zealand’s batting units have been peanuts standing with cricket pads. Moreso, the way they have batted thus far, you would rather close your eyes and watch darkness instead of looking at the way New Zealand have batted in the encounter.

Rating Charts

Powerplay exploitation: New Zealand 7/10 and Australia 6/10

Oh well, for starters, lets talk about the good part of the game - New Zealand’s opening partnership which was refreshing. In just the first over, the Kiwi openers scored 11 runs before marching ahead with a 16-run second over. And then the pinnacle, they scored another 11 runs and eight runs before Guptill fell short. Overall, in the powerplay, they scored 56 runs, which is damn impressive given their pathetic form.

And Australia, in response, scored 52 runs in their powerplay overs. We have not seen it a lot of times in the recent past that the Australian openers scored this match in the first six overs of an SRL encounter, with them struggling more than ever. In case you missed it, last game they were reduced to three-down in just the third over. This time, however, they just bashed and whacked the hell out of the Kiwi bowlers in the powerplay.

Middle-overs manoeuvring: New Zealand 5/10 and Australia 8/10

Where Australia performed, New Zealand suffered - in the middle overs. They really lacked a punch. All that talk about a great start, they really took a hit in the middle, when runs were drier than some of the Indian lakes. A total of 56 runs were scored between the 6th and the 15th before their batting unit came to a seizure.

Talking about the Australian middle-overs, it was pleasant to watch the way Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell were turning the screws. Nudgy-nudge to the parts of the ground with singles and doubles and the odd boundaries is what defines the Australian middle-over manoeuvring. And to top it up, after the 11th over, they just scored runs for fun - scoring sixes and boundaries all around the ground

Death bowling: New Zealand 5/10 and Australia 6/10

Australia’s death bowling continued to lapse and in dramatic fashion after reducing New Zealand to 86/6 in the 12th over of the innings. From there till the end, they picked up only ONE wicket, which surely talks a lot about the death bowling, doesn’t it? And if there is more to say about that, they conceded 29 in the back-end of the innings to help New Zealand get to 131 for the loss of seven wickets.

New Zealand’s death bowling began and ended in the very same over in the 16th over. However, there was a highlight, one that they struggled to get for a very long time - the wicket of Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell’s wicket was the only thing that New Zealand’s death bowling did, as Australia only needed 13 runs to win in the fag-end of the innings.

Match Frenzy O Meter - Zzzzzzz

The name of an artist and the mood after the game, watching New Zealand succumb to a rather fruitless and frustrating defeat. Australian batsmen, too, for that fact, did not light things with their batting as the game ended with the Kangaroos winning the one-sided game. And if you have been following New Zealand for a while, you would have already dozed off to sleep before the encounter kicked-off.