CAIRNS, Sep 8: Adam Zampa took his first five-wicket haul in one-day international cricket as Australia clinched the series against New Zealand after a 113-run victory on Thursday.
Australia’s top order struggled and slumped to 54-5 after being sent in, but the home team rallied to post 195-9. Steve Smith scored 61 and last-wicket pair of Mitchell Starc (38) and Josh Hazlewood (23) combined for an unbeaten 47.
New Zealand was skittled for 82 in reply, with legspinner Zampa returning 5-35 from nine overs, including three lbw decisions.
“Didn’t bowl my best to be honest, but sometimes it’s like that,” Zampa said. “It feels good. To win any series, but particularly against the No. 1 team in the world, they’re the benchmark at the moment.”
Australia won the series opener by two wickets despite being in serious trouble at 44-5 chasing 233 for victory last weekend.
Pitch conditions in Cairns were tricky, with the ball not coming onto the bat as quickly.
“It’s been hard. The first 40 overs of our batting were incredibly difficult,” Australia captain Aaron Finch said. “We knew we’d got to a total we could defend (but) we knew we had to be ultra-disciplined with the ball, and we did that. Great win.”
Starc made instant inroads with the fifth ball of New Zealand’s reply, when Martin Guptill chased a full, away swinging delivery and edged to Finch at slip.
Starc and new-ball partner Hazlewood kept up the pressure until a change in bowling when Sean Abbott opened his account with a double-wicket maiden in the ninth over.
Abbott enticed Devon Conway (5) into a legside chip to Zampa at fine leg with his second delivery from around the wicket, and then had Tom Latham (0) out edging to Finch at slip three balls later. New Zealand slumped to 14-3.
Kane Williamson, who had a reprieve in the first over when he was lucky not to be run out, dug in for 17 from 58 deliveries before he was trapped lbw by Zampa in the 19th over and New Zealand was 33-4.
The visitors’ trouble deepened when Daryl Mitchell (10) was out with the addition of five to the total after he was adjudged lbw attempting a reverse sweep against Zampa, and Jimmy Neesham (2) went in the next over to make it 45-6.
Starc removed Michael Bracewell (12) and Zampa picked off Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Trent Boult (9) to wrap it up.
“Australia were outstanding with the ball and gave us nothing,” New Zealand captain Williamson said. “The surface was a challenge, and 180 was going to be a lot of hard work. Fair play to Australia. They outplayed us today.”
The New Zealanders had the right to be confident after Boult took 4-38 and held the catch to remove Smith to keep the Australia total under 200.
But for the second straight match, New Zealand skittled the specialist batters but Australia salvaged the innings thanks to Smith’s 61 from 94 deliveries — his third-slowest half-century in ODIs — and contributions from Glenn Maxwell (25) in the middle and Starc and Hazlewood at the end.
Henry (3-33) started Australia’s woes in the second over, dismissing Finch without a run on the board.
It continued a barren period for Finch, who fell for his third duck in seven ODIs that have netted him just 26 runs. Finch tried to attack Henry’s second delivery and managed to only pick out Williamson at mid-off.
Henry and Williamson combined to remove David Warner (5) in similar fashion before Boult trapped Marnus Labuschagne (5) and Marcus Stoinis (0), with fuller deliveries that nipped off the seam.
Both batters wasted video reviews to challenge on-field decisions that were clearly out, leaving Australia without any referrals for the remainder of the innings.
Smith and Maxwell put on 49 for the sixth wicket to lift the total into triple figures before Smith hit out at Boult and was caught in the outfield by a diving Guptill.
Starc had a reprieve when New Zealand didn’t review a not-out decision for lbw that would have resulted in his dismissal. He attacked the late bowling as Australia added 44 in the last five overs.
The third and last ODI is on Sunday in Cairns. (AP)
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