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ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Aus vs NZ match abandoned due to rain

Dunya News

Australia had to chase a revised target of 235 in 33 overs under D/L system

WEB DESK (Dunya News) – The second encounter of the ICC Champions Trophy was abandoned after the rain interrupted at regular intervals and it was not possible to to continue the play owing to wet outfield and continous showers. 

Both the team took one point each after Australia were struggling in chasing a revised target of 235 runs in 33 overs. 

The Australian batting line-up was brought to their knees by the fast and furious New Zealand pace attack in the first nine overs and were in commanding position to defeat Australia when rain came in to rescue the Aussie side. 

Earlier, it was Kane Williamson who won the toss and opted to bat first in the second encounter of ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

Match Updates

Squads

New Zealand 

MJ Guptill, L Ronchi, KS Williamson (capt), LRPL Taylor, NT Broom, JDS Neesham, CJ Anderson, MJ Santner, AF Milne, TG Southee, TA Boult

Australia

AJ Finch, DA Warner, SPD Smith (capt), MC Henriques, GJ Maxwell, TM Head, MS Wade†, JW Hastings, MA Starc, PJ Cummins, JR Hazlewood

Australia Innings

Overs 9, Score 53/3

With rain showers interrupting the play at regular intervals, the Australian team was given a revised target of 235 runs to chase in 33 overs. 

Aaron Finch and David Warner started the proceedings for Australia as Tim Southee took the new ball to start with. Five runs came of the first over bowled by Southee.

Trent Boult shared the new ball with Southee as he came to bowl the second over of the innings. Warner tickled one towards the fine leg boundary for four more as it was sliding into his pads and was expertly done.

Australia were 11 for no loss after two overs.

Southee bowled yet another good over as only 3 runs came of it and Australia were 14 for loss after three overs.

Boult continued from the other end as he bowled with pace and aggression however conceded 5 runs in the four over.

When Warner is batting, it is not possible that there will be no fireworks as he decided to cut loose in the fifth over bowled by Southee and slapped one over square third man for a maximum.

Southee conceded 8 runs in the sixth over.

The coolest thing about Trent Boult is that he bowled with real pace and due to which the margin of error is very less. Warner played a shot out of sheer desperation and was caught by Ronchi in the process of doing so.

Warner departed after scoring 18 runs.

The skipper comes into bat on his birthday he seemed to be in mood and hit two consecutive boundaries as soon as he come to the crease.

Boult got some punishment from the skipper after getting Warner’s wicket.

The new quick arm Milne was introduced to the attack as he removed Finch who was caught by Ross Taylor after scoring 8 runs.
Henriques came to the crease to join the skipper as he also decided to cut loose in the next over bowled by Boult. First it was top edge that luckily went away for four more and followed by a sweet contact with the bat went for four more of the next ball.

Australia were 45 at the end of eighth over with the loss of two wickets.

Henriques was showing some aggression as he thumped Milne for another boundary in the next over, however the excitement for the Aussies was short lived as he was caught of his bowling by Milne after he scored 18 runs of 12 balls.

Australia seemed to be in trouble in chasing 235 runs in 33 overs as three of their batsmen were back in the pavilion at the end of ninth over.

New Zealand Innings

Overs 45, Score 291 (all out)

It was after Williamson s got out when the New Zealand side lost the script and their wickets started to fall at regular intervals in the depth overs.

Broom also departed in the next over after playing a short innings of 14 runs. He was caught by Maxwell of the bowling of Hastings.

The dangerous Corey Anderson pulled a short ball as the top-edged skied past backward square leg for maximum. However, he also was not able to make a strong impression as he was caught by Henriques of the bowling of Cummins on the very next ball after hitting six.

Neesham also departed after scoring six runs and was caught by Warner of the bowling of Hazlewood.

A loose delivery by Starc in the next over was put away beautifully for four more as 10 runs were scored of the 44th over.

Hazlewood ripped apart the New Zealand batting line as he took three wickets in the 45th over as Milne, Santher and Boult fell to him in the second last over of the innings.

New Zealand were not been able to transform the the brilliant start into outstanding finish as the whole team got out prior to playing even the last over of their innings and managed to score 291 runs in the process.

Hazlewood was so far the hero of Edgbaston in Trans-Tasmanian rivalry as he got six wickets while giving away 52 runs in 9 overs.

Overs 40, Score 257/4

New Zealand were in a comfortable position as they were moving along six runs per over with eight wickets in hand.

Henriques came to bowl the thirty first over as he went away for runs this time. First, it was Williamson who launched handsomely over cow corner and managed to fetch four runs in the process. Taylor also wristed one with delicate timing as four runs came in the process.

A total of 12 runs came of Henriques’ over this time.

Williamson took charge in the next over as he thumped one away for four more in Hasting’s next over.

Meanwhile, Starc was again introduced to the attack as Taylor welcomed him with a boundary towards wide mid-on.

Williamson decided to cut loose in thirty fourth over bowled Hastings as he played one delicately towards backward point for four more and of the very next ball for a maximum to speed things up.

However, Hastings came back strongly as he removed Ross Taylor who was caught by Henriques after scoring valuable 46 runs at this stage of the innings.

Henriques pursued from the other side as he conceded just one run in the next over. Starc bowled yet another quick over but went for 7 runs as the new batsman Neil Broom alongside the skipper manage to rotate strike.

Hastings got some punishment in the next over as he was thumped by Williamson for a six and a boundary.

Starc with his quick bowling restricted the batsmen from taking runs and gave away just three runs in the over.

Hastings also went away for two boundaries in the next over. Meanwhile, the skipper also completed his century and played a real captain’s innings to lead from the front.

However, the excitement was short lived as he was run out after scoring 100 runs of 97 balls.

Overs 30, Score 180/2

The skipper opted to try off-spin as he brought Travis Head in the twenty first who gave four runs in his first over.

Hazlewood continued from the other end as Ross Taylor managed to guide the ball behind point for four more. A total of seven runs came of the twenty second over.

Travis Head came to bowl his second over of the match as he confused the batsmen yet again with off-spinners and just three runs were scored of twenty third over.

Moises Henriques was also introduced to the attack from other end as he bowled good medium pacers and conceded only three runs of his over.
Williamson decided to take charge in Travis Head’s over as he bisected deep backward square leg and deep midwicket expertly and managed four runs in the process.

New Zealand were 158 after 25 overs.

Taylor decided to cut loose in next over bowled by Henriques as the width provided was put away for four more.

The skipper in order to speed things up opted to take some risk and gets down on one knee and smokes a delivery from Travis Head into the deep midwicket boundary for six.

Cummins was introduced yet again in the next over as he bowled a good over and concedes just two runs in his over.

Henriques also bowled brilliantly as he didn’t give any width to the batsmen and also concede 2 runs in the next over.

Both Taylor and the skipper were unable to speed up the innings as yet again a brilliant over was bowled by Cummins and just six runs came of the last three overs bowled.

New Zealand were 180 for the loss of two wickets after 30 overs.

Overs 20, Score 134/1

Meanwhile, Cummins came into ball in the eleventh over as Ronchi lofted one cleanly over the bowler’s head for four more. Six runs came of the eleventh over.

Ronchi took the charge once again in the twelfth over as he whipped a ball from Hashtings on the leg side for four more.
In the thirteenth over, Ronchi decided to cut loose as Cummins provided some width. The master blaster made some room of the third ball and slashed it away over third man for a huge six.

Of the very next ball, Ronchi decided to take charge once more as he pulled nicely and managed to fetch four runs in the process. Both the batsmen also had fifty partnership as well.

Hastings provided some width once again in the fourteenth over as Ronchi easily put that away for four more and bringing in his fifty in style.

Ronchi was turning out to be a nightmare for the Aussies at Edgbaston as he took the charge in Cummins’ over with two boundaries and a huge six on the last ball. A total of fifteen runs came off his over, however was also dropped by Starc of the fourth ball.

In the very next over, the quick innings of Ronchi came to an end when he was caught by Maxwell of the bowling of the bowling of Hastings. Ronchi departed after contributing 65 runs.

Hastings bowled a good over as he gave three runs and removed Ronchi in this over.

The aggression and pace in the New Zealand innings was put to a halt once Ronchi departed as only two runs came of the next over bowled by Starc.

New Zealand were 117 for the loss of two wickets at the end of 17th over.
The new batsmen Ross Taylor decided to take charge as he thumped Hastings towards the cover boundary for four more.

Meanwhle, Starc pursued with same aggression from the other side as he bowled really quick at this stage of the game. However, regardless of how quick you bowl, any kind of width and Ross will always be there to punish you. This time it was Starc who was hit towards the point boundary for four more.

Hazlewood came to bowl the twentieth over as he bowled rather a good over which fetched only one run.

New Zealand were going good as they were 134 for the loss of two wickets after 20 overs.

Overs 10, Score 68/1

Starc took the new ball as Guptill and Ronchi started the proceedings for New Zealand. Starc as usual bowled with pace and aggression as New Zealand were four without loss after the first over.

Hazlewood shared the new ball with Starc as he got some punishment from Guptill who hit him twice for two boundaries in the second over.

Starc bowled yet another quick over however was hit for four of the second ball by Ronchi.

Hazlewood yet again went for few runs as he was thumped by Guptill of the second ball for a boundary and later on by Ronchi of the last ball as New Zealand managed to score 29 runs of the first four overs.

In the fifth over, the quick left arm pacer got some punishment from Guptill who pummeled one away towards cover for a boundary. Starc yet again offered some punishment on the second last ball as Guptill easily put it away for second boundary in the over.

Hazlewood provided the breakthrough in the sixth over as he removed Guptill who was caught by Maxwell after scoring 26 runs.

Cummins replaced Starc as he came to bowl in the seventh over however was straight away hit for a boundary by Williamson towards cover.

Moreover, Ronchi flipped one towards leg-side and managed to fetch second boundary of the over. The Kiwi side managed to reach 50 runs at the end of seventh over.

Meanwhile, the skipper continued with Hazlewood from one side as Williamson hit one towards leg side for a boundary of the last ball of eighth over.

Ronchi opted to take charge just at the beginning of the ninth over as he pummeled one away for a maximum of the bowling of Cummins.

Just when three bowls were bowled in the tenth over as the skipper introduced Hastings, rain interrupted the play at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

As the play resumed once again after the rain break, the match was reduced to 46 overs a side. 

Meanwhile, with one runs scored of the last ball of the tenth over, New Zealand were 68 for the loss of one wicket after 10 overs. 

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