The Champions reveal themselves!
What a final! After weeks of top quality T20 Cricket the final did not disappoint! Two close rivals going head-to-head is exciting for the supporters of their team but also the neutral cricket lover! The fierce and warm rivalry between Australia & New Zealand was about to hit record highs!
Another trophy in the hutch!
The decision at the toss has proven to hold more sway over the end results than many would have liked to have seen and the final was sadly no different. Finch had taken first blood before a ball was even bowled by electing to bowl with the toss falling in the Aussies favour. At this stage thought with the class of Guptill, Williamson, Mitchell & Neesham the task was simple… Make them pay! The old- adage of runs on the board wins will have been the focus of a very confident Kiwi batting line up.
A less than ideal start saw the first wicket fall in the 4th over for 38. Captain Kane & the serious unit that is Guptill put the Aussie bowling attack to the sword, Finch’s grip on the trophy was slipping, the Kiwi innings gathering pace until Zampa claimed Guptill caught for 28! Williamson continued his defiant stand fighting with all his class and skill before falling for 85 to Hazelwood who returned serious figures of 3-16!
With 172 on the board Kiwi’s had enough to bowl at but with stats against them the bowlers had it all today against a formidable Aussie batting line-up that isn’t without its fragility!
Chasing
172 is no easy task especially with a WorldCup trophy on the line! Finch will have wanted to be the man to see hi team over line, but the fairy tale innings was not to be as he fell for 5 in the 3rd over to the go to man Trent Boult who would only pick up one more and the only Aussie wickets to fall! It must be said Warner has been working hard to win back the hearts of even the staunchest Australian cricket fan but his well balanced 53 from 38 got the Aussies back in Front. When he final fell to what was a questionable “slog” the game was very much in the balance the stage was set for Mitch Marsh to carry the boys over the line. In a career plagued by injury, poor form, and limited opportunity the genuine talent and mental toughness shone through! Just when his team, & coach, needed it most, 77 from 50 in a World Cup final is a serious effort for a man who many thought shouldn’t have played. Ably supported by the million-dollar man Maxwell, the under-fire Finch & Langer have the genuine pleasure of adding another Trophy to a bustling Australian cabinet!
Sadly, for Kane’s Kiwi’s another World tournament final, another loss & the track record of coming up short at key moments seems to be a trend New Zealand cricket will need to buck in the future!
Another instalment of the T20 World Cup has been and gone, in an era of uncertainty, unease and unrest around the globe. Yet our wonderful sport of Cricket has been able to unite so many different cultures & creeds in the celebration of our sport.
We can only hope that all who love our game look at how much we are the same and not so much on how we are different!
