Internet Desk: Marcus Stoinis conjured an extraordinary maiden century but couldn’t muscle Australia over the line in a thrilling first One-Day International against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on Monday.
Stoinis, the right-hand batsman, walked in to bat at No. 7 with Australia 54 for 5 in response to New Zealand’s 286 for 9, and smashed an unbeaten 146 off just 117 deliveries. But when Josh Hazlewood, the last man, was run out without scoring after a tenth-wicket stand of 54, Australia was bowled out for 280 to go down by six runs in a fascinating contest. Stoinis had earlier taken 3 for 49 with his medium-pace.
Kane Williamson, the NZ skipper, scored a direct hit at the non-striker’s end from short mid-on to catch a backing-up Hazlewood short of his ground and bring a stunning game to an end.
Martin Guptill (61) and Neil Broom (73) had done the bulk of the scoring to set up NZ’s competitive total on being put in by Aaron Finch. Finch took over the captaincy duties from Matthew Wade, who was ruled out on the morning of the match with back spasms. Wade himself was a last-minute stand-in captain for Steven Smith, who had picked up an ankle injury in the final ODI against Pakistan last week.
Australia’s chase got off to the worst possible start with Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson striking twice each, and Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner picked up a wicket apiece so that, inside the first 19 overs, it was rocked at 67 for 6 with Stoinis alone of the recognised batsmen left.
The first pocket of resistance came through Stonis and James Faulkner, who added 81 for the seventh wicket to push the total to 148 when Faulkner’s watchful 25 was terminated by Colin Munro in the 35th over.
Stoinis, by now in control, found another able ally in the attack-minded Pat Cummins, who dominated an eighth-wicket stand of 48 by smashing five fours and a six in a 30-ball 36 before stepping out once too often to be stumped by Tom Latham off Santner’s left-arm spin.
In his next over, Santner lured Mitchell Starc into an agricultural hoick to mid-wicket off the final ball of his spell and, at 226 for 9 with 61 still needed, it appeared all over bar the shouting.
However, with Hazlewood a passive spectator, Stoinis launched a memorable assault that not just propelled him past his first ODI hundred in only his second game, but sent alarm bells ringing in the New Zealand camp. The two added 54 in 24 deliveries, not a single one of them faced by Hazlewood, when Williamson scored the direct hit to end the game.
Stoinis, unconquered, hit nine fours and 11 sixes in all, with two fours and six sixes coming with Hazlewood for company.
Earlier, Guptill was the only top-order batsman to fire for New Zealand, bringing up his half-century off 47 balls. But he could not forge a big partnership as Latham (7), Williamson (24) and Ross Taylor (16) all went early.
After Guptill was clean bowled by Stoinis, it was left to the middle order to offer resistance through Broom’s dogged 73 and a typically feisty 48 from 45 balls from James Neesham.
Trent Boult added a welcome 16 runs at the death, although the team would have hoped for a 300-plus total in the conditions.