Xtra Time Web Desk: Mitchell Marsh and David Warner’s brilliant knocks helped Australia win their maiden T20 World Cup defeating New Zealand by eight wickets with seven balls to spare. Warner scored 53 while Marsh remained not out on 77 from 50 balls.
New Zealand posted 172/4, thanks to a brilliant captain’s knock from Kane Williamson who scored 85 off 45 balls. Chasing 172 for victory, Australia started the chase well and rarely took their foot off the gas as they cruised to victory, sparking jubilant celebrations in the Dubai International Stadium.
Australia had lost skipper Aaron Finch early when he top-edged Trent Boult to Daryl Mitchell in the deep. But the in-form Warner got off to a decent start, while it was Marsh who upped the rate most spectacularly early on, smashing 14 runs off the first three deliveries he faced. With Warner and Marsh still at the crease, Australia reached 43/1 at the end of the Powerplay.
And the pair went through the gears as the spinners came on, adding 39 runs in the following four overs to leave them needing 91 from 60 to win the T20 World Cup at the halfway stage of the reply.
Warner was bowled by Boult for 53 runs but Marsh ensured the pace of the innings didn’t slip after the left hander’s departure, providing a defining contribution of his own. He reached his half-century three deliveries quicker than his team-mate to set a new record for the fastest 50 in a T20 World Cup Final, and finished on 77 from 50.
And it fell to Glenn Maxwell to see it over the line for Australia, as he reverse-swept Tim Southee for four to prompt a stream of yellow-shirted teammates to flood onto the pitch and join in the huge celebrations.