ODI World Cup 2023: Australia scored 388 runs against New Zealand

Australia went all guns blazing against New Zealand thanks to an opening stand between David Warner and Travis Head of 175 runs in 115 balls. Both teams named one change to their squad. Australia welcomed Travis Head to the squad in place of Cameron Green. New Zealand replaced Mark Chapman with James Neesham to strengthen their bowling. Tom Latham won the toss and put Australia to bat first. Australia scored 388 runs. Here is a recap of the first innings.

Warner and Head smash New Zealand bowlers all around the park

The Australia opening duo of Warner and Head started with positive right from the word go. Warner smashed two fours in the first over as Matt Henry went for eight runs in his first over. Trent Boult from the opposite end was hit for a four by Head. Henry conceded 22 runs in his second over after being hit for three sixes and bowling two no-balls. 

Boult too remained expensive as he was hit for a four and a six by Warner in the fourth over. Australia completed their fifty in just 25 balls as Head scored 14 runs in Henry’s third over.

Boult in the sixth over induced a leading edge from Warner’s bat but it landed safely. Lockie Ferguson replaced Henry in the seventh over. The Kiwi speedster received the same treatment as he was hit for two sixes by Warner and a four by Head. 

Warner brought up his third consecutive 50+ score in just 28 balls in the eighth over. In the following over, Head too followed suit and scored the fastest half-century of the World Cup in 25 balls. Ferguson changed ends and bowled the last over of the powerplay but the end result remained the same as the speedster conceded 10 runs in the over. 

Australia ended the powerplay with 118 runs on the board without losing any wickets. This was the third-highest score in powerplay in ODIs and the second-highest in World Cup history.

Australia continue their dominance after powerplay

Australia was in no mood for any respite. The first three overs after the powerplay went for 26 runs. Mitchell Santner almost broke the opening partnership in the 13th over when Head gave him an opportunity for a return catch. Glenn Phillips came into the attack in the 14th over and bowled the first boundary-less over of the innings. Phillips, Santner and Rachin Ravindra bowled in tandem keeping things tight and conceded just 31 runs in six overs. 

Phillips strikes for New Zealand

Phillips drew the first blood for 2019 runner-ups by dismissing Warner breaking a 175-run opening stand. Warner scored 81 runs in 65 balls scored hitting five fours and six sixes. Head scored a century on his return to the side in just 59 balls. Head’s century is the fourth-fastest century for Australia. Phillips dismissed Head as well in his sixth over. It was a quicker delivery which skidded on to castle the stumps. Head scored 109 runs in 67 balls hitting 10 fours and seven sixes.

The two wickets dried up the runs for the five-time champions. The Kiwi spinners bowled economically conceding 26 runs in five overs (25-29). Phillips took the third wicket dismissing Steve Smith in the 30th over. 

Boult came back into the attack in the 31st over and came very close to dismissing Marnus Labuschagne but Darryl Mitchell fielding at third mand dropped a fairly simple catch giving Labuschagne a life. Phillips completed his quota of 10 overs in the 32nd over conceding just 37 runs while picking up three wickets.

Santner came back into the attack in the 37th over and picked up Mithcell Marsh’s wicket with just the third ball of his new spell. Marsh scored 36 runs in 51 balls hitting two fours. In the following over, Labuschagne got another lifeline as a run-out chance was missed. Santner then dismissed Labuschagne in the 39th over for just 18 runs.

Australia scores big in death overs

Going into the death overs, Australia had scored 292 runs for the loss of five wickets as New Zealand had crawled their way back in the game after the onslaught from Warner and Head. Santner continued to economical conceding just three runs in the 41st over. Ravindra came back into the attack in the 42nd over and was hit for two fours by Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell continued attacking and hit two consecutive sixes in the following over off Santner’s bowling. James Neesham came into the attack in the 45th over and made an instant impact by dismissing Maxwell. Maxwell scored 41 runs in 24 balls hitting five fours and two sixes. 

Josh Inglis and Pat Cummins scored some useful boundaries scoring 58 runs in the space of just three overs (46-48). Boult in the penultimate over dismissed Inglis and Cummins in the same over to provide some respite for Kiwis. He dismissed Adam Zampa too in the same over.