ShareDHARAMSALA: Five-time champions Australia edged out gallant New Zealand by just five runs in the highest-scoring World Cup game in history on Saturday. Australia piled up 388 all out as Travis Head top scored with 109 and fellow opener David Warner made 81.
New Zealand battled hard with Rachin Ravindra making 116, Daryl Mitchell adding 54 and Jimmy Neesham supplying late fireworks with a 33-ball fifty before they finished on 383-9 in 50 overs.
With a total of 771 runs, it was the highest scoring game at a World Cup, beating the 754 scored in South Africa’s win against Sri Lanka earlier in the tournament.
“That was awesome. Sometimes I have to remember I’m out in the field, not a spectator. A fantastic game, they kept coming at us,” said Australia skipper Pat Cummins. In a dramatic final over played out in the shadow of the Himalayas, New Zealand needed 19 to win.
Trent Boult scampered for a single before Mitchell Starc donated five wides. Neesham, one of the stars of the 2019 final which New Zealand lost to England, then took six runs off the next three balls. However, attempting another two, he was run out from a fine throw by Marnus Labuschagne from the fence.
That left Lockie Ferguson, who had injured his Achilles in the field, needing to perform the heroics off the last ball. Starc fired the ball in on a full length and Ferguson could only push it to the covers, leaving the Kiwis heartbroken. “It was a fantastic game of cricket. There were ebbs and flows throughout the 100 overs,” said New Zealand captain Tom Latham. “To get so close hurts. It was a fantastic game.”
The result left both sides with four wins and two defeats each and well-placed for the semi-finals.
Earlier, Head, playing his first match of the tournament after being sidelined with a broken hand, reached his fourth one-day international hundred off 59 balls with 10 fours and six sixes.
The 29-year-old had brought up his 50 off 28 balls and then made the most of being dropped on 70 and 75. He was eventually clean-bowled by off-spinner Glenn Phillips with Australia reaching 206-2 at the halfway stage. With Warner, Head had put on 175 in the first 20 overs before his veteran partner was dismissed. — AFP
