Australia fights back to win the 3rd T20I against New Zealand

After losing the first two games of the series to New Zealand, Australia fought back in style to win the 3rd T20I to keep the 5-match series alive. New Zealand had won the first two games in Christchurch and Dunedin thanks to two outstanding innings from Devon Conway and Martin Guptill but the blackcaps were completely outplayed in the third game in Wellington and lost emphatically by 64 runs. The star of the show for Australia was Ashton Agar, who became only the fourth person in T20I cricket to pick up six wickets in an innings. His exploits with the ball ensured that the series is alive ahead of the final two games.

Australia were put in to bat by New Zealand and lost Matthew Wade in the second over of the match. Aaron Finch also survived an early LBW shout which was adjudged umpire’s call on DRS. The Australian Captain had been struggling for form heading into this game and had averaged only 7 runs in his last 10 T20 innings with a strike rate of 88. However, he was able to restore the Australian innings along with Joshua Phillipe and managed to score a well made 69 off 44 balls to give Australia the fast start they wanted.

Finch’s best mate Glenn Maxwell took over the reins after he was dismissed and tore into the New Zealand bowlers to score 70 runs off just 31 balls. The Big Show took his time to settle into the innings and find his feet and scored only 30 runs off his first 20 balls. The real destruction started in the 17th over where Glenn Maxwell smashed an astonishing 28 runs of Jimmy Neesham’s over to bring up his half-century. He hit four 4s and two 6s of the over to push Australia to a very healthy score of 208-4 from their 20 overs.

Australia continued to bring the heat to the hosts in their bowling innings thanks to a fiery opening spell from the debutant Riley Meredith. Meredith was bowling 150 kmph firebolts at the New Zealand batsman and picked up two crucial wickets in the powerplay.

Martin Guptill continued his form for the Kiwis after his 97 in the 2nd T20I but his dismissal triggered a collapse for the blackcaps. Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar ran through New Zealand’s middle order and picked up three wickets in his second over to seal the win for Australia. He finished with 6-30 in his four overs, the best figures for an Australian in T20 Internationals. Australia will be looking to continue this momentum into the fourth T20I in Welington on Friday and look to draw the series at 2-2.