Australia has retained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy after a superb bowling effort, defending 174 for a 72-run win at Eden Park that clinches the three-game T20 series.
Sent in by Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner, Australia’s batting effort appeared well under par for the diminutive Auckland ground.
Only Travis Head (45 off 22) and Pat Cummins (28 off 22), in at eight to steady the ship, impressed with the bat on Friday night.
It mattered not as an understrength Black Caps side never got going in their chase, held to 102 by a ferocious Aussie attack.
Josh Hazlewood (1-12 off four) claimed the key wicket of opener Finn Allen in the first over, before producing a rare T20 maiden in the powerplay.
Australia’s attack in the field was typified by returning gloveman Matthew Wade, who sprinted for Will Young’s skied effort and caught it in the outfield to have the Kiwis wobbling at 2-14.
New Zealand — already without Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell — didn’t risk Rachin Ravindra due to a sore knee, and were beset by further bad fortune.
Opener Devon Conway wasn’t able to bat after a wicketkeeping injury which forced him to hand over the gloves to Allen and sent him to hospital for scans during New Zealand’s innings.
Hazlewood produced six dot balls in the fifth over as Australia turned the screws, with Nathan Ellis (2-16 off three), one of three changes to the Australian line-up, bowling Santner in the sixth over.
As the Black Caps attempted a salvage job from 4-29, Adam Zampa (4-34 off four) then bowled Josh Clarkson and Adam Milne in consecutive balls to scuttle their chances.
Glenn Phillips (42 off 35) was their best, attempting to anchor the innings before becoming Zampa’s third victim, caught at long-on.
New Zealand’s early innings woe was in complete contrast to Australia’s, which started like a wildfire but lost energy.
Powered by Head (45 off 22), Australia raced to 2-103 off eight overs and looked set for a monster total.
From that point they collapsed, with the returning Steve Smith among the failures.
Smith, without an Indian Premier League contract, needed runs to prove his worth for June’s T20 World Cup, with coach Andrew McDonald admitting how he performed in Auckland would “dictate what happens” with his World Cup place.
The 34-year-old made an unconvincing 11 before falling lbw to the stellar Lockie Ferguson (4-12 off 3.5 overs) on a night where most batters struggled.
Australia was too often tempted by the tonk given the short boundaries, with four of the top six caught attempting to slog.
Glenn Maxwell (six) and Marsh (26) holed out to Trent Boult at long-on within three deliveries, with Josh Inglis (five) and Wade (one) following shortly after.
Alongside Ferguson, Kiwi paceman Ben Sears (2-29 off four) impressed.
Despite the lack of partnerships, late-innings contributions from Tim David and particularly Cummins meant Australia posted a score the Kiwis couldn’t match.
The game-two stroll was a sharp contrast to the opener in Wellington, won by Australia when David conjured a last-ball four.
The result means game three, also at Auckland’s Eden Park, is a dead rubber.
After the T20 series, Australia will turn its attention to a two-match Test series, beginning at Wellington’s Basin Reserve on Thursday.
AAP