Adam Zampa took five wickets as Australia bowled out New Zealand for 82 to win the second ODI in Cairns by 113 runs, sealing a series win with a match to spare.
The hosts made light work of the team at the top of the ICC rankings to win the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
After rallying in the final overs to reach 195-9 in their innings, Australia rattled through a New Zealand batting line-up experiencing a collective rest day.
This was the second contest of a three-match series being staged in Cairns and Australia were in early disarray at 26-4 as Matt Henry and Trent Boult each struck twice with the ball. Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis both departed for the ducks, while David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne made five runs each.
Alex Carey followed for 12 overs as Mitchell Santner came into the wickets, before Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell put on the first important partnership, a careful partnership of 49 for the sixth wicket.
Maxwell (25), Sean Abbott (7) and Smith, whose 61 was the main contribution, fell quickly, and when Boult had Zampa caught on the move by James Neesham, Australia were reeling at 148-9, with six overs left. .
Mitchell Starc (38no) and Josh Hazlewood (23no) salvaged that bleak situation by adding an unbroken 47 for the last wicket, swinging the momentum in Australia’s favor and it had swung decisively when New Zealand kicked off her gloomy with a stick.
The visitors’ top order offered poor resistance, collapsing to 38-5, with skipper Kane Williamson top-scoring among the early casualties with 17 before being bowled by a full toss from off-spinner Zampa.
It was 46-6 when Neesham hit Stoinis with Finch at midwicket, and 54-7 when Starc had Michael Bracewell caught by a diving Maxwell at gully. Zampa swept the tail to complete the figures of 5-35.
Boult’s efforts are not rewarded again
Boult’s bowling in his 98th ODI appearance had Australia tied in the knot again as he took 4-40 in a first-match loss. This time, figures of 4-38 mean he has taken four or more wickets in consecutive ODIs for the first time in his career.
Again, it was a performance that didn’t pay off, with New Zealand left to claim a consolation win in the final match of the series on Sunday.Z
Beating the standard
Starc took 2-12, while Abbott finished remarkably with 2-1 from five overs, but it was Zampa who delivered the win, bagging Tim Southee, Henry and Boult to complete his five-wicket haul. The 30-year-old Zampa posted career-best ODI figures, having previously managed four four-wicket hauls.
Zampa told Fox: “It was a nice night. I didn’t give it my best to be honest. The full throw to Kane, the ball didn’t come out as well as I would have liked, but that’s how it is sometimes.”
Playing down his performance, he said he “reaped the rewards” as the likes of Starc and Abbott made early inroads, but considered it a win worth celebrating.
“It feels good to win any series, but especially against the number one team in the world,” Zampa said. “They’re the benchmark at the moment, so it feels good.”
