(ICC) Steven Smith led the way with a mammoth 164 as Australia won the first match of the Chappell-Hadlee series by 68 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-game One-Day International series against New Zealand yesterday.
Smith’s 157-ball essay took Australia to 324 for 8, and the bowlers – led by Josh Hazlewood’s 3 for 49 – then restricted New Zealand to 256 all out in 44.2 overs. New Zealand was in with a chance as long as Martin Guptill was at the crease, but once he fell for a 102-ball 114, Australia took control.
Smith’s knock was his highest ODI score, and the seventh highest by an Australian batsman in the format. It was also the highest at the Sydney Cricket Ground, surpassing AB de Villers’s 162 not out in South Africa’s clash against West Indies in the ICC World Cup 2015.
It was also the joint-highest by an Australia captain. Ricky Ponting also made 164 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006, the match in which the home team answered Australia’s 434-total with a chase of 438.
Smith then added to his heroics with the bat with athleticism in the field, with two decisive catches in the New Zealand innings. It was his throat-high catch at slip that got a big breakthrough, dispatching Kane Williamson, the New Zealand skipper, for 9. He later latched onto a flying one-handed screamer to dismiss BJ Watling for 6 off Mitchell Marsh, hurling himself to his left in the gully for a stunning catch.
Smith had walked in after Aaron Finch fell in first over, and the New Zealand bowlers picked up regular wickets in the first half of Australia’s innings to reduce the home team to 92 for 4 in the 21st over. However, Smith found good allies in Travis Head (52 off 60) and Matthew Wade (38 off 22), to power Australia ahead.
The key stand was between Smith and Head, which realised 127 runs off 126 balls and resurrected Australia’s innings before the last 10 overs yielded a powerful finishing kick.
New Zealand’s chase was helmed by Guptill, who shared a 92-run stand for the third wicket with Jimmy Neesham (34 off 36). Quick wickets hurt the chase though as New Zealand first slid to 34 for 2, and then found itself 140 for 4. Guptill was still around though, and reached his 11th ODI century with a six off Mitchell Marsh over long-on. But when he was drawn into a false shot against Adam Zampa, the legspinner, New Zealand was five down with only 185 on the board.
Colin Munro (49 off 59) tried to hold firm, while Matt Henry (27 off 15) swung his bat, but in the end, Australia had too many runs on the board.
The second match in the series takes place at Canberra’s Manuka Oval tomorrow.