Marsh powers Australia to maiden T20 World Cup title

Kane Williamson’s batting masterclass came in vain for New Zealand as Mitchell Marsh powered Australia to their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title with an eight-wicket victory in Dubai.

Williamson (85 off 48), having been dropped on 21 by Josh Hazlewood (3-16), propelled New Zealand from 57-1 after 10 overs to 172-4, hitting 10 fours and three sixes and taking apart Mitchell Starc (0-60 from four overs).

However, for the 10th time out of 10 in this tournament in games under the lights in Dubai, the side batting second came out on top, with Marsh (77no off 50), David Warner (53 off 38) and Glenn Maxwell (28no off 18) playing the crucial knocks as Australia – who unsurprisingly elected to bowl after winning the toss – reached their target with seven balls to spare.

Australia maintained their 100 per cent winning record against New Zealand in ICC knockout games, which now stands at five matches, as they added a first T20 title to five in the 50-over World Cup.

They will now head into the next year’s T20 World Cup as defending champions as well as hosts.

New Zealand’s hopes of a maiden title and becoming Test and T20 champions in the same year were dashed as they suffered more disappointment in a white-ball final, following on from their 50-over defeats to Australia in 2015 and England, on boundary countback, in 2019.

Another high-profile loss was harsh on Williamson, who had revived his team after Hazlewood’s 1-11 from three overs in the powerplay had restricted New Zealand to their tournament low of 32-1 after six overs – Hazlewood having the Kiwis’ hero in their semi-final win over England, Daryl Mitchell, caught behind off a slower delivery for 11.

Williamson struck back-to-back boundaries off Marsh in the ninth over and then really ignited in Starc’s 19-run 11th, during which Hazlewood dropped him at fine leg, with the ball then bouncing over the boundary rope – the next two deliveries were also fired to the fence by Williamson.

Australia off-spinner Maxwell was whipped for back-to-back sixes over the leg-side in the 13th over as Williamson clinched a 32-ball half-century, while he then marmalised Starc’s 16th over for 22, with two slashed fours followed by a sublime six over square leg and two exquisite off-side fours.

Hazlewood was the man to end Williamson’s majestic knock, with the batter caught at long-off in the 18th over off a leg cutter, three balls after a Hazlewood knuckleball had accounted for Glenn Phillips (18 off 17), with whom Williamson had bossed a stand of 68 from 37 deliveries.

Jimmy Neesham (13no off 7) and Tim Seifert (8no off 6) – the latter having come into the New Zealand side for the injured Devon Conway – hit a boundary apiece at the death, while opener Martin Guptill laboured his way to 28 from 35 balls up top before falling to Adam Zampa (1-26).

New Zealand’s total looked taxing, especially in the pressure-cooker environment of a final, and the Black Caps picked up the early scalp of Aaron Finch (5), caught by Mitchell off Trent Boult at midwicket.

However, Warner and Marsh shared a rollicking stand of 92 from 69 balls – Marsh signalling his intent early on by going four, four, six off New Zealand quick Adam Milne in a 15-run fourth over.

Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (0-40) and medium-pacer Neesham (0-15) also took some tap, with Warner completing a 34-ball half-century when he hauled the latter over deep midwicket for six in the 11th over.

Marsh did likewise to Sodhi in the 14th to clinch a 31-ball fifty, in the over after Warner had been bowled by Boult on the slog-sweep.

Warner’s exit gave New Zealand hope – but up stepped Maxwell, who used his power and invention to flog Milne and Tim Southee for boundaries, earning Australia the title with a reverse-sweep off the latter in the 19th over as his unbroken stand with Marsh ended on 66 from 39 balls.

WHAT’S NEXT?

For New Zealand, it’s T20 cricket once again, with a three-match series in India getting underway as early as Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 1.20pm. The Black Caps will stick around for two Test matches against India, in Kanpur from November 25 and then Mumbai from December 3.

For Australia, it’s The Ashes. The Baggy Greens have not lost at home to England since 2010/11 and will be looking to extend that run this winter, with the five-match series getting going in Brisbane from December 8.

There are then further games in Adelaide from December 16, Melbourne from December 26, Sydney from January 4 and then Perth – at the time of writing – from January 14. If they can add retaining the urn to their T20 triumph, what a few months Australia will have had.