Captain steers Aussies towards dominant victory as trans-Tasman rivals annihilated

Captain Mitchell Marsh has guided Australia towards a thumping six-wicket victory in the T20 series opener against New Zealand in blustery conditions at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval on Wednesday evening.

The Australians chased down the 182-run target with 21 balls to spare courtesy of Marsh’s 43-ball 85, which featured nine boundaries and five thumping sixes.

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Earlier, Tim Robinson’s maiden international hundred steered the Black Caps towards 6-181 after Marsh won the toss and chose to bowl first at the suburban venue.

The moustached young gun clobbered a career-best 106* (66) that featured six boundaries and five sixes, reaching triple figures in just 65 deliveries. None of his teammates managed more than 34.

MATCH CENTRE: New Zealand vs Australia first T20 scorecard

The Kiwis were at one stage reeling at 3-6 in the second over after Australian seamers Josh Hazlewood and Ben Dwarshuis ripped through the top order with the new ball, but Robinson and Daryl Mitchell (34 off 23 balls) combined for a 92-run partnership for the fourth wicket to rebuild the innings.

The tourists had an evening to forget in the field, gifting Robinson four extra lives after the drinks break – Travis Head dropped two chances, Tim David put one down in the deep, while wicketkeeper Alex Carey missed a stumping chance.

Robinson brought up his century on the penultimate delivery of the innings before smacking the last ball over mid-wicket for a maximum.

Marsh and opening partner Head got the Australians off to a flying start, combining for a 67-run partnership before the left-hander miscued a pull shot against speedster Matt Henry, gone for 31.

The returning Matt Short thumped a couple of sixes over square leg before Black Caps all-rounder Kyle Jamieson deceived him with a slower ball that trapped him on the pads for 29.

But the New Zealand bowlers had no answers for Marsh, who brought up his half-century in 23 balls with consecutive sixes. The West Australian was eventually dismissed in the 15th over by Henry, but the result was already a foregone conclusion, with the big-hitting Tim David getting the job done.

The Australians wore black armbands on Wednesday in honour of Carey’s father Gordon, who passed away earlier this week.

The two nations are fighting over the coveted Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, which New Zealand has not won since 2017.

The second T20 between Australia and New Zealand gets underway at the same venue on Friday from 4.15pm AEST.

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