New Zealand had a predictable win, as for most of the day, they dominated Australia with the bat and then the ball. Left in despair, Daniel Sams and Marcus Stoinis chanced their arms to better the match score, only to lose their chance when the passage for their triumph reopened.
Martin Guptill, the opening batsman from New Zealand, left behind a lean patch with an archetype hard-hitting knock. Martin Guptill and Jimmy Neesham together hit no fewer than 14 sixes in Dunedin; the first game between Australia and New Zealand since 2000.
Stonis and Sams forged an impressive hitting - tallying nine sixes between them in a short span of overs - it could not be sustained when the finish line loomed. Australia bridged the score gap at 113 for 6, but the 2-0 series margin after two games explains it all.
Guptill back to the form Guptill's performance saw an uptick as he had not passed 50 in any format at first-class level since October; since November 2019, hasn-t scored any close to it in a T20I. It was much-needed for him to end the dry spell and friendly bowling in tandem with sending New Zealand in at University Oval worked for his best.
Williamson, Neesham played shoulder-to-shoulder As Guptill showcased spectacular performance. He managed 16 for a 32-ball half-century. Another noticeable performance of Williamson was when he outsmarts Jhye Richardson slower ball out of the hand and then sets himself up perfectly to slog sweep it.
At the other end, Neesham walked out as if he was already well and truly set, smashing his first two balls for towering sixes and never looking back. Neesham and Tim Southee combined to take 20 from Sams' final over of the innings, ensuring the hosts made the highest T20I total.
The Battle of Fielders Wade attempted a back-foot punch but failed to clear Williamson at mid-off; Finch, who had spent 13 balls over 12 attempting to clear the boundary off Sodhi's bowling, picked out midwicket.
Stoinis and Sams shield falls short Stoinis declared himself as an international cricketer in 2017. As Stoinis and Sams conferred with six overs remaining, the visitors needed 98 runs and only had four wickets in hand.
Stoinis and Sams had to combat the odds, and the former middle the fourth ball to leave nine from