For decades, Auckland’s Eden Park has been a place where Australian dreams went to die.
Ask any Wallaby who has played there since 1986.
However, this weekend another Australia side have the rare opportunity to lift a trophy at the venue, with Mitch Marsh’s Twenty20 team arriving with a 1-0 lead in the Chappell-Hadlee series.
Wednesday’s sensational last-ball triumph means Australia need to win just once at the fabled rugby ground, with matches scheduled for Friday night and Sunday afternoon, to claim the trophy.
Just like the first match of the series in Wellington, when Australia passed the Black Caps’ 3-215 on the last ball, the Auckland clashes are expected to be run-fests.
The last visit to Eden Park by Australia’s men’s T20 side came in 2018, when a team captained by David Warner broke the world record for a second-innings score – chasing down New Zealand’s 6-243 with seven balls remaining.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald said the short boundaries down the ground and behind the keeper at Eden Park would require discipline from the bowlers.
“We’ll try to get them to hit to the long boundaries more often than not,” he said.
“Defend straight and get them to hit square. We’ll keep it as simple as that.”
Steve Smith is likely to come into the Australia XI, with Matthew Wade also in contention after delaying his arrival in New Zealand to be at the birth of his child.
It looms as the last chance saloon for Smith to showcase his T20 credentials and play at a fourth T20 World Cup in June.
The stakes are high for Smith who doesn’t have an Indian Premier League contract, making the hit-outs pivotal to show form for June’s T20 World Cup.
Mitchell Marsh celebrates Australia’s win over New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Given his recent run with the bat – eight single-digit scores in the past 15 matches and a 52 against India last November the only half-century in the last 25 outings – Smith has missed out on a spot in the Australian XI and may battle to make the travelling 15-man squad.
Marsh admitted as much when he named Travis Head, David Warner and himself as the first-choice top three this week, with selectors thinking of Smith mainly as a top-order option in his twilight years.
McDonald confirmed Smith was “in our thinking” but also in a race for his spot. “There’s competition for places and that’s a good problem to have,” he said.
“We’re playing him for a reason. If he wasn’t in our thinking then he wouldn’t be on the plane over here. There’s 20 plus players that are in our thinking. We’re not settled in terms of the final 15 at this stage and that’s why these games are really important.”
Smith hasn’t featured regularly in the shortest format at international level for two years, playing just once at the last T20 World Cup and twice since, in last November’s series in India.
In two Big Bash innings this season, he made 61 and a duck.
Without IPL cricket to look forward to, which McDonald called the closest thing to international-level cricket, the Eden Park clashes loom as crucial for Smith.
“He’ll get some opportunity here. How he goes in those opportunities, I think will dictate what happens,” McDonald said.
“We’ll probably play him in a slightly different role than we’ve seen … he’s gone to the top of the order in recent times, so batting higher up and I think there’s still competition for places.
“We’ll work through to a 15 and give ourselves as many options in that 15 to negate what the West Indies surfaces will challenge us with.”
Steve Smith plays a shot at Thiruvananthapuram. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
Marsh admitted he’d set the hares racing on the likelihood of Smith missing that tournament with his comments earlier in the week.
“I understand that it always raises eyebrows when Steve Smith gets left out of the team,” he said.
“But we’re certainly building towards the World Cup and we’ll give lots of guys different opportunities over the next few games. So he’s one of them.”
There’s also a change in Kiwi availability, with Tim Southee making way for fellow quick Trent Boult, who arrives straight from playing in the International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates.
Boult was the pick of the quicks in the tournament final, taking 2-20 as his MI Emirates defeated the Dubai Capitals.
After four straight games in which they have conceded more than 200 runs, concerns the Australian attack is too leaky can be put in context by them winning three of those matches.
“We don’t want to be chasing 216 too often,” Marsh said. “But on these grounds over here – on the great wickets, small grounds – we have to get used to defending or chasing 200.”
Australia: Mitch Marsh (capt), Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Will Young.
Micko
Roar Rookie
But they don't bother playing tests there often, and cancelled the one to be held there the last time Australia toured there! :shocked: :sick: :thumbdown:
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
True, but he also hasn't been in the sort of form that suggests he should be gven a go. Touch wood, that Shield hundred can translate into runs in all formats.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Fair points, I didn’t mean to suggest that Short deserves an IPL contract. Just that he won’t have the IPL both to get more T20 practice and to give the selectors more to look at close the WC. Maybe they should go back to Stoinis if Caribbean pitches aren’t too dissimilar to IPL wickets. But not Smith IMHO.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
It's been an intriguing test series to be sure. The cricket fan in me wouldn't mind seeing it go into the fifth test tied up at 2-2. But the Australian in me wouldn't mind seeing England getting a dose of humility in the last couple of test matches. From what I've seen so far, I don't think this test match is going into the fifth day either way, and probably not the fourth!
jammel
Roar Rookie
I was talking more about the question re Green - ie Green hasn't done enough because he hasn't been given much of a go
The Bush
Roar Guru
This is a good little fight back building here... nothing like having a superstar in your team because as you say, wicket looks a bit tough at present, so Root is the kind of quality bat that can drag them up to a good score. I quite like Root, I hope he does well here, but I hope he does well playing properly. Happy to see Bairstow and Stokes back in the sheds in quick time though.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Crawley should have been out for single digits too, bowled off a no-ball. The pitch is doing a bit, so it's not disastrous territory yet for England, but you'd think they'd at least want to get to 250+ to get in the game which looks a long way away still. Bowling last could be a big advantage on this pitch given all the cracks so you'd think India would want to build a decent first innings lead (as they did in the first three tests). Good start to Akash Deep on test debut, despite his no-ball wicket. There is some incredible depth in Indian cricket!
The Bush
Roar Guru
Anyone watching England fall apart in the first session? Take out a big over by Crawley and they'd be three for 20... If you just take this English line up on batting averages, it's a really poor line up. Bairstow into his 100th test with a batting average of 35, Stokes at 6, batting average of 35, Foakes batting average under 30 and then the bowlers. But I guess cricket isn't played on paper, so who knows, maybe they'll still put up a score.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Yeah, Stoinis was not great in the Windies series (with the bat), but apart from that he's been one of our better T20I players over the last few years. His bowling has been pretty important too. I never want to see him play another ODI, but I think he's still got something to offer in the T20I side. I agree that overall you want to have the best bowlers available, but batting depth is important too - not just for the runs the No.8 or 9 might occasionally score, but for the confidence it gives the top order to play freely and not worry about losing their wickets. If you have a fourth bowler who is a good bat, but a little weaker than another candidate who is a poor bat, I think you go for the one who can bat - especially if you have a few allrounders in the top order. But agree if there is a big gulf in bowling ability you should preference the better bowlers then. You're right - it is very hard to tell who our best T20 bowlers are. The second string bowlers are often bowling against second string batting line-ups in bilateral series. We saw Jason Behrendorff bowl like a genius over in India and then get dusted up in the Windies series. Ellis does seem like the most likely candidate to squeeze in - he has done well in the IPL which I think says a lot.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately at this stage of his career, Green is another player best suited to batting in the top 3 in T20 cricket. That's where he had all his success with Mumbai. But there's already a plethora of options in those positions - so he either needs to wait until Warner has retired, or develop into a No.5 to get a spot I think. Also, his T20 bowling is still a work in progress, he can't be relied on for overs like Stoinis and Marsh - he's probably limited to helpful conditions or a couple of overs through the middle of the innings. Stoinis has very good T20I numbers and his recent form has been good too - including his bowling. He would seem the favourite at 5 if fit.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Interesting, but probably good, call on Wade. He's always been so hard to like, but his recent efforts with the bat have been commendable. For me the potential weakness in the batting is Stoinis, decent record, but not playing well at present. I'm not that phased by the bowlers batting abilities - it's nice to have an eight that can hit, and I suppose in a final if you lose a few wickets, gee it'd be nice, but at the end of the day, bowlers win matches and you generally shouldn't need your numbers 9 to 11 to bat too often (unless you're losing badly). So for me, you have to pick the best bowlers and unless that's Abbot, he's out. I'm not sold on the Big 3 being our best line up, but it's hard to know. Cummins didn't play a single T20 last year so then we're turning to discuss how he bowled at the last world cup... not sure if that tells us anything.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I think there's probably a pretty good reason why Smith hasn't had much of a go - this format doesn't suit him, unless he's in absolutely blazing form - and he's not.
jammel
Roar Rookie
Not necessarily on the pure numbers - but he hasn't been given much of a go either. But has MShort / Stoinis / JFM done enough internationally on the numbers as well? You've got to pick someone.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Has Green done enough with the bat to justify a spot in Australia's best T20 XI?
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Fair comment. Just read in the NZ press that the first 4 days of the Test at the Wellington Basin Reserve are sold out and it only has a 6,400 capacity. And the likelihood of a sellout for the second test at Hagley stadium in Christchurch which can hold 8,000 people. Guess you have to weigh up whether its best to have smaller stadiums or grounds that are full compared with bigger stadiums that may be half empty. Should be a cracking Test series. The Kiwis love to watch the Aussies in action. Little brother versus big brother.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Best XI and squad at this stage: 1. Warner 2. Head 3. Marsh 4. Maxwell 5. Stoinis 6. David 7. Wade 8. Cummins 9. Starc 10. Zampa 11. Hazlewood 12. Ellis 13. Inglis 14/15. Two out of Agar/Smith/Johnson/Abbott I've hedged my bets on the last two spots as it depends on the balance/flexibility they want. We're likely to see a lot of slow wickets which raises the possibility of two spinners - or do they rely on Maxwell and Head in those conditions like in the ODI World Cup (since those conditions also bring fast bowlers into the game with slower balls etc)? I'm also conscious that apart from Cummins, we don't really have a good No.8 at T20 level. Starc can hold a bat but he is not as explosive a hitter as Cummins, especially against pace bowling. So does Sean Abbott make the squad as a back-up No.8? Batting depth can be important even if you only use it once in the tournament. Or do you go Johnson who looks a better bowler but offers less with the bat? Smith makes the squad if we're having two spare bats, but Inglis is the first reserve batter for me if we choose a 1 bat / 3 bowler bench. Nathan Ellis is definitely putting pressure on for a spot in the first XI.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Auckland has a smaller population than Perth. Until the Perth Stadium was developed for AFL, cricket was primarily played at the Waca with a capacity of 20,000, but even then some of that capacity is owing to its former use as an AFL ground in the winter. The Waca is an aging stadium built in simpler times at a much lower cost than if it was built today. If you are suggesting Auckland could build Waca-level facilities then yes they probably could - have a hill for fans and a couple of smaller stands with no-frills facilities. I believe that's what they are aiming at - something like the Basin Reserve in Wellington with a capacity of 11,000. I would hardly describe the Waca or the Basin Reserve as big stadiums though. They are traditional cricket grounds which can host small to medium sized crowds. Big stadiums are the 40,000+ facilities we see in the major Australian capitals. If you mean a traditional cricket ground then yes I agree with you - Auckland needs one. Big white ball games would still likely be played at Eden Park though, much like the situation in Wellington with the Cake Tin/Basin Reserve.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Sorry, by big stadiums I'm referring to the size of the stands/seat numbers rather than ground dimensions. As far as I'm aware, yes the size of the playing areas is not primarily dictated by AFL - especially for grounds like the Gabba and SCG where AFL hosting came very late in their history.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Test cricket doesn't draw big crowds in New Zealand. I believe their record test crowd ever is around 38,000 (that's record for the whole 5 days not per day - so under 10,000/day). So you're looking at a record crowd being maybe 10,000 for Day 1, and mostly far less than that? It's not worth playing on a ground which doesn't have the dimensions of a proper cricket oval when you are barely drawing a crowd. May as well play on grounds with proper dimensions where the fewer spectators fill up more of the capacity and can sit on the hill etc to enjoy the day.
The Bush
Roar Guru
I appreciate all that Tempo, my point was only about Auckland; as I mentioned, I appreciate that AFL drives big stadiums in Australia and that sheer population and economics don't make it viable in New Zealand. But I still would have thought that Auckland could have a decent cricket oval that can seat a decent crowd... Will be interested to see if this Auckland cricket ground goes ahead and how many they propose to seat in it.