Australia’s selectors have plenty to consider heading into this year’s T20 World Cup, after nominal back-up fast bowlers Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson suffocated New Zealand in a rain-affected third match in Auckland.
With the weather restricting the Black Caps to a 10-over chase of 126 for victory, and with frontline options Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood rested, Johnson and Ellis could scarcely have been more impressive as the hosts managed just 47 from the final five overs of their innings to lose by 27 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.
While he didn’t take a wicket in his two overs, Ellis conceded a miserly 11 runs as he repeatedly nailed his yorkers to frustrate Glenn Phillips, sending down four priceless dot balls in a row as his first over conceded only five.
Johnson, meanwhile, found prodigious swing and bounce on a surface with plenty of life for the quicks, not conceding more than two runs off any ball – save for a screaming delivery which cut Phillips in half and swung prodigiously past a diving Matthew Wade for four byes.
Together, the pair gave up just 21 runs from their four overs, confirming Australia’s envious pace-bowling depth in short-ball cricket, and ensuring the decision of whether to stick with the Cummins-Hazlewood-Mitchell Starc combination that proved so effective in the 2021 T20 World Cup won’t be an easy one.
Player of the match honours, though, fell to Matt Short, whose dazzling 11-ball 27 coming in at number three in the order ensured Australia made the most of a rain-interrupted innings after being sent in by New Zealand.
Short is another outsider looking to break into a largely established Australian limited-overs set-up, and having primarily been used as a finisher in recent matches, the star Adelaide Strikers opener relished the chance to move further up the order.
Clipping a six off Trent Boult over the short mid-wicket boundary off just his second ball, then dispatching the pace of Adam Milne for two more back-to-back, Short’s innings was always going to be crucial given drizzly conditions in Auckland made it clear a completed match was unlikely.
He’d have less luck with the ball, though, hit for 33 off his two overs – including an 18-run first over featuring two monster sixes – though he did take the key early wicket of New Zealand opener Will Young, caught well by Adam Zampa at short third man.
While Johnson, Ellis and Short all starred, less impressive was Steve Smith; once again opening the batting with David Warner rested, a first-ball four would be his one impact on the match, edging Milne behind for just 4 to throw his spot in the team – or even the squad – for the World Cup into further jeopardy.
With both Short and Glenn Maxwell (20 off nine) firing, a patchy innings from Travis Head (33 off 30) wouldn’t prove costly for the visitors; after starting with three consecutive first-over boundaries off Boult, the left-hander struggled for the fluency he displayed in abundance in Game 2 of the series.
His dismissal – an attempted heave to leg taking a top edge and snaffled at short third man – summed up the South Australian’s innings, but is unlikely to dispel the team’s belief the ODI World Cup player of the final last year is a long-term lock at the top of the order.
There were few highlights for the Black Caps, with several missed chances in the field – including a dropped sitter from Ish Sodhi at short fine leg to spare Head – proving key in letting Australia compile an insurmountable total.
The two teams can now gear up for the first of two Tests beginning on Thursday in Wellington.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Again, we can debate the benefits of Wade vs Inglis as a batter, and you can make a case for Wade as a finisher. But Inglis is a better gloveman, nobody can deny that. Wade has been dropped from multiple sides in the past due to his glovework not being good enough.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
My issue with Stoinis relates to how long he gets going when he bats. You can quote numbers, but it comes down to the role, and it’s a role he doesn’t play well. He uses up balls, particularly when coming in facing spin. I just don’t think he’s the best option. Clearly we disagree in opinions, but for me Stoinis was one of the major reasons we performed so poorly in the last T20 World Cup and that was on home soil. Performing in the IPL is great, but it’s not international cricket.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
My issue is with Stoinis’ batting, not his bowling, which is reliable whilst pedestrian. I’d still have Marsh ahead of him as a bowler, and Hardie, whilst Cartwright is a way better batter. Stoinis takes way too long to get going at number 5, he’s choked up many an innings.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
No. Stoinis takes too long to get going with the bat in T20 and just rolls out the ball with no penetration and no economy. Just a trundler...a true part timer..an occasional bowler.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
I’m talking T20 cricket here, agree about Green in red ball.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Nothing to argue otherwise? Cricinfo does not allow you to watch cricket. Those of us who know the game don't need a website to tell us what to think.
Sportstragic
Roar Rookie
You really need to spend some time on cricinfo. This will help enlighten you with facts. Not opinion. A bonus of cricinfo is, it will help you stop making things up to suit whatever narrative you have for the day
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You wouldn't know. He doesn't get to bat where Stoinis does. He regularly gets his 13, 17, 20 off a handful. You're limited by what the press tells you. I suppose you are unaware of his partnership with Phil Hughes.
Sportstragic
Roar Rookie
Hahahahaha "Agar does that batting cameo" This made me laugh. Thanks! Agar has played 47 times for Australia in 20/20 and has a top score of 29. Agar has never done a Stoinis level cameo in his career and will most likely never do it
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Johnson looked great but Ellis was more impressive in the context of looking forward to the Caribbean WC. Won’t get pitches like that there. Can’t believe how much Head is lifting his (head) and swinging wildly, not keeping his eyes on the ball. He was no more fluent in game 2. Two shots swinging across the line ended as top edges going for six. Someone just needs to remind him to keep his head still. Still not sure why Wade is keeping ahead of Inglis or is in the team, but it doesn’t look like they’re going to change. His main role seems to be to scream “Catch It!” whenever the ball goes in the air. Imagine how helpful that is when three players are converging on a ball. What’s the point? So he can say - I told you to catch it, why did you drop it? Mind bogglingly stupid. But every team does it.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Green is head and shoulders the best all rounder in WA, in Australia and the world (if he was allowed to bowl). Hardie is better than Marsh. I'd say you just don't know these players. Stoinis is nowhere. He didn't even start to bowl in first class cricket until his middle 20s. He was a top order batsman only.
GCS in 11
Roar Rookie
I think it’s positional for Wade v Inglis in the team. Inglis overall I’d say is the better batsmen, and if the keeper’s batting spot is going to be 1-5 then it’s Inglis over Wade (i.e. Inglis at 5, maybe Short at 7). But for a keeper at 7 I’d want Wade over Inglis. He has the experience and ability to go from ball 1 and score at 200+ in those last 5 overs. Inglis hasn’t had that experience and I think would be more likely to take longer to get in.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Yeah, I realise I got a dodgy Indian news source saying he'd been retained by Punjab but you're right he was released. Still a chance of getting an injury replacement gig. The more he can be working in the nets and games against quality spinners, the better.
The Bush
Roar Guru
I don't think Short has an IPL contract...
The Bush
Roar Guru
One or two scores 2 years ago doesn’t mean he’s in any sort of form now. In another response, I told you his good scores in his last two series before the Windies, but you conveniently ignored that response. This is the problem with trying to discuss anything with you, at least on this topic, as soon as you've been proven wrong, you just move the goal posts or build a straw man argument. No one mentioned Ricky Ponting and clearly your comment is pointless and has no relevance to what we're discussing. If your point now is that you want to pick form players, then I'm not sure what form Short is going to have come June, because as far as I'm aware, he doesn't have an IPL contract and we don't play again till then, so whatever 'form' he has from his one innnings yesterday will be long gone by then.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
He's the second best T20 allrounder in WA and third place is a long way behind him. The best is Mitch Marsh and he's an irregular bowler these days. Green's T20 bowling is not up to international standards yet, he can't be relied upon for more than 1 or 2 overs - can't bowl at the death and needs favourable conditions in the Powerplay. Hardie also is an underdeveloped T20 bowler who needs favourable conditions to succeed. And he can't play spin very well - got found out against Roston Chase in the West Indies series and has very ordinary T20 numbers against spin. I can only assume Hilton Cartwright has been mentioned as a joke. His bowling is not much better than Virat Kohli's. He's not even trusted to bowl for the Melbourne Stars let alone as an international bowler. And he is a fairly pedestrian T20 batter too, with a strike rate of 125.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
On pacy pitches I think that's a reasonable assessment. Hopefully he can have a better IPL tournament this time around and show he's learned how to bat on slow pitches and against spin. He won't be much use in the West Indies if he keeps averaging single digits against spin.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Was literally only comparing Stoinis to other seam bowling all rounders WA have - but you are correct, he’s about 7th or 8th in the queue and wouldn’t make a full strength WA side. So how on earth is he near Australian selection?
13th Man
Roar Rookie
I’d have Short comfortably ahead of Smith in all facets of T20.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
I don’t rate Wade at all.. think his keeping is very second rate. Batting is the secondary task, first and foremost they need to keep well and Inglis is tidier with the gloves and the difference between their batting is marginal.