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Birmingham: The Kiwis match against Australia at the Champions Trophy was abandoned due to rain at Edgbaston, with both teams taking a single point from the game.
A win from the trans-Tasman clash would have guaranteed New Zealand a semifinals spot, but because only 15 overs were able to be played in New Zealand’s innings there was no result. A minimum of 20 overs need to bowled in each innings for there to be a result.
The Kiwis were 51-2 when rain set in for the afternoon. Despite the rain eventually stopping a couple of hours later, sadly the field was not able to dry in time.
Against their old rivals, New Zealand had fielded an unchanged line-up to that which snuck home against Sri Lanka in their opening Champions Trophy match on Sunday.
After winning the toss, Australia chose to bat and got off to the worst possible start. In the second over the day, Mitchell McClenaghan had the prized wicket of Shane Watson caught behind for five.
Two overs later the Blackcaps had their second victim as Martin Guptill hit the stumps with a direct hit to run out Phil Hughes for a duck and have Australia reeling at 10-2. Captain George Bailey steadied the ship to a more comfortable 74-2 until Nathan McCullum got his partner Matthew Wade lbw for 29.
Bailey chugged along to his 50 and Australia to 150 before McCullum did the damage again bowling Bailey for 56.
From there it was the McClenaghan show as the speedster had Marsh caught behind, and then with his next ball (at the start of his next over) he had Voges caught by his skipper for 71 to be on a hat-trick.
McClenaghan’s next wicket might not have come with the hat-trick ball but he had Mitchell Johnson also caught by the skipper after McClenaghan had done the catching himself with the previous wicket - James Faulkner gone off the bowling of Williamson.
Glenn Maxwell had a late flurry to take Australia to 243 - a reasonable total after losing four wickets in the last 10 overs. McClenaghan finished with the best figures of 4-65, while McCullum got 2-46. Vettori was the most economical, giving away just 23 runs from his 10 overs.
In reply the in-form Guptill didn’t last long before Clint McKay had his wicket for eight runs. Four overs later McKay had his second wicket with Luke Ronchi gone for 14 just as the former Australian player was settling in nicely. The New Zealand were in trouble at 26-2.
Williamson and Ross Taylor took the team through to 51-2 before rain forced the players from the field.
New Zealand’s final pool match is against England in Cardiff on Sunday.
Earlier, Australia captain George Bailey won the toss and elected to bat.
David Warner was left out, Glenn Maxwell replaced him and Xavier Doherty replaced Mitchell Starc.
New Zealand have retained the XI that won the last game.
Teams
New Zealand: Luke Ronchi (wk), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, James Franklin, Brendon McCullum (Capt.), Daniel Vettori, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan
Australia: Shane Watson, Matthew Wade (wk), Phillip Hughes, George Bailey (Capt.), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty
Brief scores
Australia 243 for 8 (Voges 71, Bailey 55, McClenaghan 4-65)
New Zealand 51 for 2 (McKay 2-10)
Result Match abandoned
Points Australia 1, New Zealand 1
