By Sam Campion
On the 21st of February, debatably one of the greatest run chases in T20 cricket history took place at Sky Stadium in Wellington. This run chase (the side batting last needs to score a certain number of runs to win) went down to the last over of the innings with Tim David and Mitch Marsh needing 16 to win off the last over.
The total needed was 215 runs due to an impressive first innings by New Zealand with a 100-run partnership between Rachin Ravinda scoring 68 off 35 balls with six sixes and wicketkeeper Devon Conway who scored 63 off 46 balls. The Kiwis punished the spinners well with Adam Zampa getting hit for 42 off 3 overs and Glenn Maxwell who was destroyed off his two overs with New Zealand hitting him for 32 runs. But the Aussies were fighting back towards the end of the innings with the four test players, keeping the two heavy hitters, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman to a minimum. But New Zealand had already done the damage and the Australians were chasing 216 for a win.
The innings started with Travis Head and David Warner getting the Aussies off to a great start with Warner and Head hitting 6 sixes. But shortly after, David Warner tried for a third six in the over but was caught and booed off the ground by the Kiwi crowd. Luckily that wicket brought in the captain Mitch Marsh who ended up scoring 72 runs in total. But Marsh’s batting partners failed to get above 30 runs until Tim David came in and hit 3 sixes and 2 fours off 6 balls. After that Australia needed 16 off the last over. After a slow start to the final over with 3 extras, Tim David finally got going hitting a six and a four of the last 3 balls bringing the match to a close with Australia victorious.