Rain interrupted play in the Champions Trophy Group A match between Australia and New Zealand, here today.
New Zealand were 51 for two in 15 overs chasing Australia’s 243 for eight when heavy showers forced the umpires to call for the covers.
Kane Williamson was batting on 18 and giving him company was Ross Taylor on eight.
Earlier, Adam Voges struck a 76-ball 71, while stand-in skipper George Bailey made 55 to help Australia post a fighting total.Adam Voges top-scored with a 76-ball 71 as Australia laboured to a fighting 243 for eight in their must-win ICC Champions Trophy Group A match against New Zealand here today.
Australia Innings
Besides Voges, stand-in skipper George Bailey contributed a patient 55 off 91 balls, his second consecutive half-century.
However, it was Glenn Maxwell’s cameo towards the end that propped up Australia’s run rate and took the score past 240. Maxwell remained unbeaten on 29 off 22 balls and hit two sixes and a four. He added 24 runs of a mere 14 balls with Clint Mckay for the ninth-wicket.
As far as specialist batsmen were concerned, Voges and Bailey were the ones to have made noteworthy contributions for Australia, who desperately need a win to keep their chances of securing a semifinal berth alive.
The duo shared 77 runs in 16 overs for the fourth wicket after Australia were reduced to 74 for three in the 19th over on an Edgbaston pitch that’s not really tailormade for strokemaking.
Mitchell McClenaghan was the most successful bowler for New Zealand, returning with figures of four for 65 in 10 overs, his second such haul after his effort in the win against Sri Lanka on Sunday. Nathan McCullum picked up two for 46.
Sent into bat, Australia were off to a disastrous start as they lost two wickets, including the important one of Shane Watson, with just 10 runs on the board.
Bailey along with opener Matthew Wade — playing in place of David Warner who was axed from the playing XI on disciplinary ground — added 64 runs for the third wicket to stabilise Australia’s innings. McCullum gave New Zealand a breakthrough, having wicketkeeper-batsman Wade trapped in front of the wicket after the Aussie had struggled his way to 29 off 57 balls.
Then came the Bailey-Voges stand, the latter doing the bulk of scoring accumulating 50 runs. The association ended when McCullum bowled Bailey, the Australian captain hitting five fours in his 91-ball knock.
McClenaghan gave New Zealand their most important breakthrough as he had Voges caught by skipper Brendon McCullum. The 33-year-old Aussie struck seven boundaries.
Among other Kiwi bowlers, Daniel Vettori had a good outing as he conceded just 23 runs off his quota of 10 overs, though he could not take a wicket.