NZ vs AUS Highlights, 1st T20: David, Marsh help Australia secure last-ball win over New Zealand in 216 chase

Southee starts with a wide. 15 needed off six. Marsh gets a leg-bye for one run. Two deliveries on the full for a couple of singles. 12 needed off three. Low full-toss sliding down leg and David parries it to the fine-leg for SIX! 6 needed from 2. Wide yorker and David drives through extra cover for two runs. 4 needed off 1. Full ball angling in and David drills the ball through wide long-on for FOUR - Australia win off the final ball. What a chase this has been! 

A single off the first ball. Milne goes wide off the off-stump and Marsh fails to put bat on ball. Wide yorker and David gets a toe-edge past short-third for FOUR. In the slot and David smokes it over wide long-on for SIX! Milne overpitches and David heaves the ball across the line for another SIX. Australia need 16 runs in the final over.

Ferguson pins the ball into the blockhole as the pressure begins to get to Australia. Short ball this time and Marsh slaps it over deep mid-wicket for SIX.

Santner pins Inglis to the crease with a tight line of attack. WICKET! Inglis perishes as he mistimes the slog-sweep. He never got in during the knock and New Zealand get a big scalp.

Josh Inglis c Ravindra b Santner 20 (20b 1x4 1x6)

Sodhi constricts the batters with tight lines and the batters tread with singles. In the slot and Marsh clobbers it over deep mid-wicket for a huge SIX!

Southee starts the over with a couple of wides. Length ball and Inglis hammers it over deep mid-wicket for SIX.

Fifty for Mitch Marsh as Sodhi skims through a tight over. Four from it.

Slower-ball on length and Inglis attempts to clear mid-off but Southee dives to his left and gets some hand on it. That was a chance and Southee fails to hold on. Short ball and Marsh mistimes the pull. Phillips lines underneath it at the ropes but spills the ball through for SIX! Fuller delivery and Marsh smokes it for another SIX!

Santner drops short and Marsh blasts it flat past Chapman at deep mid-wicket for SIX. Slow slider this time and it nearly hits the off-stump as Marsh attempts a cut. 

WICKET! Cleans him up. Ferguson tears through Maxwell's gates with a ripper. The ball hits the length and skids through and NZ fight back.

Glenn Maxwell b Ferguson 25 (11b 2x4 2x6) 

Sodhi continues. A couple of wide deliveries and Sodhi gets one right with a quick slider that beats Marsh's blade. A single to follow. Another leg-break and the ball skids low past Maxwell's bat. Googly from Sodhi but Maxwell connects and the ball pinges off the bat for SIX.

Another short ball from Santner and Marsh rocks back nimbly and pumps it over cow-corner for SIX. Short and wide, Marsh slaps it over cover for FOUR. A single to follow. Full toss and Maxwell guides it down the ground for another FOUR.

Ish Sodhi replaces Ferguson. Maxwell takes no time to get a move on as he brings out the reverse-sweep for FOUR. Sodhi drops one short and Maxwell scythes it fine for SIX!

Skipper Mitch Santner into the attack. Mitch to Mitch. Marsh finds a single through cover. Hint of room and Warner unfurls the slog-sweep for SIX over deep mid-wicket. Short again and Warner clobbers it into the stands for another SIX. WICKET! Gone this time. Warner mistimes the drag-down this time and Phillips takes a safe catch at wide long-on. 

David Warner c Phillips b Santner 32 (20b 1x4 3x6)

Warner fails to connect Ferguson's deliveries that jet diagonally across the turf. In the air and dropped by Rachin! Quick bumper and Warner miscues the pull. Rachin runs back from mid-wicket and he fails to latch onto a big chance.

Southee surprises Warner with a delivery that straightens and shoots up. He gets some wood on the ball and it flies over the keeper for FOUR. A gentle outswinger and Marsh walks into it and drills it over cover for FOUR. Straighter ball on the full and Marsh gently swipes it across the line for a 90m SIX. A single to follow and Warner slaps the last ball over square-leg for SIX. Fifty up for Australia.

Milne sprays one across the line and Head slaps it over cover for FOUR. WICKET! Miscue and Southee takes a superb catch running besides from mid-on. Massive wicket for the Kiwis. Mitch Marsh suffers a loud shout first up as Milne shapes one in. The umpire is unmoved but Santner reviews. Replays suggest the ball is sliding down leg.

Travis Head c Southee b Milne 24 (15b 3x4 1x6)

A tepid start for Australia. Lockie Ferguson comes into the attack against David Warner and Travis Head. A quick bumper and Warner dabs it to square-leg for a single. Short again but Head muscles it over deep mid-wicket for a SIX this time.

Two fifties of contrasting styles from Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway have set up Australia a 216-run target. In case if you have just tuned in, here's everything you need to know about this high-octane series.

NZ vs AUS T20I series – All you need to know

Cummins rolls in a slower-ball outside off. Phillips taps it to long-off for a single. Short ball and Chapman pulls to deep mid-wicket for two runs. Wide yorker and Chapman slices it past backward point. Warner gives chance and denies a boundary at the fence but NZ run three. Slower-bouncer outside-off and Phillips somehow parries it over short fine-leg for FOUR. A single to finish and NZ finish at 215 for three. 

Starc overpitches and Chapman pumps it over mid-wicket for a huge SIX. A couple of ones and twos to follow. Back-of-a-length and Phillips clobbers it over deep mid-wicket for another SIX.

Hazlewood maintains a sharp line of attack. Phillips and Chapman find a couple of singles. Brilliant over from Hazlewood. Just the six runs from it.

WICKET! Off-cutter from Marsh and Conway slices it straight to Starc at short-third. Two crucial wickets in succession for Australia as Mark Chapman joins Glenn Phillips. Marsh concedes back-to-back wides and a single follows.

Devon Conway c Starc b Marsh 63 (46b 5x4 2x6)

Cummins is back. He varies his pace to keep the batters on their toes. A quick bouncer to Rachin and he gets a top-edge towards a vacant mid-on region. Length from Cummins and Ravindra heaves it through the on-side, bisecting the fielders in the deep for FOUR. WICKET! Flat swipe off the length and Rachin finds Starc at the ropes. A fine innings comes to an end.

Rachin Ravindra c Starc b Cummins 68 (35b 2x4 6x6) 

In the slot from Zampa and Rachin unleashes a massive SIX through the on-side with a slog-sweep. Short ball and Rachin cleaves it through mid-wicket for FOUR. And he brings up his half-century off 29 deliveries with a single. Another one on the full and Rachin pummels it over long-on for another SIX! SIX more. Zampa continues to toss on the same length and is taken to the cleaners.

Hazlewood is back in. Australia continue to fiddle through the bowlers. A streak of ones and twos. Hazlewood finds his zone. A forceful bumper that climbs on and Conway manages to direct it through wide long-on for FOUR.

Marsh returns. A couple of off-cutters keeps the charge down. Short delivery this time and Rachin whacks it over deep mid-wicket for SIX!

Starc sends in an off-cutter and Ravindra nonchalantly hoists it over mid-on for SIX! Room on offer and Ravindra parries the ball down to deep point for a single. 

Zampa continues. Loose delivery down leg and Conway swipes it past backward square-leg for FOUR. Short again and Ravindra clobbers it back into the deep mid-wicket stands. He flays the next through point for a single.

Maxwell is back. Conway ends the boundary drought with a slog-sweep through mid-wicket for SIX. Rachin drags a short ball through wide long-on for two runs. 

Adam Zampa into the attack. Conway drives the first-ball to long-on for a single. Rachin follows suit. The batters resort to singles as Zampa denies any room.

Cummins is back and he works with the slower deliveries to keep the left-handers in check. Fine over, just four from it.

Captain Mitch Marsh into the attack. Tight lines from Marsh. Short-ball and Rachin mistimes the ball that falls in no-man's land past mid-wicket. Seven from the over.

Starc returns. Allen toes a slower-ball just over the mid-wicket fielder and finds two runs. WICKET! Another delivery on length that Allen fails to clear the inner-ring. Easy catch for David Warner at mid-wicket and that's a dismissal against the run of play for Allen. Rachin Ravindra is in at 3.

Finn Allen c Warner b Starc 32 (17b 2x4 3x6)

Allen is in the zone. Hazlewood slides one in on the full and Allen clears his front-leg and steers the ball down the ground for FOUR. A couple of singles to follow.

Pat Cummins into the attack. Length from Cummins and Conway gets a thick outside-edge that flies over the slip-cordon for SIX! Firm bumper from Cummins and Conway stands tall and pulls it past mid-on for FOUR. FOUR more. A cracking swivel-pull in front of square races to the fence, FIFTY up for NZ!

Glenn Maxwell replaces Starc. Conway drives the ball through cover for a single. Fraction short and Allen rocks back to slap the ball down the ground for another SIX. And it's a no-ball as Maxwell oversteps! Allen smokes the free-hit down the ground for another SIX! Fuller delivery and Allen works the ball through mid-wicket for a single. Another drag-down and Conway smears the ball through cover for FOUR. Slower-ball though the air and Conway misses the swing across the line. 20 from the over.

Josh Hazlewood from the opposite end. Hazlewood finds the leading edge off Conway's blade but it skims past backward point. Starc makes ground in the deep but the batters reel in three runs. BANG! Allen makes some room and charges to pump Hazlewood over deep mid-wicket for a massive SIX. Hazlewood overpitches and Allen uses the width to loft the ball over cover for FOUR. Hazlewood tails one in and Allen taps it back. Allen gives another charge but misses it altogether as Hazlewood slides it past leg-stump.

Starc to Allen with a slip in place. Quick delivery on length first-up. The cross-seamer zips past Allen's outside-edge to the keeper. A touch of swing this time as Starc slides the ball down leg to concede a wide. Rash, pre-meditated swing from Allen and he fails to connect on a length delivery that thuds into his waist. A misfield at mid-wicket and Allen is off the blocks with a hack for a single. Gentle shape and Conway dabs the ball behind point for one run. Sharp bouncer from Starc as Allen throws his bat for a pull and misses.Trouble for Allen. A late inswinging yorker rushes in and Allen digs it out towards short mid-wicket and sets off on a risky single. Short fails to latch on to the ball as Conway sends his partner back. 

It's going to be a high-octane clash, no doubt. Mitch Starc is up with the new ball against Finn Allen and Devon Conway. Starc and Cummins are playing their first T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup!

Looks like a fine day for cricket in Wellington. Finn Allen and Devon Conway set to open for the Kiwis. But before that the teams will receive a cultural Maori welcome. The teams lineup for the national anthems.

All set in Wellington! Follow play LIVE in NZ with @TVNZ and TVNZ 1 ? #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/YOp95bdT3w

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 21, 2024

Australia XI: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitch March (c), Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Matt Short, Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

New Zealand XI: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Mitch Santner (c), Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson

TOSS: New Zealand win toss, opts to bat

• David Warner needs 54 runs to become the all-time leading run scorer for Australia in men’s T20Is (Aaron Finch – 3,120).
• Glenn Maxwell will surpass Aaron Finch (103) for the most appearances for Australia in men’s T20Is.
• Lockie Ferguson (49) needs one wicket to become the second-fastest Kiwi bowler to reach 50 T20I wickets.

Skipper Mitch Marsh has suggested that Steve Smith might not make the Playing XI.

“There will be certain guys that probably bat in different positions than they have done in the past, but ultimately we’re here to win the series. I’ve batted three for the last 18 months, so I’ll be there to start with. And obviously Heady and Davey Warner have been amazing for us over the last period of time, so I daresay that will be the top three,” Mitchell Marsh told cricket.com.au.

“Over here, it’s always the harsh reality that we’re neighbours, in sport we like to beat each other,” Warner said in Wellington on Monday.

“From that perspective, we’re going to be expecting the crowd to come at us as hard as they come. As we always say, it’s in one ear, out the other – if I actually hear anything.”

“I enjoy playing here. It’s about coming out and trying to put my best foot forward, and score runs.

“The crowd, yeah, they got personal, but if they have to get personal, that’s their character ... if you want to pay your money to come and abuse people, you have to go back and lay in your own bed.

“We’re here to play the game of cricket that we love, enjoy and put bums on seats to keep the game going," Warner said.

In T20Is - NZ won: 6, Australia won: 10

T20Is in NZ - NZ won: 4, Australia won: 6

Form Guide (last 10 matches, most recent first)

New Zealand: L, W, W, W, W, W, NR, L, W, W
Australia: L, W, W, L, L, W, L, L, W, W

Australia enter the series after a 2-1 T20I series win at home against the West Indies. Meanwhile, New Zealand routed Pakistan in their previous T20I series by a 4-1 margin. The T20I series will be followed by two Tests.

Sky Stadium moments against Australia! Get set for tonight's first match of the KFC T20I Series in Wellington ? Follow play LIVE in NZ from 7:10pm with @TVNZ+, TVNZ 1 and @SENZ_Radio. #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/sCtVtmea0u

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 21, 2024

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), 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