New Zealand and Australia will meet in Sunday’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai (4pm SA time).
Australia
Top run-scorer: David Warner – 236
Top wicket-taker: Adam Zampa – 12
Road to final
Beat South Africa by 5 wickets
Beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets
Beat England by 8 wickets
Beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets
Beat West Indies by 8 wickets
Beat Pakistan by 5 wickets (semi-final)
New Zealand
Top run-scorer: Daryl Mitchell – 197
Top wicket-taker: Trent Boult – 11
Road to final
Lost to Pakistan by 5 wickets
Beat India by 8 wickets
Beat Scotland by 16 runs
Beat Namibia by 52 runs
Beat Afghanistan by 8 wickets
Beat England by 5 wickets (semi-final)
T20I head to head
Australia wins: 9
New Zealand wins: 5*
*Includes one win on super over after tie
First T20I meeting
17 February 2005, Auckland
This was the first-ever international to be played in the format.
Australia won by 44 runs in front of 30,000 fans at Eden Park after making 214-5 in their 20 overs.
Captain Ricky Ponting top-scored with an unbeaten 98 off 55 balls with eight fours and five sixes.
Michael Kasprowicz then took 4-29 to steer the Australians to victory despite a fighting 66 by Scott Styris.
“There’s obviously still a lot of work to do in terms of the marketing and where it [T20] fits into international cricket, but certainly from a players’ point of view it’s exciting to play,” said New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming of the new format.
Last T20I meeting
7 March 2021, Wellington
A century opening stand by Martin Guptill and Devon Conway helped New Zealand clinch their T20 series against Australia in Wellington.
Set a target of 143 for victory in the fifth and final match, New Zealand claimed victory by seven wickets and took the series 3-2 with an emphatic 27 balls to spare.
After being comprehensively outplayed in games three and four when batting second, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson knew he had to be innovative to win the series after he lost the toss and was told to bowl first.
He put an emphasis on spin, with his slow bowlers sending down 12 overs, the most for New Zealand in a T20I match, and they took four of the eight wickets.
Ish Sodhi finished with 3-24 off his four overs, Hong Kong-born Mark Chapman – bowling for the first time for New Zealand – took 1-9 off two and Mitchell Santner conceded only 21 runs from his four.
Guptill, who had been out of form going into the series, silenced his critics with a masterful 71, including seven fours and four sixes, while Conway contributed 36 with the pair putting on 106 for the first wicket.
Glenn Phillips blasted New Zealand home with five fours and two sixes to be unbeaten on 34.
Matthew Wade top-scored for the tourists with 44, while skipper Aaron Finch contributed 36 and Marcus Stoinis made 24.
ALSO READ: Aussies, Black Caps seek history in T20 World Cup final
© Agence France-Presse
