Australia's stand-in captain Matthew Wade praised his team’s depth following their 27-run victory (DLS) over New Zealand in the third and final T20I at Eden Park in Auckland which sealed a clean sweep for the home side in the three-match T20I series.
In a match affected by rain in Auckland, Australia put up a strong performance to secure a 27-run victory over their neighbours in the final T20I of the series. Wade led the team in the absence of regular skipper Mitchell Marsh.
Speaking after the match, Wade commended Australia's clinical bowling performance and highlighted all-rounder Matthew Short’s batting display. Short's quickfire 27 runs off 11 deliveries, including a boundary and three sixes, were crucial against New Zealand.
“Our bowlers were unbelievable, was a clinical bowling performance. The way Short batted, it was fantastic. Everyone is enjoying their cricket. Everyone knows the World Cup's coming up. We have a good batting line up and the bowlers are doing a good job,” said Wade.
Wade expressed satisfaction with the depth of Australia's squad and credited their support staff for their preparation. Debutant Spencer Johnson played a significant role in Australia’s victory, bowling economically and dismissing Tim Seifert in Auckland.
“It's nice to see the depth in the side. Credit goes to the support staff for their homework. This venue wasn't a happy hunting ground for us before today, but the bowlers got some help, it was a really good performance,” Wade added.
Despite challenging weather conditions resulting in a shortened game, Australia set a challenging target of 118-4, with Travis Head top-scoring with 33 runs.
In response, New Zealand could only manage 98-3, with Glenn Phillips' unbeaten 40 off 24 balls falling short of the revised target under the DLS method.
Debutant Johnson impressed with figures of 1-10 from his two overs, contributing to Australia's dominance throughout the series. His performances bode well for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the West Indies and USA in June.
