Australia vs New Zealand – Men’s Second T20 International Live Coverage
Overview
Welcome cricket lovers! Join us for game two of the live updates of the men’s T20I showdown for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. Australia are ahead the series one-nil after trouncing the home side by six wickets in the first match on the previous match day.
That victory was anchored by the broad shoulders of captain Mitchell Marsh, who blasted 85 runs off 43 balls with 9 boundaries and 5 maximums at a strike-rate of nearly 200.
The Black Caps were hammered with the ball but will take solace from their performance with the bat. Despite losing three early wickets in the initial overs, they bounced back to reach what appeared a competitive 181 runs, spearheaded by Tim Robinson’s first T20I hundred.
Weather Conditions
The latest weather report…
Unfortunately, it’s a wet day at Bay Oval and the drizzle, which stopped an earlier, has just resumed. Although the weather radar shows brighter skies coming in, for now the toss and announcement of the two XIs for today will be postponed.
However, I’m assured Bay Oval has a excellent drainage that handles rain efficiently, so fingers crossed we see play shortly.
Squad Updates
Here are today’s teams…
NEW ZEALAND
1 Tim Seifert (wk), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Tim Robinson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell (captain), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, 9 Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, 11 Jacob Duffy
A changed lineup for the New Zealand with allrounder Jimmy Neesham added to the team, paceman Ben Sears in, and 32-year-old leg-break specialist Ish Sodhi also selected.
AUSTRALIAN SIDE
Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (captain), 3 Matt Short, 4 Tim David, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood
A single alteration for the Aussies with fast-bowler Sean Abbott taking the place of Ben Dwarshuis.
Toss Result
Toss: New Zealand won the toss and will bowl first
Michael Bracewell calls correctly and chooses to field at the Australians. The Australian skipper probably would have chosen similarly so an initial advantage for the hosts. However, the Black Caps will need to begin more strongly than they did in the first match where the visitors galloped to 67 runs in five overs before the New Zealand took their first wicket.
Match Conditions
More good news, everyone: the covers have been removed at Bay Oval and we have official word that today’s fixture will go ahead as an 18-over contest.
Player Highlights
Tim Robinson’s first T20I century in Game One was a ripper in a losing cause. The New Zealand were 6-3 in the second over, with Josh Hazlewood removing the opener in the first over and the left-arm quick striking twice in two balls to dismiss Devon Conway and Mark Chapman back to the sheds before the young batsman swaggered out. In his 13th T20 international, the tousle-haired youngster made an not out 106 off 66 balls.
He hit six fours and five sixes along the way and ended his blitzkrieg in style, with a four and a six from the last two deliveries!
Injury Updates
There’s a few fans leaving at the Bay Oval so we expect a toss and the confirmed teams for you soon. But, there are a number of players absent across the board through fitness issues, Test commitments, family reasons or freak accidents.
Weirdest of all, both squads lost their star allrounders on the day before the series in bizarre training mishaps. On Tuesday, New Zealand star Rachin Ravindra hit an advertising hoarding during a fielding practice and suffered a deep laceration to his face that required stitches and made him unavailable for the series.
On the same day, Aussie veteran Glenn Maxwell had one of his meaty wrists fractured while practicing bowling thanks to hard-hitting colleague Mitchell Owen. It means The Big Show is a absent for this series and may be in doubt for the domestic season too.
Looking Back
As the players go through their last preparations at the venue, we might reflect at the first match. The two sides arrived in hot form, with the Australians on a tear of 15 victories from their last 17 T20s and the Kiwis having won 9 out of 11 matches in 2025.
Women’s World Cup Connection
Naturally today’s T20I is also a appetizing preview for the Women’s ODI World Cup being played in the subcontinent. The Australian women’s team are on a quest to win a seventh 50-over title, and be the first women’s team to claim consecutive titles since 1988. They began their tournament with a win against the White Ferns and this evening face Sri Lanka.
Indigenous star Ashleigh Gardner notched the first century of the competition, saving her team from a precarious position with a calm 83-ball 115 that helped her team to reach 326 runs in 49.3 overs. The Australians went on to beat the New Zealand by 89 runs.
