D'Arcy Short helps Australia beat New Zealand in record T20I run-chase

New Zealand vs Australia, T20 International: D'Arcy Short's 44-ball 76 helped Australia complete the highest successful run-chase in T20I history.

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D'Arcy Short helps Australia beat New Zealand in record T20I run-chase
D'Arcy Short top-scored for Australia, as they chase down a world record target of 244. (Photo: @ICC)

In Short

  • Australia chase down New Zealand's, to register a 5-wicket win.
  • Australia secured their place in the final of the tri-series T20I tournament.
  • Martin Guptill scored his second T20I hundred off just 46 balls.

D'Arcy Short smashed 76 as Australia gunned down the 244-run target against New Zealand in the fifth match of the T20I Tri Series in Auckland on Friday. Australia won by 5 wickets to book their spot in the final of the Tr-series.

This was the highest successful run-chase in the history of T20 International. The record was earlier held by West Indies when they had chased down a target of 232 against South Africa in Johannesburg in January 2015.

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D'Arcy Short fell to a well-aimed bouncer from Trent Boult, as his hook was caught by keeper Tim Seifert for 76. His 44-ball innings included eight boundaries and three sixes.

A total of 32 sixes where hit in the match, which equaled the record with India and West Indies.

Earlier today, New Zealand rode on Martin Guptill's record breaking second hundred and a 33-ball 76 from Colin Munro to post 243/6 off their 20 overs.

In the course of his innings, Guptill went past Brendon McCullum to become the highest scorer in T20 Internationals.

However, New Zealand's joy was short-lived. I

Chasing 244, Short and skipper David Warner (59) put on 121 runs in 8.3 overs to give the visitors the ideal start before Glenn Maxwell, who scored 31 from 14 balls, and Aaron Finch (36 not out) ensured they got home.

Having won their previous three matches before Friday, Australia had already qualified for the final of the tri-series, that also includes England, at the same ground on Feb. 21.

New Zealand had been strong favourites to join them in the final at the innings break after Guptill and Munro scored at more than 12 runs an over, exploiting the short boundaries down the ground.

Munro hit Andrew Tye for three successive sixes off the first three balls of the 11th over but was then undone by a cleverly-disguised slower delivery on the next and was caught at wide long on by Maxwell.

Guptill then picked up where Munro had left off, reaching his second Twenty20 international century in 49 deliveries before Tye had him caught by Maxwell at deep midwicket to leave the hosts 212 for three in the 17th over.

Australia then dragged the New Zealand innings back with three wickets for four runs in six deliveries. Ross Taylor hit two sixes in an 18-run final over from Tye to propel New Zealand to their equal-highest T20 score.

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New Zealand face England in Hamilton on Sunday, with the hosts holding the advantage having won their game in Wellington on Tuesday by 12 runs.

(With inputs from Reuters)