New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the Chappell-Hadlee Series after winning the opening ODI in thrilling fashion by 6 runs at Eden Park in Auckland. After putting 286 runs on the board, the Kiwis found themselves in the driver’s seat with Australia reeling at 67 for 6.
But Marcus Stoinis then produced one of the best counter-attacking innings of all time, smashing an 117-ball 146 to take Australia within touching distance of a win.
Here are the reactions from the game:
Australian captain Aaron Finch
“That's a rollercoaster. Probably one of the best one-day performances [from Stoinis]. Just couldn't get over the line. You are aiming to get it deep, you never know what happens. I thought we were sloppy; the all-round performance. We believed we could chase 287, the ball flies at Eden Park. A lot of extras and wides, you can nitpick anything. Just a bit of a shoulder twinge [while batting]. I will get through it,”
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson
“As Finchy mentioned, it was a rollercoaster. The way Marcus played for a good part of 35 overs was fantastic. He deserves to be the Man of the Match. On these sort of grounds, you need to look to take wickets. The way they built partnerships late gave us a chance too. Eden Park has produced some thrillers, and nice to be involved in this. It [Placing myself at short mid-on] was hopefully to gather a throw from somebody and avoid a direct-hit maybe.We need to be better going into Napier,”
Man of the Match Marcus Stoinis
“It may sink in later, the win was the priority. Some sad faces in the dressing room. I am not experienced for these grounds. Finch gave me the confidence - I had a full crack at ten overs. The key was not to panic. The first instinct is to score quicker. Jimmy [Faulkner] was good out there to bat with. We calmed each other down, and at the end we had a crack at it. Sometimes, the plans don't come off. A performance like this does well for your confidence, but consistency is the key. Hopefully, I back it up,”
Social media was full of praise for the right-hander’s incredible performance:
Harsha Bhogle
Russell Arnold
Grant Elliot
Ayaz Memon
Tom Moody
David Warner
Michael Clarke
Dileep Premachandran
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