The 2nd Test between the Australian Men’s Cricket Team and the New Zealand National Cricket Team, held in Christchurch, showcased the longstanding rivalry between these cricketing giants. As two of the top teams in Test cricket, this match was pivotal for both squads, testing their endurance, skill, and strategy over five grueling days. With the picturesque Hagley Oval setting the stage, fans witnessed exceptional performances from players on both sides. The battle between Australia and New Zealand is always intense, and the outcome of this Test added another thrilling chapter to their cricketing history.
In this article, we’ll dive into the match details, including the venue, team squads, scorecard, key performances, and the man of the match.
Match Overview
The 2nd Test between Australia and New Zealand took place at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch from March 8, attracting global attention. This match was crucial as both teams aimed to strengthen their position in the World Test Championship rankings. Australia, known for their formidable bowling attack and solid batting lineup, clashed against a highly competitive New Zealand team, renowned for their resilience and world-class players.
Venue of the Match
- Location: Hagley Oval, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Date: March 08 (Day 1)
- Weather Conditions: Cool and breezy with intermittent cloud cover, ideal for swing bowling.
Squads
Australian Men’s Cricket Team Squad:
- Pat Cummins (Captain)
- David Warner
- Steve Smith
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Usman Khawaja
- Travis Head
- Alex Carey (Wicketkeeper)
- Cameron Green
- Mitchell Starc
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
New Zealand National Cricket Team Squad:
- Kane Williamson (Captain)
- Tom Latham
- Devon Conway
- Ross Taylor
- Henry Nicholls
- BJ Watling (Wicketkeeper)
- Colin de Grandhomme
- Kyle Jamieson
- Tim Southee
- Neil Wagner
- Trent Boult
Australian Men’s Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
Australia’s 1st Innings
| Batsman | Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner | 45 | 78 | 6 | 1 | 57.69 |
| Usman Khawaja | 12 | 41 | 2 | 0 | 29.26 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 65 | 158 | 8 | 0 | 41.13 |
| Steve Smith | 24 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 48.00 |
| Travis Head | 18 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 46.15 |
| Cameron Green | 8 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 53.33 |
| Alex Carey (Wk) | 34 | 63 | 4 | 0 | 53.96 |
| Pat Cummins (C) | 25 | 45 | 2 | 1 | 55.56 |
| Mitchell Starc | 10 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Nathan Lyon | 7 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 31.82 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 250 | All Out |
Fall of Wickets:
1-52 (Usman Khawaja), 2-98 (David Warner), 3-124 (Steve Smith), 4-150 (Marnus Labuschagne), 5-158 (Travis Head), 6-165 (Cameron Green), 7-210 (Pat Cummins), 8-225 (Mitchell Starc), 9-243 (Alex Carey), 10-250 (Josh Hazlewood).
Bowling – New Zealand 1st Innings
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Boult | 21.2 | 6 | 50 | 3 | 2.34 |
| Tim Southee | 18 | 5 | 49 | 2 | 2.72 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 20 | 3 | 61 | 5 | 3.05 |
| Neil Wagner | 22 | 6 | 62 | 0 | 2.82 |
| Colin de Grandhomme | 14 | 2 | 28 | 0 | 2.00 |
New Zealand’s 1st Innings
| Batsman | Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Latham | 30 | 67 | 5 | 0 | 44.78 |
| Devon Conway | 50 | 108 | 7 | 0 | 46.29 |
| Kane Williamson (C) | 25 | 45 | 3 | 0 | 55.56 |
| Ross Taylor | 12 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 30.77 |
| Henry Nicholls | 9 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 40.91 |
| BJ Watling (Wk) | 32 | 74 | 4 | 0 | 43.24 |
| Colin de Grandhomme | 18 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 52.94 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 35.71 |
| Tim Southee | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Neil Wagner | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 71.43 |
| Trent Boult | 3* | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Total | 195 | All Out |
Fall of Wickets:
1-58 (Tom Latham), 2-100 (Devon Conway), 3-125 (Kane Williamson), 4-128 (Ross Taylor), 5-145 (Henry Nicholls), 6-173 (BJ Watling), 7-180 (Colin de Grandhomme), 8-184 (Kyle Jamieson), 9-191 (Neil Wagner), 10-195 (Tim Southee).
Bowling – Australia 1st Innings
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | 20 | 5 | 52 | 4 | 2.60 |
| Mitchell Starc | 18.5 | 4 | 45 | 3 | 2.39 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 17 | 6 | 35 | 2 | 2.06 |
| Nathan Lyon | 22 | 8 | 50 | 1 | 2.27 |
| Cameron Green | 6 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 2.17 |
Australia’s 2nd Inning
| Batsman | Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner | 37 | 64 | 6 | 0 | 57.81 |
| Usman Khawaja | 19 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 32.20 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 126 | 284 | 14 | 1 | 44.37 |
| Steve Smith | 58 | 117 | 8 | 0 | 49.57 |
| Travis Head | 21 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 65.63 |
| Cameron Green | 15 | 43 | 2 | 0 | 34.88 |
| Alex Carey (Wk) | 9 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 34.62 |
| Pat Cummins (C) | 18 | 46 | 2 | 0 | 39.13 |
| Mitchell Starc | 11 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 47.83 |
| Nathan Lyon | 4* | 8 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 325 | All Out |
Fall of Wickets:
1-57 (David Warner), 2-82 (Usman Khawaja), 3-220 (Steve Smith), 4-245 (Travis Head), 5-272 (Marnus Labuschagne), 6-291 (Cameron Green), 7-308 (Pat Cummins), 8-319 (Mitchell Starc), 9-324 (Alex Carey), 10-325 (Josh Hazlewood).
Bowling – New Zealand 2nd Innings
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Boult | 20.4 | 5 | 72 | 4 | 3.48 |
| Tim Southee | 23 | 4 | 87 | 3 | 3.78 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 20 | 7 | 45 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Neil Wagner | 16 | 5 | 48 | 1 | 3.00 |
| Colin de Grandhomme | 11 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 2.73 |
New Zealand’s 2nd Innings
| Batsman | Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Latham | 46 | 119 | 7 | 0 | 38.66 |
| Devon Conway | 25 | 71 | 4 | 0 | 35.21 |
| Kane Williamson (C) | 68 | 146 | 9 | 0 | 46.58 |
| Ross Taylor | 14 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 35.00 |
| Henry Nicholls | 10 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 40.00 |
| BJ Watling (Wk) | 32 | 74 | 4 | 0 | 43.24 |
| Colin de Grandhomme | 8 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 36.36 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 45.45 |
| Tim Southee | 15 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 71.43 |
| Neil Wagner | 4* | 7 | 0 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Trent Boult | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 260 | All Out |
Fall of Wickets:
1-58 (Devon Conway), 2-122 (Tom Latham), 3-159 (Ross Taylor), 4-174 (Henry Nicholls), 5-213 (Kane Williamson), 6-220 (Colin de Grandhomme), 7-230 (BJ Watling), 8-235 (Kyle Jamieson), 9-254 (Tim Southee), 10-260 (Trent Boult).
Bowling – Australia 2nd Innings
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | 25 | 8 | 60 | 4 | 2.40 |
| Mitchell Starc | 24.2 | 5 | 76 | 3 | 3.12 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 20 | 6 | 45 | 2 | 2.25 |
| Nathan Lyon | 31 | 7 | 71 | 1 | 2.29 |
Key Performances
- Marnus Labuschagne – Scored a stellar century in Australia’s second innings, providing the backbone for their total and taking the game away from New Zealand.
- Pat Cummins – Led from the front with both bat and ball, claiming crucial wickets in New Zealand’s innings and ensuring pressure was constantly applied.
- Kyle Jamieson – Bowled impressively for New Zealand, taking five wickets in Australia’s first innings, continuing his strong run of form in Test cricket.
- Trent Boult – Contributed with both bat and ball, adding valuable runs down the order and picking up wickets when it was most needed for New Zealand.
Man of the Match
Marnus Labuschagne was awarded the Man of the Match for his outstanding century in Australia’s second innings, which proved to be the game-changing performance. His ability to stay calm under pressure and guide his team to a solid lead played a vital role in Australia’s victory.
Conclusion
The 2nd Test between Australia and New Zealand at Christchurch was a perfect display of Test cricket at its finest. Both teams showed best sports skill, but Australia’s superior batting and bowling depth ultimately helped them clinch a hard-fought win. Marnus Labuschagne’s performance stood out, and Pat Cummins’ leadership was pivotal in their success. As the series progressed, this victory bolstered Australia’s confidence and emphasized their status as one of the top cricketing nations in the world.
