Dubai, Nov 14 (UNI) Kane Williamson's classy half century helped New Zealand post 172 for 4 against Australia in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
The New Zealand skipper hit a classy 85 off 48 balls. His knock was laced with 10 boundaries and three sixes.
To begin with, Williamson took his time to settle down along with opener Martin Guptill and together shared 48 runs for the second wicket to take New Zealand to a very good total in the pressure game.
Guptill and Darly Mitchell struck some early boundaries to power the Black Caps to 23 for no loss after 3 overs. The Player of the Match against England, Mitchell edged one to Matthew Wade off Josh Hazlewood behind the stumps.
Guptill (28) played his role before departing, but then Williamson and Glenn Philips played sensibly, but kept New Zealand in the hunt for pushing the total.
After going boundary-less for 32 balls, in the 11th over, Williamson changed the gear and smacked Mitchell Starc for three boundaries, making his intentions clear to up the ante. Then again he pounced on him in the 16th over, creaming as many boundaries.
Williamson’s knock came at a crucial time for New Zealand as he was under the pump for not crossing the single digit against the Aussies in the last nine knocks against them in the T20 format. This was the kind of feisty batting he displayed with the bat to take the sting out of the Australian unit.
He also stitched a crucial 68 runs partnership with Glenn Philips for third wicket, in which the latter's contribution was an useful 18 off 17 balls, which was studded with one boundary and a six.
Williamson raced to 51 off 32 balls to record the fastest fifty of a men's T20 World Cup final.
As the NZ captain was going great guns, 190 plus looked possible, but Pat Cummins and Hazlewood bowled slow and into the wicket to arrest the leakage.
Williamson perished for a 48-ball 85.
Chances were created by Australia, but they did not grab on to them and hence paid heavily. Matthew Wade dropped a thick under-edge of Guptill off Glenn Maxwell in the third over and Josh Hezelwood spilled Williamson off Mitchell Starc in the 11th over. These two catches summed up Australia's woes.
Hazlewood finished with 3 wickets, but Starc conceded 60 runs which is the most by a bowler in a T20 WC final. Malinga had conceded 54 off four overs against West Indies in Colombo RPS in 2012.
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