3rd T20I: Australia sweep series against New Zealand with 27-run victory
Auckland, Feb 25: Australia beat New Zealand by 27 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis system in the heavily rain-affected third T20 international Sunday to complete a 3-0 sweep the series and to harden its favoritism for the World Cup later this year.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss in his 100th T20 international and sent Australia in, mindful the rain might dictate terms later in the match. It did.
Australia's was interupted three times by rain breaks and finally terminated after 10.4 overs when it was 118-4. New Zealand was set 126 to win in 10 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis system, which seemed a relatively charitable target.
But New Zealand botched the run chase for the second time in three days at Eden Park, unable to conquer Australia's world class attack.
Under the revised rules for the 10-over innings, Australia was allowed five bowlers who could bowl two overs each with a three-over power play.
The young left-armer Spencer Johnson took 1-10 from his two overs, showing why he made 1.4 million in the IPL auction earlier this year. Nathan Ellis conceded only 11 from his two overs, Mitchell Starc only 15 and Adam Zampa took 1-20.
Ellis bowled four dot balls to New Zealand's biggest hitter, Glenn Philips, in the fifth over and at the midpoint of its innings New Zealand was 51-2, needing 75 from the last 30 balls.
Australia's bowlers continued to bowl a tight line and length to frustrate the Black Caps batters and after Ellis bowled the ninth over for the cost of only 8 runs, New Zealand needed 43 off the last over to win.
The honor, or duty, of bowling the last over went to Matt Short who already had contributed for Australia, making 27 off 11 ball, batting at No. 3.
The first ball of the over went for six but the next three balls were singles, the fifth ball went for two and the last ball for a boundary as New Zealand fell hopelessly short.
"I think I feel most comfortable when I'm playing shots," Short said. "It was a bit of a strange game because of the rain and being off and on.
"The aggressive way is the way we want to play our T20."
Credit also goes to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade who took over the captaincy from Mitch Marsh and led Australia with great tactical insight in tricky conditions.
"Our bowlers were unbelievable today the way they came out and executed," Wade said. "It's as clinical a bowling performance as I've seen from an Australian unit and for Matt Short to come out and bat the way he did is exciting for the future.
"We've got depth in our squad and everyone's enjoying their cricket."
Australia should have been massively disadvantaged by the fact its innings was abruptly ended after only 10 overs when it had been playing for 20. But it already was in a powerful position.
Thanks to Short and to Travis Head, who made 33 from 30 balls, and Glenn Maxwell who made 20 off 9 after being dropped first ball, Australia already was 67-2 after its six-over power play.
New Zealand couldn't match the clinical aggression of the Australian batters. Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman faced most of the last five overs and simply couldn't find a way to score consistent boundaries against the outstanding Australian attack.
Australia has demonstrated the ability to win in all circumstances in this series, including its thrilling final ball victory in the first match, before an emphatic 72-run win in the second game.
"They're obviously a quality side," Santner said. "Their big three quicks and obviously the power they possess, I guess they showed us (how to play) throughout the series.
"The first one was a close one and I guess we got outplayed the last two."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
No clarity on US-Iran talks as Islamabad stays under lockdown
Islamabad (PTI): Large parts of Pakistan's capital remain under a tight security lockdown for over a week on Saturday, even as uncertainty persisted over the proposed second round of talks between the US and Iran.
Arterial roads leading into Islamabad are sealed, while the Red Zone, housing key government buildings and diplomatic missions, remains under a strict security cordon.
In the adjacent commercial 'Blue Area', markets are deserted, cafes are running short of supplies, and public transport disruptions with no service at bus terminals have left commuters stranded.
For residents, uncertainty has become the hardest part. Islamabad is a city of transients, where many residents work during the week and return to family homes at the weekend.
This is the second lockdown in recent weeks. Islamabad was earlier sealed on April 11 for talks between the US and Iranian delegations that ended without a deal. The city briefly reopened before restrictions were reimposed as Pakistan prepared to host another round of engagements, which has yet to materialise.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived here late Friday for engagements with the Pakistani leadership. He was received by senior officials, including Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, foreign minister Ishaq Dar and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.
However, there is no clarity on whether direct talks between Washington and Tehran will take place during the visit.
"No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US. Iran's observations would be conveyed to Pakistan," Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a social media post on Saturday.
He said the Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad "for an official visit" and Araghchi will be "meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation and good offices for ending American-imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region".
As the Iranian team landed in Islamabad, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US Special Envoy on the Middle East Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner would be leaving for Pakistan on Saturday "to engage in direct talks" with representatives of the Iranian delegation.
“Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary, but first, Steve and Jared will be going over there to report back to the president, the vice president and the rest of the team,” she said.
However, the US team has not yet arrived.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar, in a social media post, expressed hope for "meaningful engagements" between the two warring parties to promote regional peace and stability.
The Foreign Office here said Iranian foreign minister Araghchi will hold meetings with Pakistan’s senior leadership to discuss the latest regional developments as well as ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability.
"Following key discussions with the Pakistani mediation team, a second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran is expected to be held in Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday," a government official said.
He said a US logistics and security team is already present in Islamabad to facilitate the negotiation process.
Araghchi, before leaving for Islamabad, said that he was embarking on a timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow, and the purpose of his visits is to "closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments".
"Our neighbours are our priority," he said.
The first round of US-Iran talks held on April 11 and 12 failed to produce a breakthrough, prompting a flurry of diplomatic efforts by host Pakistan to cool tensions and revive hopes for another round of dialogue.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The Iran war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes.
