CWC'19: Australia thrash New Zealand by 86 runs

Lords [UK], June 30 (ANI): Australia thrashed New Zealand by 86 runs in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup on Saturday.
With a win, Australia remains on the top of the table with 14 points in eight matches. While New Zealand stands at the third with 11 in their eight matches.
Chasing 244, Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls started slow for Blackcaps as Australian pacers did not allow them to score. In the tenth over Jason Behrendorff dismissed Nicholls (8) who tried to play a pull short but handed a catch to wicket-keeper Alex Carrey.
After the fall of the first wicket, Kane Williamson came in to bat. Guptill could not sustain himself for long and was caught in front of the wicket by the Behrendorff in the 14th over at a team score of 2-42.
Ross Taylor along with Williamson built the momentum for the team as they stitched a 55-runs partnership for the third wicket. Williamson (40) was sent to pavilion by the Mitchell Starc in the 26th over. At that moment, New Zealand still required the 147 runs and had the seven wickets in hand.
Taylor played a knock of 30 runs before he was dismissed by Pat Cummins in the 32nd over. After Taylor, nobody looked in good touch and they lost wickets at regular intervals. In middle order Tom Latham (14) and Mitchell Santner (12) were the only two batsmen who scored in double figure. New Zealand were all out on 157 in the 44th over.
For Australia, Starc concluded with the figure of 5-26 and remained the top wicket-taker with 24 wickets under his name in the tournament so far.
Earlier, Australia won the toss and choose to bat first and posted a moderate total of 243.
Aussies got off to a bad start as they lost their skipper Aaron Finch (8) early in the fifth over. Boult caught Finch plum-in-front. David Warner and Usman Khawaja built a brief partnership of 23-runs before former was sent to pavilion by Lockie Ferguson. Warner contributed 16 runs to the scoreboard.
After the fall of the second wicket, Steven Smith came in to bat at number four. Smith failed to leave his mark and departed in the 12th over by the Ferguson. Guptill who dropped the two-catches earlier took a stunning catch of Smith at a leg gully that ended his five-run inning.
Marcus Stoinis along with Khwaja stitched a 35-run partnership before Jimmy Neesham took his wicket in 20th over at a team score of 4-81. Glenn Maxwell came in to bat at number six but was caught-and-bowled by Neesham, scoring only a single run. New Zealand bowlers bowled on good line and length as they did not allow Australian batsmen to score freely.
After Maxwell's departure, wicket-keeper batsman Carrey and Khawaja built a 107 run crucial partnership in the middle overs that helped Australia to get past 200.
Carrey (71) was dismissed by Kiwis skipper Williamson in 43rd over.
Khwaja (88) held his end firmly before he was sent to pavilion by Boult in the third ball of the final over. Boult completed his hat-trick in the same over as he clinched two consecutive wickets of Mitchell Starc (0) and Behrendorff (0) respectively in the next two balls.
For New Zealand, Boult bagged four wickets while Ferguson and Neesham took two wickets each to restrict Australia at 243 in 50 overs.
New Zealand will next face England on July 3, while Australia will play against South Africa on July 6.
Brief Scores: Australia 243/9 (Usman Khawaja 88, Alex Carrey 71, Trent Boult 4-51) beat New Zealand 157 all out (Kane Williamson 40, Mitchell Starc 5-26) by 86 runs. (ANI)