Stoinis' heroic goes in vain as Kiwis clinch victory in Chappell-Hadlee opener

Auckland [New Zealand], Jan. 30 (ANI): New Zealand on Monday held on their nerves to defeat Australia in a cracker Chappell-Hadlee series opener here at Eden Park. For Australia, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis kept on his side's hopes of clinching a miraculous victory by scoring a brilliant hundred but was the last man to get out, thus bringing end to a cracker of a game. Chasing a target of 287, the visitors were all in tatters at 67-6 before a brilliant century from Stoinis in only his second one-day international took them to the brink of the most unlikely of triumphs. The 27-year-old, who also took three wickets in New Zealand's 286 for nine from 50 overs, shared an 81-run seventh-wicket partnership with James Faulkner (25) and 48 with Pat Cummins (36) for the eighth wicket and gave his side glimpse of an improbable victory. He almost put his side into a winning position by exploding 31 runs in 11 balls to they needed 19 runs from the final 24 balls. It was such a brilliant display of brilliant batting that he shared a 54-run stand with last man Josh Hazlewood, with the latter not even facing a single delivery. However, Hazlewood was run out while backing up too far by Kane Williamson on the final ball of the 47th over to dismiss the visitors for 280, giving New Zealand a six-run victory. Stoinis, who remained unbeaten on 146 not out, having hit nine boundaries and 11 sixes, was adjudged Man of the Match. Earlier, Neil Broom's 73 anchored the New Zealand's innings, while Martin Guptill added 61 at the top of the order to set Australia a target of 287. The next match will be played in Napier on February 2. (ANI)