Travis Head returned to Australia’s squad in the continuing trans-Tasman clash at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on Saturday. The toss was won by New Zealand captain Tom Latham, who decided to field. The appearance of David Warner and the return of Head had an immediate influence on Australia’s performance. They got out to a fast start and kept up their aggressive play throughout the encounter.
Trent Boult and Matt Henry are the backbone of New Zealand’s bowling attack, and their approach is dependent on these two new-ball bowlers taking early wickets. Australia, despite a sluggish start to their campaign, is finally soaring at the perfect time.
However, both David Warner and Travis Head – Australia’s experienced players – noted that the anticipated early morning action was noticeably lacking.
On that subject, here are the best 5 powerplay scores in ODIs (first 10 overs) following Australia’s outstanding start:
5. 116/2 – New Zealand vs England, Wellington, 2015 WC
England disastrously lost in one of the most stunning defeats in their World Cup history. Tim Southee singlehandedly tore through their batting lineup. Following this, Brendon McCullum initiated a relentless attack, enabling them to reach the scoring target of 124 in barely 12.2 overs.
McCullum then unleashed a ferocious attack on England’s bowlers, earning the fastest World Cup half-century in an only 18 balls, in an innings in which he hit four consecutive sixes off Steven Finn. After six overs, the scoreboard showed a staggering total of 96 runs.
4. 118/0 – New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Christchurch, 2015
Matt Henry tortured the Sri Lankan top order, and Martin Guptill unleashed a brutal attack on the bowlers. Sri Lanka, who chose to bat first, buckled once more under Henry’s persistent siege, with the fast bowler picking up four wickets. They were packaged out for 117 dollars.
Martin Guptill smashed a half-century in 17 balls, falling one shy of the world record. He hit eight sixes and nine fours on his way to an unbeaten 93 from 30 deliveries as New Zealand knocked the score down in 8.2 overs.
3. 118/0 – Australia vs New Zealand, Dharamsala, 2023 WC
New Zealand was playing Australia in the current Cricket World Cup and were subjected to an incredible bombardment. Tom Latham won the toss and chose to field first, which backfired. David Warner and Travis Head stepped out and went straight after the bowlers.
Travis Head, making his comeback for Australia, was fast out the blocks, and he was joined by David Warner, and the combo absolutely laced the New Zealand bowlers. After 10 overs, they had raced to 118 for no loss.
2. 119/1 – West Indies vs Canada, Centurion, 2003 WC
During the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, the West Indies scored 119 runs while losing only two wickets against Canada in Centurion. With a century, John Davison led the effort for Canada, but he received no help from the other hitters.
West Indies, chasing down 202, took off quickly and never looked back. Wavell Hinds and Brian Lara put on an incredible performance as they raced to the finish line without breaking a sweat.
1. 133/0 – Sri Lanka vs England, Leeds, 2006
Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga set a new world record for the greatest opening partnership in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in a spectacular display of aggressive batting at the start of the innings.
They pooled their efforts to score 286 runs in just 201 balls. Jayasuriya scored 152 runs, while Tharanga provided 109 runs to the total. This fearsome combination propelled Sri Lanka to an impressive 8-wicket victory over England, completing a 5-0 whitewash.
