New Delhi: The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 witnessed a high-scoring and nail-biting match between Australia and New Zealand (AUS vs NZ) in Dharamshala on Saturday. The Kangaroos emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 5 runs on the last ball of the match, registering their fourth consecutive win in the tournament. However, the Kiwis did not give up easily and fought till the end, chasing a mammoth target of 389 runs.
Australia, who batted first, posted a massive total of 388 for 6 in 50 overs, thanks to brilliant centuries from David Warner (132) and Glenn Maxwell (121). The duo added 221 runs for the third wicket, smashing the New Zealand bowlers all over the park. Warner hit 14 fours and 4 sixes in his 118-ball knock, while Maxwell blasted 11 fours and 8 sixes in his 72-ball innings. Marcus Stoinis (34) and Alex Carey (31) also chipped in with some quick runs in the end.
New Zealand, in reply, started off well with Martin Guptill (76) and Henry Nicholls (65) putting on 136 runs for the opening stand. However, they lost wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 256 for 6 in the 40th over. It seemed like Australia had the match in their bag, but Tom Latham (89) and Mitchell Santner (58) had other plans. They stitched together a sensational partnership of 122 runs for the seventh wicket, keeping New Zealand in the hunt. Latham hit 7 fours and 4 sixes in his 61-ball knock, while Santner smashed 5 fours and 3 sixes in his 38-ball innings.
The equation came down to 11 runs off the last over, with Latham on strike. He hit a four off the first ball, but was caught at long-on off the second ball. Santner then took a single off the third ball, bringing Kyle Jamieson on strike. Jamieson hit a four off the fourth ball, making it 2 runs off 2 balls. He then took a single off the fifth ball, leaving Santner to score one run off the last ball to tie the match. However, Santner failed to connect with a yorker from Pat Cummins and was run out while attempting a bye. Australia celebrated as they pulled off a thrilling win by 5 runs.
With this win, Australia have played 6 matches in the current World Cup, out of which they have won 4 and lost 2. They have 8 points and are placed fourth in the points table (World Cup Points Table). New Zealand also have played 6 matches, out of which they have won 4 and lost 2. They also have 8 points but are placed third in the points table, ahead of Australia on net run rate. New Zealand’s net run rate is 1.232 while Australia’s net run rate is 0.970.
South Africa are leading the points table with 10 points and a net run rate of 2.032, followed by India with 10 points and a net run rate of 1.353. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals.
The match between Australia and New Zealand was one of the highest-scoring matches in ODI history, with a total of 771 runs scored by both teams. This is the fourth-highest total run in an ODI international match. The highest total run in an ODI international match is 872 runs, scored by South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg in 2006. The highest total run in a World Cup match is also held by South Africa and Sri Lanka, who scored a total of 754 runs in Canberra in this edition of the tournament.
According to the cricket search results, the latest point table of the ODI World Cup 2023 is as follows:
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result | Points | Net Run Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | +2.032 |
| India | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | +1.353 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +1.232 |
| Australia | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +0.970 |
| Sri Lanka | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.205 |
| Pakistan | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.387 |
| Afghanistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.969 |
| Bangladesh | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.253 |
| England | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.634 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.902 |
The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals. The points table is updated as of October 28, 2023.
