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Smith’s 164 sets up big Australia win
- Updated: December 4, 2016
Australia 8 for 324 (Smith 164, Head 52) beat New Zealand 256 (Guptill 114, Hazlewood 3-49) by 68 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball details
For the first time this summer, Steven Smith could do no wrong. In the Tests against South Africa, he didn’t win a single toss, didn’t manage a hundred, didn’t lead his side to a victory until the series was dead. But a change of format and opposition brought a change of fortunes for Smith. He won the toss and batted, plundered for himself the highest ODI score ever made at the SCG, then took a truly remarkable catch as Australia secured a 1-0 lead in the Chappell-Hadlee series.
There were other highlights in a match that finished as a 68-run victory for Australia. Martin Guptill, for the first time in 41 matches against Australia across all formats, blasted a century. Travis Head struck a fifty to help Australia post 8 for 324. Josh Hazlewood took three wickets. Colin Munro gave New Zealand the faint glimmer of a late hope with 49. But after Smith’s contributions, everything else felt inconsequential by comparison.
In 153 one-day internationals at the SCG, nobody has ever scored more than the 164 Smith compiled in this game. It was also the equal seventh-highest score by an Australian in an ODI, as well as Smith’s career-best score. His innings was the key difference between the sides, although the standard of fielding perhaps ran a close second, for New Zealand were uncharacteristically sloppy and provided Smith and Head with costly let-offs.
Smith was dropped on 13 when he glanced Trent Boult down leg and the wicketkeeper BJ Watling grassed a chance diving to his left. If it wasn’t exactly easy, nor was it unattainable. Watling later pouched a very similar take to get rid of George Bailey. An even simpler opportunity went begging when Head was on 7, as he drove Jimmy Neesham to mid-off, where Matt Henry spilled the most straightforward of chances.
Smith was also dropped on 152 by Munro but by then the horse had bolted, had a few birthdays, won the Golden Slipper and been put out to stud. Still, compare New Zealand’s catching to that of Australia. George Bailey put down a tough chance at midwicket when Guptill already had 56, but New Zealand had nothing to match Smith’s …
