AUCKLAND: Australia sliced through a reckless New Zealand batting effort on Friday to win the second T20I by 72 runs and clinch the three-match series at Eden Park.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa knocked over the middle order to finish with 4-34 as the home side were skittled for 102 in 17 overs.
New Zealand lost early wickets and always looked unlikely to match the visitors, who were dismissed for 174 in the final over.
Only Glenn Phillips provided resistance with 42 but New Zealand’s hopes were buried when he was caught at long-on off Zampa in the 14th over.
The Black Caps’ cause wasn’t helped by a thumb injury suffered in the field by Devon Conway, which prevented the opener from batting.
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The injury, sustained while he was wicket-keeping, may place Conway in doubt for Sunday’s third match in Auckland, along with the two-Test series starting next week in Wellington.
Captain Mitchell Santner promoted himself up the order but that experiment failed when he departed for five, one of eight New Zealand batsmen who failed to go past 10 as they fell to a succession of loose shots.
Earlier, opener Travis Head blazed 45 runs off 22 balls after Australia were sent in but they stumbled through the middle stages in the face of brilliant bowling from paceman Lockie Ferguson.
Ferguson claimed 4-12 from 3.5 overs as Head’s dismissal sparked the loss of five quick wickets after they had been 84-1 in the seventh over.
The other notable scores were 26 from captain Mitchell Marsh and a late 28 from Pat Cummins.
Santner, Adam Milne and Ben Sears all took two wickets each for the hosts.
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