2013 ICC Champions Trophy: Australia vs New Zealand - As it happened...

Score and updates of the Group A match of the Champions Trophy between Australia and New Zealand.

Birmingham: Live score and live updates of the Group A match of the Champions Trophy between Australia and New Zealand.

==================================================================================== MATCH REPORT» I SCORECARD» I COMMENTARY» ==================================================================================== The match between Australia and New Zealand has been abandoned due to rain. New Zealand 51/2 (Over 15): The rain has halted the proceedings. New Zealand have crossed the 50-run mark. They need 193 more runs to win this match. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are the not out batsmen. ==================================================================================== New Zealand 38/2 (Over 10): New Zealand have lost two wickets as they look to chase the target of 244 runs. Luke Ronchi began the chase in style scoring a boundary off the first delivery of the innings. Martin Guptill was the first wicket to fall after edging one from McKay to Maxwell. He scored 8 (13b, 4X1). Ronchi was removed by Clint McKay off the first delivery of the eighth over. He was caught by Shane Watson after scoring 14 (17b, 4X2). His removal brought Ross Taylor to the crease. ==================================================================================== Australia 243/8 (Over 50): So Australia have ended their innings posting 243/8 in their allotted quota of 50 overs. They lost four wickets in the final 10 overs. Mitchell Marsh was the fifth wicket to fall after top edging one from McClenaghan to wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi. Adam Voges was the next to depart and fell to McClenaghan after being caught by Brendon McCullum. Williamson picked James Faulkner as his first wicket of the match. Mitchell Johnson was the eighth wicket to fall. He became McClenaghan’s fourth victim. Glenn Maxwell struck two sixes and a boundary in the penultimate over of Australian innings bowled by Williamson. Off the last came just five runs. ==================================================================================== Australia 176/4 (Over 40): George Bailey departed after making a half-century. He fell to Nathan McCullum right before the start of the batting powerplay. He was cleaned up after scoring 55 (91b, 4X5). With Adam Voges, Bailey added 77 runs for the fourth wicket. Mitchell Marsh came in his place. In the five overs of the powerplay, the pair of Voges and Marsh could only add 25 runs. ==================================================================================== Australia 99/3 (Over 25): Halfway down the innings, Australia have lost three wickets. Matthew Wade was the latest one to depart for the pavilion. He was trapped by Nathan McCullum off the final delivery of his third over. The decision was reviewed but the decision of the on-field umpire was upheld. Wade scored 29 (57b, 4X3). His departure brought Adam Voges. That partnership between Wade and Bailey was worth 64 runs. ==================================================================================== Australia were struggling again in their second match of the tournament against New Zealand as they lost two wickets inside first 5 overs. First, Shane Watson was removed by Mitchell McClenaghan for 5. Soon after Phill Hughes was run-out for a duck. After 5 overs, Australia were 21/2. ==================================================================================== TOSS: Australia have won the toss and they would bat first. David Warner, who was allegedly involved in a drunken brawl with an English player, decided to stand down for this match. Glenn Maxwell comes in for Warner. Fast bowler Mitchell Starc has been dropped. New Zealand have retained the same team. ==================================================================================== Preview: After their meek surrender against England in their opening game, a struggling Australia will have to work on their batting frailties when they take on a confident New Zealand in a Group A match of the Champions Trophy today (June 12). Australia, sans their regular skipper Michael Clarke, proved to be no match for the English side as they suffered a huge 48-run defeat to start their campaign on a wrong foot. With Clarke, who is suffering from a back problem, still nowhere near making a comeback, it will be a big test for the stand-in skipper George Bailey to turn Australia`s fortune around. Australia bowlers Clint McKay, James Faulkner and Shane Watson did a decent job in restricting England to 269 when they were looking at a 300-plus score at one stage but they still need to add more sting to their attack. The Aussie batsmen could not pose any threat to the England bowlers, who strangulated them with both pace and spin. Barring skipper Bailey and allrounder James Faulkner, none of the batsmen were up the mark. What was baffling was most of them got starts but later blew those away. The two-time champions, hence, will have to re-think about the team composition as another defeat will pave their way for an early exit from the tournament. New Zealand, on the other hand, are high on confidence having started their campaign on a winning note, beating Sri Lanka by one wicket. The 2000 Champions Trophy winners came into the tournament after a morale-boosting 2-1 series win over England and they would look to carry their good form when they clash with Australia. Left-arm medium pacer Mitchell McClenaghan, pace spearhead Kyle Mills and their part-time spinner Nathan McCullum did a wonderful job, sharing eight Sri Lakan wickets among them in their opener and skipper Brendon McCullum will expect a similar effort tomorrow as well. However, the Kiwis will have to work on their batting as they would not want the job to be left till the last man, the way it happened against the Sri Lankans. New Zealand have an able opener in Martin Guptill, who smashed two consecutive hundreds in the England series, while their batting mainstay Ross Taylor also has been in good form ahead of the Champions Trophy. Captain, Brendon McCullum too on his day can demolish any attack but his batsmen panicked during their chase against Sri Lanka in the low-scoring match and this is one area, the skipper would want his team to improve. Australia team SR Watson, MS Wade†, PJ Hughes, GJ Bailey*, AC Voges, GJ Maxwell, MR Marsh, JP Faulkner, MG Johnson, CJ McKay, XJ Doherty New Zealand team L Ronchi†, MJ Guptill, KS Williamson, LRPL Taylor, BB McCullum*, JEC Franklin, NL McCullum, DL Vettori, TG Southee, KD Mills, MJ McClenaghan