Australia’s score equals its worst

Press, 28 January 1986, Page 1

Australia’s score equals its worst

By

JOHN COFFEY

Australia’s cricketipg pride was severely bruised by New Zealand on, ironically, a sunny Australia Day holiday in Adelaide yesterday. •

One of New Zealand’s vastly better batting displays brought it 276 runs for the loss of seven wickets. The Australians were never in contention, collapsing to be all out for 70.

That meagre total was equal to Australia’s lowest in any limited-over international — the match against England at Birmingham in 1977. Its previous worst in a match with

New Zealand was 124 at Sydney three seasons ago. Only one smaller innings has been recorded in World Series Cup cricket. India was dismissed for 63 by Australia at Sydney in 1981.

On the other hand, New Zealand celebrated its most decisive win in a one-day game in which it batted first. In 1975 at the World Cup in Birmingham, New Zealand enjoyed a 181-run margin at the expense of a qualifying nation, East Africa; its previous best against a regular rival was 116 runs over Sri Lanka at Auckland in the 1982-83 season.

Yesterday’s victory raised New Zealand to second place — Australia having already qualified for the best-of-three finals — on the cup competition table.

Australia has 11 points, New Zealand seven and India six. All have two more matches before the play-offs — Australia and New Zealand meet again in a day-night encounter at Sydney tomorrow, Australia and India play at Melbourne (day-night) this Friday, and Launceston is the venue for New Zealand’s game against India on Sunday.

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