Australia retain Chappell-Hadlee Trophy after rain-abandoned 2nd T20I vs NZ
What's the story
The second T20I between New Zealand and Australia was abandoned due to rain at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The match, which was reduced to nine overs per side after a long rain delay, saw Australia score 16 runs for the loss of one wicket in just 2.1 overs before play was halted again. This means that Australia retains the Chappell-Hadlee trophy once again.
Game overview
Toss delayed by half an hour
The match was originally scheduled to start at 11:45am IST. However, due to heavy rain throughout the day, the toss was delayed by half an hour, and the match was initially reduced to 18 overs per side. NZ captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and opted to bowl first. Both teams made some changes for this match, with New Zealand bringing in Ben Sears, Jimmy Neesham, and Ish Sodhi in place of Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, and Bevon Jacobs, respectively.
Series update
New Zealand's hopes of winning the trophy dashed
Australia won the first match by six wickets, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The rain-abandoned second T20I means that New Zealand's hopes of winning the trophy have been dashed. They can only hope for a series-levelling victory in Saturday's finale. Having whitewashed NZ 3-0 last year, Australia have retained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
Information
Series decider to take place on October 4
The third and final T20I of the series will be played on Saturday (October 4). The Bay Oval will be the venue for the final game as well. Fans will hope for a concluded match when the teams take the field tomorrow.