All the action from the Black Caps' first Twenty20 against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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As it happened: Black Caps v Australia, first Twenty20
NZ Herald
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Martin Guptill. Photo / Getty
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New Zealand accepted their last invitation to the 50-over version of such contests in the summer of 2006-07, again post-Ashes, with England the third opponent. Bilateral series have dominated the landscape since.
Hopefully the 2018 series resurrects that hype, albeit over 40 overs with our abridged contemporary attention spans.
When the players emerge in the shadow of the SCG's Members Pavilion, hope springs eternal that those memories revive.
New Zealanders seldom play at the ground, but will be aware of what to expect. One side could be longer than the other depending on which strip of the block gets used after a full slate of test, ODI and Big Bash League T20s this summer.
It's a proper cricket ground so field positions, running between the wickets and backing up off the ball will all need adapting to what New Zealand might strike on a smaller ground like Eden Park.
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The average first innings score in nine BBL first innings this season is 154. That figure balloons to 164 if you take out the anomaly when the Brisbane Heat were dismissed for 73 by the Sydney Sixers.
Four matches were won by the team batting first; five by the team batting second.
Four results came down to the last ball of the match.
New Zealand are ranked second in the world and Australia are seventh, yet the hosts' squad includes players worth four times as much as the visitors in the Indian Premier League auction.
