New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Sunday played a captain's knock to help his team post a fighting total of 172/4 against Australia in the final of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021. But his record of fastest fifty in 32 balls lasted only a couple of hours as Mitchell Marsh produced a 31-ball fifty to help Australia make a mockery of the 173-run target.
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After a sluggish start to the innings, the Kiwis reached with Williamson hitting 85 off 48 balls, with the help of ten fours and three sixes.
The 31-year-old reached his fifty on 32 balls with back-to-back sixes, and in the process recorded the fastest half-century in the final of the Men's T20 World Cup.
He also became the second captain to hit a fifty in the final. In fact, his 85 is the joint highest for any batter in a final, sharing the honours with West Indies' Marlon Samuels (85 not out) against England in 2016 final.
Marsh, 30, reached his fifty with a six off the Ish Sodhi in the 14th over. He was involved in a 92-ball stand in 59 balls with opener David Warner (53 off 38).
Warner became Australia's highest scorer in a single edition of T20 World Cup. During the knock, he overtook Matthew Hayden's 265 in the inaugural edition (2007).
Earlier, Australia captain Aaron Finch won the toss and opted to bowl first. New Zealand made one change from their semi-final win against England with Tim Seifert coming in for injured Devon Conway.
Australia fielded an unchanged XI.
Mitchell Starc conceded 60 runs, the most by a bowler in a T20 World Cup final, breaking Lasith Malinga's unwanted record (54) against West Indies in Colombo in 2012.
In T20Is, Starc's 60 is the second most conceded by an Aussie bowler. Andrew Tye leaked 64, also against the Kiwis in a T20I match in 2018.
