Mitchell Marsh on Sunday made an unbeaten 77 as Australia beat New Zealand by eight wickets and took their first Twenty20 World Cup title home.
Australia was chasing a target of 173 depending on a 92-run second-wicket stand between David Warner and Marsh to smash their target with seven balls still remaining in Dubai.
Trent Boult’s second wicket was Warner but Marsh continued to power Australia home to their long-awaited T20 title as the latest addition to their World Cup trophies.
Glenn Maxwell, joined Marsh, who hit six fours and four sixes in his 50-ball knock, adding 66 runs and hit the winning shot as the Aussies charged in to celebrate the victory.
Skipper Kane Williamson put on 85 in New Zealand’s 172-4 following their invitation to bat first in a crucial toss which Aaron Finch won as teams chasing target scores have won all but one game at the venue.
Australia entered this edition’s semi-final with one loss against England and beat Pakistan in the final-four clash while chasing 177.
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood returned figures of 3-16 while leg-spinner Adam Zampa had 1-26.
Australia suffered an offset in their chase when Finch got out for five off Boult as a mostly neutral but not packed-to-capacity crowd thundered.
The left-right batting pair of Marsh and Warner joined to rip apart the bowling hitting fours and sixes.
Marsh hit Adam Milne with one six and two fours on his first three balls to signal his merciless intent.
Warner also maintained his grueling act as he struck leg-spinner, Ish Sodhi, for 17 runs in a single over with just a single to Marsh.
He hammered Jimmy Neesham for a six to clinch his third half-century of the tournament but fell to Boult soon after.
Warner, with a total score of 289 runs, came second behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam (303) in the batting chart of the tournament.
Previously Williamson, who was dropped on 21, started vigilantly but once settled, smoked the opposition bowling to make his first half-century of the tournament.
He concluded with 10 fours and three sixes in his 48-ball onslaught to lift New Zealand from 57-1 in 10. The Kiwis struggled initially and lost Daryl Mitchell for 11 off Hazlewood.
Opening batsman Martin Guptill was unsuccessful in getting quick runs despite his 48-run second-wicket stand with Williamson and three boundaries.
Williamson lasted a spill by Hazlewood in the deep with the ball slipping out of the fielder’s hand to cross the boundary. Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was the bowler.
The captain hit two more fours off left-arm quick Starc who was taken for 60 runs during his four overs, to build some momentum into the innings.
Zampa sent Guptill plodding back to the trench following the opener’s 35-ball 28 but Williamson kept up the strike with two sixes off Maxwell.
Williamson again picked out Starc to hit four fours and one six in a 22-run 16th over and added 68 with Glenn Phillips, who put on 18.
Hazlewood made a comeback in his final over to break the stand with Phillips’ wicket to later get Williamson out with a leg-cutter.
