Eden Park has a fair case for it being the strangest cricket ground in the world, most notably because of it's stature and dimensions. With those dimensions and a cheeky drop in wicket, runs are to be had and while scoring those runs is of obvious importance, which bowling attack can hold their nerve and execute plans under immense pressure, tends to decide the contest.

In that regard, the better team won and Aotearoa now move into a game against England that they need to win. Australia's bowlers got smoked to all parts of Eden Park and I'm cautious to bring up any bowling stats here because they're all inflated like your puku after smashing a whole pizza by yourself. However, when the Blackcaps innings was winding down just as it should have been reaching a nek-level of boundary hitting, Australia's bowlers restricted Aotearoa to 243/6 after the kiwis were sitting on 212/3 at the time of Martin Guptill's dismissal (16.4ov).

Ross Taylor was the only batsman after the 15th over to have a strike-rate north of 120 and luckily it was a massive 283.33sr. Mark Chapman's 114.28sr was alright but not what you want at that stage and then we had Colin de Grandhomme (75sr), Kane Williamson and Ben Wheeler (both 50sr) putting the brakes on the innings. Wickets are likely to flow in those last few overs and de Grandhomme, Williamson and Wheeler faced a combined 8 balls which is the exact reason why strike-rates are so important; what are you doing with a couple deliveries?

Around the same time, Ben Wheeler effectively shat himself. Wheeler took the bowl in the 17th over after Ish Sodhi rounded off an impressive display on home turf with an over to Glenn Maxwell and D'Arcy Short than went for just 9 runs, then Tim Southee dismissed Maxwell and conceded 7 runs in the 16th over. Wheeler, well we all know what happened there and I have two key thoughts stemming from this Wheeler situation:

Wheeler was playing because Mitchell Santner was injured and Santner was the most economical bowler (to bowl 4ov) in the win over England. Of the kiwi bowlers to take a wicket in this series, Santner is also the most economical kiwi bowler (8.16rpo) of the series thus far. This leads me to be cautious on overreacting to such a key moment as Wheeler was given a chance through Santner's injury and didn't respond, had it been Santner, who knows?

That leads into my second thought though because the Blackcaps were generally mediocre in the field and with the ball when placed under pressure. Whether it's Martin Guptill's drop, Trent Boult unable to finish off Wheeler's over, de Grandhomme not looking like a great option in such circumstances or perhaps conceding 18 runs in wides. Aotearoa buckled in their innings with the ball, Australia stayed the course and managed to save a few crucial runs at the end of their innings.

And I'm not surprised given that Australia's players deal with these type of hectic T20 games every year in the Big Bash League. For the kiwis, this is once every so often or completely new.

All my senses are heightened because it's the first time this summer when the Blackcaps were put under the pump, on the big stage. This is minor note as to how the kiwis didn't respond and how it stacks up in the coming game against England will be funky; do they rectify with Santner possibly back and do what they've already done to England or in a must-winner, do the Blackcaps buckle?

Just a quick splash on Kane Williamson...

Chur to Williamson to responding to some adversity by scoring those runs against Wellington. This discussion around Williamson was weird because kiwi media made it more about whether Williamson should play T20 cricket or be rested, instead of whether Williamson deserves to be selected in T20 cricket. The fact was that Williamson wasn't scoring runs, thus people were questioning his place and Williamson then scored runs.

As long as Williamson is scoring runs, all goodies.

I doubt Williamson is going to score many runs coming in late in an innings when the main idea is to whack it around. I understand the logic of promoting Tim Seifert and pushing Williamson down the order after a good start by Martin Guptill and Colin Munro, I just don't think it is the best way to use Williamson.

There's nothing wrong with Williamson coming to the crease in the 11th over at #3 with 132 runs on the board. Williamson showed vs England that he can score freely (156.52sr) and it would be ideal for Williamson to play as Williamson does, while others bat/slog around him.

On top of this, Seifert scored 14 runs @ 233.33sr late in the innings vs England and had Mike Hesson (surely it's him) not made this weird switch, Seifert would have been coming to the crease vs Australia in the same situation. Seifert hit 12 runs @ 200sr vs Australia which would have been lovely down the order.

This tinkering isn't the best way to use Williamson, nor is it the best way to use Seifert.

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Peace and love 27.