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Patna : New Zealand (NZ) beat Australa by 7 wickets in the 5th T20I at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, NZ, to win the five-match series 3-2. NZ had won the first two T20Is while Australia had won the next two. NZ opener Martin Guptill, 34, was declared Player Of The Match while spinner Ish Sodhi was named Player Of The Series. NZ captain Kane Williamson said it was an incredibly hard-fought series.
Electing to bat after winning the toss, Australia scored 142/8 in 20 overs with Matthew Wade (wk) scoring 44 in 39 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes and captain Aaron Finch (opener) scoring 36 in 32 balls hitting 5 fours and 1 six. All-rounder Marcus Stoinis scored 26 runs in 26 balls with 2 fours and 1 six. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh made 10 runs including 1 six. NZ spinner Ish Sodhi took 3/24 in 4 overs while pacer Tim Southee took 2/38 in 4 overs. Fast medium bowler Trent Boult took 2/26 in 4 overs.
In reply, NZ scored 143/3 in just 15.3 overs with opener Martin Guptill scoring 71 in 46 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes and his opening partner Devon Conway, 29, scoring 36 in 28 balls hitting 3 fours and 1 six. Guptill and Conway added 106 runs in 71 balls for the first wicket. Glenn Phillips scored an unbeaten 34 in 16 balls hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes. Phillips hit spinner Adam Zampa for 2 sixes in the 16th over. Captain Kane Williamson fell to fast bowler Riley Meredith for zero.