New Zealand v Australia: Black Caps squander pace attack ...

Trent Boult’s return suggests he’ll have a place in the T20 World Cup squad. His performance – and that of his seam teammates – leaves no guarantees about the XI.

An understrength Black Caps batting group tonight squandered an eye-catching outing from the pace bowlers, leading to a 72-run loss that gave Australia an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the series.

The injury-hit hosts had a makeshift look at Eden Park and their 10 men crumbled to 102 all out as the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy holders easily defended 174 to maintain their firm grip on that prize.

Rachin Ravindra was ruled out pre-match with knee soreness, while wicketkeeper Devon Conway copped a blow to the thumb that forced him from the game in the second over.

With Daryl Mitchell sitting out the series to rest a problematic foot and Kane Williamson away on dad duty, New Zealand were missing four players who could start at the World Cup in June.

The bowling group, conversely, was near full strength and needed to be after Australia feasted on Eden Park’s abbreviated boundaries while racing to 104-2 in the ninth over.

Boult (0-49) must have had second thoughts about making his homecoming at this venue, victimised by thick edges from Travis Head (45 off 22) that flew high into the stands.

The left-arm seamer was playing his first T20 international since the last World Cup in 2022, undoubtedly wanting to add the West Indies to the busy travel schedule that accompanies life as a franchise hired gun.

And the Black Caps will almost certainly save him a seat on the plane for the showpiece, doing likewise at last year’s ODI World Cup. But he will face strong competition for his place.

With Tim Southee resting ahead of the two-test series against Australia and fellow veteran Matt Henry omitted, the hosts unleashed a level of express pace rarely seen from a team in black.

Lockie Ferguson (4-12) led the way, as was the case in Wellington. The 32-year-old was the only Black Caps bowler to avoid punishment in the opener and his next act was even better.

Introduced in the third over, Ferguson immediately produced prodigious late swing to trap Steve Smith in front, confident enough to plead for what became a successful review.

Adam Milne – often competing with Ferguson for one pace spot – should have had Mitch Marsh for a duck, only for the Black Caps’ fielding woes to carry over from game one.

After Ish Sodhi and Josh Clarkson let a skier fall and Australia ended the powerplay on 74-1, Mark Chapman gave Marsh another life by shelling a straightforward chance. Ben Sears (2-29) was the unlucky bowler but wasn’t denied for long, getting Head to chop on and Glenn Maxwell to hole out.

Paying his 12th international, the 26-year-old was regularly hitting 145km/h, a speed matched by Milne and approached by Ferguson. And the big wicket of the big show sparked a 5-34 slide that set Australia’s sights slightly lower than the 245 they blasted at Eden Park in 2018.

Reintroduced to the crease, Ferguson again struck from his first ball by bouncing out Josh Inglis, while Milne induced a false shot from game-one hero Tim David (17 off 19) as the tourists stumbled to the finish line.

Unfortunately for the Black Caps, that stumble was followed by their own freefall. Santner entering at No 3 augured poorly, the skipper promoting himself to a position where he had previously batted three times in 98 T20 internationals.

The openers were gone by the third over, while Santner (7 off 13) played one good shot in a brief innings that reduced New Zealand to 27-3 at the end of the powerplay.

Australia reached the tail when Milne arrived in the 12th over before Boult, with 12 previous innings in T20 internationals, entered at No 8. It’s unlikely he’ll do likewise at the World Cup – if he’s in the team.