Australia's long wait for their first ICC Men's T20 World Cup trophy is over. Here, we look at the key players from their triumphant campaign.
David Warner
289 at 48.16. Strike rate of 146.70.
There were no doubts within the Australian camp over David Warner’s position at the top of the order and their faith proved well placed. The opener was head and shoulders their best performer with the bat and among the top handful tournament-wide.
Warner showed signs of form in Australia’s second match against Sri Lanka, notching a 42-ball 65 and, after two quiet outings against England and Bangladesh, really clicked into gear against West Indies. In a match Australia needed to win and win comfortably, he belted an unbeaten 89 off 56, hitting four sixes and nine fours.
He was crucial in Australia’s semi-final win, scoring a quickfire 49 off 30 that set things up for Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade to get the job done. He then set up Australia's victory with a brilliant half-century.
Adam Zampa
13 wickets at 12.07. Economy of 5.81.
In a side that features three of the world’s most impressive fast bowlers in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa was their standout bowler.
Time and again the leg-spinner proved Australia’s game-changer with the ball. He looked in good touch against South Africa, taking 2/21 from his full allotment. He backed that up with a Player of the Match performance against Sri Lanka, collecting 2/12 from four overs in a match where only one other bowler in either side went for less than a run-a-ball.
After a tough outing against England, he returned with a vengeance, taking tournament best figures of 5/19 against Bangladesh, 1/20 against West Indies and 1/22 against Pakistan. His performance in the semi-final was pivotal in Australia’s run to the final, putting the brakes on Pakistan’s innings right as they were getting going. He repeated the trick against New Zealand in the decider, strangling them with figures of 1/26.
Matthew Wade
74 runs at 74. Strike rate of 164.44. Nine catches.
Matthew Wade was only required to bat three times on Australia’s run to the final and in one of them he only managed a run-a-ball 18 in a match they lost with 50 balls to spare. Still, without his other two innings Australia simply do not make the decider.
In their opening match of the tournament, Wade came out to bat with Australia in a sticky spot at 81/5 chasing 120. In the space of one Kagiso Rabada over he put momentum back with the Australians, collecting 10 runs off five balls, eventually finishing on 15 off 10 as Marcus Stoinis completed the job with two balls to spare.
That was just a sample of Wade’s finishing ability as he saved his best for the semi-final, making an unbeaten 41 off 17. Taking on one of the tournament’s most in-form bowlers in the penultimate over, Wade deposited Shaheen Afridi for three consecutive sixes to ice the match.
Marcus Stoinis
80 runs at 80. Strike rate of 137.93
If there was one thing missing from Australia’s side in the lead-up to the tournament it was a proven finisher. Marcus Stoinis has taken to that role with aplomb in UAE, providing Australia with exactly what they needed in three of his four innings in the run to the final.
Against South Africa, he made a calm 24 off 16, getting Australia home with two deliveries to spare with two final over boundaries when they needed 10 to win. Against Sri Lanka he took them home quickly to boost their net-run-rate, racing to 16 off 10, before suffering the same blip against England the rest of the team endured.
Unneeded with the bat against Bangladesh and West Indies, you’d have forgiven him if he lost his groove going into the semi-final, but it was there he produced his best innings, scoring a calm 40 off 31 to see them through to the final alongside man of the moment Matthew Wade.
Mitchell Marsh
Mitchell Marsh’s promotion to No.3 earlier this year looked a masterstroke for Australia going into the tournament and so it proved. Resisting the temptation to push Steve Smith back up to his regular position in the order, the Australians unlocked the very best of their powerful all-rounder, who managed two fifty-plus scores across six innings.
It was the second half-century that particularly mattered. Coming out to bat early in the chase following the dismissal of Aaron Finch, the powerful right-hander smoked the first three balls he faced for 14 runs and never looked back, racing to his fifty in just 31 deliveries.
Josh Hazlewood
11 wickets at 15.90. Economy of 7.29
Left out of Australia’s Cricket World Cup squad in 2019, Josh Hazlewood showed just why he is an asset in every format at this tournament as he turned the screws with his metronomic bowling. The right-armer’s unerring accuracy saw him take 2/19 off his full allotment in a Player of the Match performance against South Africa, and he was similarly effective against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
He virtually secured Australia’s spot in the semi-finals with figures of 4/39 against West Indies. After a rare off game in the semi-final, Hazlewood was back to his best in the decider, taking 3/16 off his full allotment in a match where New Zealand set the biggest target in Men’s T20 World Cup Final history.
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