Mitchell Marsh’s Maiden T20I Century Secures Australia Series Win Over New Zealand

Mitchell Marsh scored his first-ever T20 international century, an unbeaten 103 off 52 balls, to lead Australia to a three-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third and final match of the Chappell-Hadlee series, sealing a 2-0 series win. Marsh's innings was vital as five of the top six Australian batters fell early, and he single-handedly anchored the innings with eight fours and seven sixes, carrying Australia to a total of 160-7 while chasing New Zealand's 156-9. New Zealand's innings featured contributions from Tim Seifert (48), Michael Bracewell (26), and Jimmy Neesham (25), with Sean Abbott leading Australia's bowling attack with 3/25. The match was played under challenging weather conditions, including rain delays, and New Zealand's total was the lowest first-innings score at Bay Oval in a T20 international. Marsh's leadership and aggressive batting made him the standout player, with praise from both teammates and opponents acknowledging his decisive role. Australia had already won the first match, with the second washed out due to rain, making this final win a series-clinching performance.