‘Couldn’t really walk for a second’ – Cameron Green after sensational Australia victory

There was a moment when Cameron Green wondered if he would be able to see Australia’s nervy chase through in Cairns as he cramped up in various places.

As they closed in on a target of 233, either side of a brief rain delay, it looked like Green could seize up any second. With runners no longer permitted in international cricket, the boundary swatted by Zampa off Mitchell Santner in the 45th over and the wide that sealed the game were welcome assists.

“Definitely,” Green said when asked at the post-match presentation whether he doubted being able to continue. “Couldn’t really walk for a [second] there. Groin, calf, hamstring and forearms. The whole lot was going.”

Green came to the crease with Australia on 44 for 5 and he said the scoreline actually freed him up. “There was nothing really to lose, it had got to that stage, so no pressure on us, me and Kez [Alex Carey] can be free and play normally.”

Until the body seized up, Green had been in control of almost everything. There was an inside edge early on against Lockie Ferguson which whistled over the stumps and a top-edged hook off the same bowler which Trent Boult couldn’t hold at fine leg. But other than that, he played brilliantly, finishing on an unbeaten and very satisfying 89 off 92 balls.

It was the latest in a line of landmark performances since the start of last season in what remains a young international career: Test wickets coming his way after a dry start; emerging from some technical issues against England; scoring runs against reverse swing in Pakistan and spin in Sri Lanka; and a maiden ODI five-wicket haul last week in Townsville.

And now, having marshaled an ODI chase, Green is already looking like Australia’s fulcrum going into next year’s World Cup.

“We knew we were in a bit of trouble but we also knew there was a lot of time left in the game,” Carey, who shared the crucial 158-run stand with Green, said. “We enjoy batting together, we work really well. He scores pretty freely at the other end and we just bounce off each other nicely.

“You saw today that he can come in any time so that’s a great feather in his cap. He’s a really calm character with bat, ball and in the field. Just goes about his business. We know how good he is but [he’s] taking this format [up] another step.”

For New Zealand, this was a game that was within their grasp. The last time they won a match of any format in Australia was Boult’s international debut – the famous seven-run win in the Hobart Test of 2011 – and, with the ball, Boult could not have done much more to try and end that run.

However, New Zealand may have made a tactical error in not giving Boult one more over in his opening spell which ended after five with Australia 38 for 4. He did not return until the 29th over, by which time Carey and Green had established their partnership.

Carey could see both sides of the decision although did say “in hindsight” perhaps he could have been given another over.

Boult himself indicated he would have been keen to continue. “I thought of having a sixth, and maybe a seventh or eighth,” he said with a smile. “Not too sure what the thinking was there. But they batted a long way down, think Maxwell at eight is a naughty batting order and we knew they would bat deep. Presume that was the thinking, but credit to the way they stuck at it and got the game done. Good game, but disappointed to be on the wrong side of it.”