Trans-Tasman AUS vs NZ 2nd ODI 2026 Perth Recap — Josh Hazlewood

Optus Stadium has a way of turning ODI cricket into a 50-over Test session, and the second Trans-Tasman ODI of 2026 was an indicative reminder of that. Josh Hazlewood, returning to the white-ball XI after a managed-workload break, bowled an opening burst that effectively decided the game. New Zealand's 217 was always going to be light on a surface that was trickier in the first hour than the next four put together, and Australia chased it with five wickets and 38 balls in hand.

Hazlewood's opening spell

Hazlewood bowled 6-1-18-3 in his first burst. The first ball nipped past Devon Conway's outside edge, the fourth had Will Young leg-before to a hint of inswing, and the last over of his spell saw Daryl Mitchell pinned on the crease for 9. The seam position was textbook and the lengths were 6 to 8 metres on a surface where 5 metres usually felt slightly too short.

How New Zealand recovered

Glenn Phillips and Tom Latham combined for a 78-run sixth-wicket stand that pulled the total from 96 for 5 to 174 for 6. Phillips, in particular, used the short straight boundary at Optus to clear long-on twice off Adam Zampa. The lower order then nudged the innings to 217 — defendable on a normal Perth night, but always 25 short on this read of the wicket.

Australia's chase

Batter	Runs	Balls	Notes
David Warner	22	18	Edge to slip
Travis Head	41	36	Pulled off
Steven Smith	64	81	Anchor
Cameron Green	38	30	Finishing gear
Josh Inglis	27	24	Pulled it home

Steven Smith's anchor 64 was the most underrated piece of work in the chase. He's often charged with being slow in white-ball cricket, but the projected ask after Travis Head's wicket was 184 from 220 with seven down possible — Smith took the chase from a 50/50 to comfortably 80/20 by the 35th over.

What it means for selection

Hazlewood's comeback effectively closes the door on the third seam spot for the World Cup year squad. The expected race between Sean Abbott and Spencer Johnson now becomes a fourth-seam conversation. New Zealand, by contrast, will need to work out whether Trent Boult will return for the third ODI or whether Matt Henry continues to lead the new-ball pair.

Series state

Australia move 2-0 up in the three-match ODI series with one game to play in Adelaide. The white-ball trophy is mathematically out of reach for New Zealand, but pride and the Trans-Tasman 3rd ODI Adelaide preview line provides the chance to put data on Tom Latham's middle-order resilience.

Tactical takeaways

• Hazlewood's 6 to 8-metre new-ball length is the indicative blueprint for Perth.
• Phillips' counter at six is now a projected fixture for the World Cup year.
• Australia's top-six combination is settling — only the seam rotation remains open.
• New Zealand must address their powerplay batting; 27 for 2 in ten has been a recurring early-overs problem.

Player of the match

Josh Hazlewood collected Player of the Match for his 3 for 18, edging out Steven Smith's 64 in the chase. Pat Cummins' tight middle overs (10-0-32-1) often go uncredited but were the squeeze that prevented New Zealand from breaking 240.

Looking ahead

Adelaide Oval finishes the ODI series on Sunday, and the projected pitch read suggests something flatter than Perth — meaning the spinners will earn their work. For wider context, the Bellerive 1st ODI recap with David Warner's anchor knock sets up the Smith-Warner top-order conversation that has dominated this series, and the projected squad for the World Cup year now has only two open slots.