Aaron Finch ‘satisfied’ with world-record score against Zimbabwe
Finch hit 16 fours and 10 sixes in his innings of 172.
Australia captain Aaron Finch described it as a “satisfying” feeling after he broke his own world record for the highest individual Twenty20 international score in the 100-run Tri-Series win over Zimbabwe in Harare.
Finch bettered the 156 he made against England in 2013 that had been top of the list with a stunning 172, a knock which came off 76 balls and comprised 16 fours and 10 sixes.
The 31-year-old was quoted on www.espncricinfo.com as saying after the match: “It’s nice to break my own record. Satisfying.
“It’s something that I’ll look back on when I’ve finished playing and be really proud of.
“Any time you get a few out of the middle like that it’s always nice. We started off quite well, and I just got on a little bit of a roll there. It was nice to get a few away.”
His stand of 223 with fellow opener D’Arcy Short (46 off 42 balls) was also a new record, succeeding the 171 registered by New Zealand’s Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson against Pakistan in 2016 as the highest score by a T20I partnership for any wicket.
Finch ended up falling just short of the highest individual score for all T20 cricket, Chris Gayle’s 175 in 2013, in bizarre circumstances as, with two balls of Australia’s innings left, he chased a wide delivery from Blessing Muzarabani and hit his own wicket.
Quoted immediately after the innings, with his side having set Zimbabwe a victory target of 230, Finch said he “knew about the records” while he was batting, and added with a smile: “I was captain of the opposition when Gayle got 175, so I remembered that record as well.”
Regarding his dismissal on Tuesday, Finch said in footage posted on the official Twitter feed of cricket.com.au: “I thought he was going to go to a wide, slower ball, so I got back.
“I realised out of the hand that it was a touch wide, so I actually went to let it go and probably just didn’t realise how far back on my stumps I’d got. So, disappointing – it would have been nice to be not out at the end.”
After Australia ended their innings on 229 for two, Zimbabwe could only make 129 for nine in reply and the winning margin was Australia’s biggest ever in T20 internationals.
