An Australian XI has had a narrow win over New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up game in Brisbane, with Steve Smith and David Warner returning after their ball-tampering bans. Key points: Steve Smith and David Warner return to the Australian side in a 50-over World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand Steve Smith and David Warner return to the Australian side in a 50-over World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand Smith makes 22 and takes a great catch, while Warner scores 39 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane Smith makes 22 and takes a great catch, while Warner scores 39 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane The Australian XI beats New Zealand by one wicket in the first of three warm-up games The game, the first of three matches to be held against New Zealand this week, went down to the wire. New Zealand batted first and made 215 off 46.1 overs. Australia looked in trouble at a number of stages, but last-wicket partnership Adam Zampa and Jason Behrendorff combined for 11 runs to see the home side over the line with 10 balls remaining. Returning from their 12-month bans, Smith and Warner received warm support from the crowd at Allan Border Field. Opener Usman Khawaja made just four runs before he departed in the opening over. Warner was the form batsman in the IPL before heading home to join the Australian squad. Batting at number three, he was second top-scorer for Australia with 39, including several fours and one six. Loading Aaron Finch made 52 off 64 balls, but when he departed to make it 3-122 it was the start of a run of wickets. Steve Smith made 22 before Matt Henry had him caught behind, bringing Marcus Stoinis to the crease. The all-rounder made a quick 15 before being caught, and one run later Shaun Marsh followed (also for 15) to leave Australia 6-154. Alex Carey (2) was out soon after, before some solid hitting from Nathan Coulter-Nile had Australia beginning to close in on the total. When Pat Cummins (5) was bowled it was 8-197, and then when Coulter-Nile went for 34, the home side was on the brink. But Zampa (11*) and Behrendorff (7*) made it through to the end, with Zampa hitting the winning runs. Pacemen do the damage for Australia As it was a practice game and not an official ODI, both sides were allowed to have 12 players. Australia chose to use a number of pacemen — Pat Cummins (3-36) and Jason Behrendorff opened the bowling for the hosts, then Nathan Coulter-Nile (3-44) and Kane Richardson (0-29) got a run. Also used were Stoinis (0-41) and leg-spinner Adam Zampa (1-31). Aside from the spread of wickets, the highlights of the New Zealand innings were a 137-run partnership between Tom Blundell (77 off 102 balls) and Will Young (60 off 69), and a great catch taken by Steve Smith. When Young departed it was 2-138. Then Australia took 8-77, including 5-19 at the end, to dismiss a New Zealand side — albeit one missing 10 of its World Cup squad — for just 215. Among the wickets to go in a flurry was Tom Latham, who pushed at a delivery from Behrendorff and clipped it in the air for Smith to dart forward and take a diving catch — thankfully without hurting the elbow that he underwent surgery on in January. The catch prompted huge cheers from the crowd at Allan Border Field. The remaining warm-up games will be held on Wednesday and Friday this week, with all games starting at 9:30am AEST.<doc-sep>Steve Smith and David Warner will make their unofficial returns for Australia from year-long suspensions after being selected to play against New Zealand in their opening World Cup warm-up game in Brisbane. The former Australian captain and vice-captain are listed to bat at No 4 and No 3 respectively, with Aaron Finch winning the toss and electing to bowl first at Allan Border Field. It is Smith and Warner first time in Australian colours since the Cape Town ball-tampering affair in March 2018. Australia were clapped onto the field by the small crowd on Monday, with one fan yelling out “welcome back Smithy” as they walked through the gates. Patrick Cummins wasted no time getting into the groove, taking two wickets in the game’s first over. Mitchell Starc has been rested from the first of three warm-up games against the Kiwis as he continues his recovery from a pectoral injury. Shaun Marsh is expected to bat at No 5, with Glenn Maxwell out of the side and Usman Khawaja named to resume his opening partnership with skipper Finch. Australia coach Justin Langer insists there has been no awkward moments since Warner and Smith’s return from what he described as a humbling experience for Australian cricket in South Africa. While stripped of any official leadership roles, he said the pair would play a big part in Australia’s World Cup defence, which is immediately followed by an Ashes campaign. Warner was in terrific form in the IPL, scoring 692 runs in 12 innings – including eight fifties and a century. Langer remained coy on who will open the batting in England, with Warner, Finch and Khawaja all options to face the new ball against Afghanistan on 1 June.<doc-sep>David Warner hit a quickfire 39 and Steve Smith 22 Monday in their first appearance for Australia since a major ball-tampering scandal as the home team edged a second-string New Zealand by one wicket in a practice match. The Australians were set a target of 216 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane as they warm up for their World Cup defence, and scraped home with 10 balls to spare thanks to a tail-end rescue act. They have now won nine one-dayers in a row, although this was an unofficial game and not counted as a full international. Skipper Aaron Finch continued his rich vein of form with a measured 52, but fellow opener Usman Khawaja fell cheaply -- bringing Warner to the crease, to warm applause from the crowd. He survived a dropped catch on nought before clicking into gear and turning on the form that saw him average 69.20 in 12 innings in the Indian Premier League. Warner hammered 39 off 43 balls before falling to leg-spinner Todd Astle attempting a reverse sweep. That brought out Smith who started nervously before hitting a pair of boundaries. He spent 43 balls in the middle before being caught behind off Matt Henry. It was the pair's first game in Australian colours since serving year-long bans for their part in the "Sandpaper-gate" ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town that rocked Australian cricket. After Smith departed, Australia lost five for 42 before an impressive 34 from Nathan Coulter-Nile helped steer them home. Earlier, Pat Cummins grabbed two wickets in his first over before New Zealand, missing Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Trent Boult, recovered to post respectable 215 off 46.1 overs. Promoted Tom Blundell led the fightback and top scored with 77. Cummins ended with 3-36 off eight overs, with Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff also grabbing three apiece. Australia play another two games against New Zealand this week before heading to England where they open their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on June 1 in Bristol.<doc-sep>In what can be termed as a surprising move by the Australian cricket management, David Warner was slotted to bat at number 3 on his return to the side in the unofficial World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand XI at Brisbane on Monday. Captain Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja opened the innings for Australia XI, a development indicating Warner may not just walk back into the opening position for the World Cup beginning May 30 in England. Warner was in stupendous form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he scored 692 runs at a magnificent average of almost 70 in the 12 matches he played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). All those runs came at the opening position and he would have thought of opening the innings for his national side as well. Warner seeing them very well at AB Field pic.twitter.com/RnKf42L5av cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) May 6, 2019 However, the Australian think-tank seems to have stuck to the successful opening combination of Finch and Khawaja which they forged in India and the UAE. The duo put together seven opening stands over 50 in the 10 matches against India and Pakistan, including partnerships of 193, 209 and 134 as Australia's batting order came together following a lengthy fallow period in one-day cricket after Steve Smith and Warner were handed bans for their role in the ball tampering scandal which took place last year in March against South Africa. With Warner's return, coach Justin Langer had already insisted that it was a good sign for the side to have options for the opening slot. "It's awesome to have options," Langer had said after the training camp here. "The way Usman and Finchy have batted together in the Test matches, they played together in the UAE, plus what they did in the last two one-day series is brilliant. Dave Warner's a world-class opening batsman, Shaun Marsh's been brilliant at No. 3, good at No. 4, Steve Smith can probably bat where he likes or wherever he is in the side, so it's really exciting to have those five hundred-makers at our disposal really," he added. Australia will begin their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on June 1 in Bristol. Also See:<doc-sep>
Steve Smith and David Warner made their first appearance in Australia colours since the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last year. Both players were welcomed back to the Australian team when they joined a pre-World Cup camp, in Brisbane on Sunday after serving one-year bans for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal. While David Warner set IPL 2019 on fire, Steve Smith struggled in the early stages but found form towards the end. Both players were included the Australia's World Cup 2019 warm-up against New Zealand XI with Steve Smith making an instant impact. In the New Zealand XI's innings, Tom Latham was dismissed by Jason Behrendorff in the 33rd over but all credit for the wicket went to Steve Smith, who brilliantly dived forward to complete a stunning one-handed catch. Here is a clip of Steve Smith's brilliant catch: WHAT A CATCH! Steve Smith has still got it! pic.twitter.com/WWM280MEiy — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) May 6, 2019 Skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to bowl, with Smith and Warner picked for the first time since serving year-long bans for their part in the "Sandpaper-gate" ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town that rocked Australian cricket. Pat Cummins grabbed two wickets in his first over before a New Zealand XI recovered to make 215 in the warm-up match on Monday. A weakened New Zealand, missing Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Trent Boult, who remain on IPL 2019 duties, were on the ropes after their horror start. But Tom Blundell led a fightback and top scored with 77 before they were all out after 46.1 overs. Promoted Cummins ended with 3-36 off eight overs as Australia warm up for the defence of their World Cup title in England. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff also took three apiece. (With AFP inputs)