Opener David Warner paid tribute to the man who taught him how to play after leading Australia to a clean sweep over New Zealand in the Chappell-Hadlee series on Friday night.
The Australian vice-captain wore a black armband in honour of his junior coach Laurie Heil, who passed away on Thursday. Heil, who also mentored a young Usman Khawaja, converted Warner from a right- to left-handed batsman.
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Warner demolishes New Zealand again
Another good catch by Steve Smith while David Warner has once again tormented NZ's bowlers with a 156-run haul as Australia clean swept the Chappell-Hadlee series at the MCG.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the family," Warner said on Friday night of the man who coached him from age eight to 17.
Warner was named man of the series after match-winning centuries in Canberra and Melbourne capped off a stunning year in the 50-over format.
He finished 2016 with seven one-day international tons. Only the great Sachin Tendulkar, with nine, has scored more in a calendar year.
Warner, formerly nicknamed the Bull but now known as the Reverend for his improved on-field behaviour, celebrated this century by using his bat handle as a microphone and raising one arm in the air as if he was preaching.
"They reckon I've been tamed a little bit," Warner joked.
After a slow start to the summer by his lofty standards, Warner has hit top form heading into the Test series against Pakistan starting Thursday at the Gabba.
![Aggressive: David Warner takes to the New Zealand attack.](/web/20161210053623im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/8/5/y/p/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gt85xc.png/1481316036396.jpg)
Had he not sacrificed himself chasing an unlikely single off the last ball of the innings, Warner would have become only the 11th player to carry his bat in an one-day international and the second Australian, behind Damien Martyn in 2000.
"It's not too often opening batsmen get to go through the end of an innings," Warner said. "I didn't know where the ball was but it was the last ball - you're going to run no matter what."
Australia crushed the hapless Black Caps in the dead rubber, leading visiting captain Kane Williamson to describe Steve Smith's side as the best one-day team in the world in home conditions.
While the highlight was Warner's 156, which was nine more than New Zealand's total of 147, Australia's fielding was also sharp.
Smith, after his screamer in Sydney last week, finished the series with another one-handed classic. Although difficult for many, Smith described it as merely "slips practice". There was no face plant either this time upon landing.
"I pride myself on my fielding, I work very hard at it," Smith said. "I'd have to pick the BJ Watling one over tonight.
"He angled his bat, it was a slower ball so it was slower than the other one."
An abject failure this week, the Black Caps have been a shadow of the side that made a maiden World Cup final appearance last year. They were poor with the ball in games one and two and showed no fight with the bat in the final match.
"It's certainly not through lack of trying. When you're playing a very good team like Australia who are playing some of the best one-day cricket going around, particularly in this series, that is a challenge," Williamson said.
"They were very clinical in everything they did throughout this series. It's important we take bits of the way they played their cricket; their accuracy in how they skinned it."