Sharjah: Australia grew to become the one unbeaten group in Group A of the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 with a powerful 60-run win over New Zealand.
The defending champions made an imposing 148 for eight in Sharjah regardless of Amelia Kerr’s 4 for 26.
In reply, Megan Schutt took three for 3 runs from 3.2 overs, dismissing Kerr for 29 earlier than getting the ultimate New Zealand wicket as they crumbled to 88 all out.
Having chosen to bat first, Australia skipper Alyssa Healy adopted efficiently overturning an lbw resolution, by hitting 11 runs off Fran Jonas to additionally go 3000 T20I profession runs.
A fourth boundary for Healy got here within the closing over of the powerplay earlier than she was caught by Georgia Plimmer for 26.
From there, Ellyse Perry slowly constructed the Australian innings alongside Beth Mooney, with the previous surviving being dropped on the boundary whereas on 4.
The partnership ended within the twelfth over as Mooney was unable to hold her bat for a 3rd successive T20 World Cup recreation, departing for 40 with Australia at 86 for 2.
Perry started to motor on as she handed 2,000 T20I runs earlier than she was dismissed for 30 to be Kerr’s second wicket of the day.
Kerr took her third with the very subsequent ball as she bowled Grace Harris by way of the gate with a googly, to mark the power-hitter’s return from harm with a duck.
Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu and Brooke Halliday every obtained the possibility to bowl earlier than Kerr might try to realize a hat-trick, with Halliday dismissing Phoebe Litchfield for 18 to proceed her superb run of kind towards Australia.
Kerr’s googly on the hat-trick ball didn’t deceive Georgia Wareham however she obtained one other wicket two balls later, as Tahuhu held on to a agency shot from Wareham to depart Australia teetering at 129 for six.
Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland departed within the closing two overs as Australia progressed to a complete of 148, comfortably the very best rating made at Sharjah on this World Cup.
The White Ferns’ opening partnership of Plimmer and Suzie Bates impressed within the powerplay of their win over India, however the partnership lasted solely 14 balls this time round earlier than Plimmer was out.
The teen was bowled by Schutt, who grew to become the outright most profitable bowler in ICC Girls’s T20 World Cups with 44 wickets.
Kerr and Bates rotated the strike properly with out worrying Australia because the required run charge climbed to eight.57 on the finish of the powerplay.
By the midway stage of the innings, the run charge had grown additional earlier than a struggling Bates was bowled by Sophie Molineux for 20 from 27.
Kerr departed quickly after earlier than three wickets fell in 5 balls as Sutherland took two in two deliveries to see the White Ferns stoop to 60 for six.
Sophie Devine departed for seven from 15 after trying an enormous swing towards Sophie Molineux. Schutt accomplished her massive day with the ultimate wicket of Eden Carson as New Zealand fell properly brief in Sharjah, all out for 88 in 19.2 overs.
Scores in short
Australia v New Zealand, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Australia 148/8 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 40, Ellyse Perry 30; Amelia Kerr 4/26, Brooke Halliday 2/16)
New Zealand 88 all out in 19.2 overs (Amelia Kerr 29, Suzie Bates 20; Megan Schutt 3/3, Annabel Sutherland 3/21)
Outcome: Australia win by 60 runs
