Sports Desk
DUBAI: Australia became the only unbeaten team in Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with an impressive 60-run win over New Zealand.
The defending champions made an imposing 148 for eight in Sharjah despite Amelia Kerr’s four for 26.
In reply, Megan Schutt took three for three runs from 3.2 overs, dismissing Kerr for 29 before getting the final New Zealand wicket as they crumbled to 88 all out.
Having chosen to bat first, Australia skipper Alyssa Healy followed successfully overturning an lbw deci-sion, by hitting 11 runs off Fran Jonas to also pass 3000 T20I career runs.
A fourth boundary for Healy came in the final over of the powerplay before she was caught by Georgia Plimmer for 26.
From there, Ellyse Perry slowly built the Australian innings alongside Beth Mooney, with the former surviving being dropped on the boundary while on four. The partnership ended in the 12th over as Mooney was unable to carry her bat for a third successive T20 World Cup game, departing for 40 with Australia at 86 for two.
Perry began to motor on as she passed 2,000 T20I runs before she was dismissed for 30 to be Kerr’s second wicket of the day.
Kerr took her third with the very next ball as she bowled Grace Harris through the gate with a googly, to mark the power-hitter’s return from injury with a duck.
Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu and Brooke Halliday each got the chance to bowl before Kerr could at-tempt to achieve a hat-trick, with Halliday dismissing Phoebe Litchfield for 18 to continue her fine run of form against Australia.
Kerr’s googly on the hat-trick ball did not deceive Georgia Wareham but she got another wicket two balls later, as Tahuhu held on to a firm shot from Wareham to leave Australia teetering at 129 for six.
Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland departed in the final two overs as Australia progressed to a total of 148, comfortably the highest score made at Sharjah in this World Cup.
The White Ferns’ opening partnership of Plimmer and Suzie Bates impressed in the powerplay of their win over India, but the partnership lasted only 14 balls this time around before Plimmer was out.
The youngster was bowled by Schutt, who became the outright most successful bowler in ICC Wom-en’s T20 World Cups with 44 wickets.
Kerr and Bates rotated the strike well without worrying Australia as the required run rate climbed to 8.57 at the end of the powerplay.
By the halfway stage of the innings, the run rate had grown further before a struggling Bates was bowled by Sophie Molineux for 20 from 27.
Kerr departed soon after before three wickets fell in five balls as Sutherland took two in two deliveries to see the White Ferns slump to 60 for six.
Sophie Devine departed for seven from 15 after attempting a big swing against Sophie Molineux. Schutt completed her big day with the final wicket of Eden Carson as New Zealand fell well short in Sharjah, all out for 88 in 19.2 overs.
