Australia Women thrash New Zealand Women to remain unbeaten at the Women's T20 World Cup

Defending champions seem unstoppable at the moment in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Playing their second clash at the group stage, Australia women thrashed New Zealand women to remain unbeaten. The Alyssa Healy-led team bundled New Zealand at a meagre score of 88 as they successfully defended their 148 run-stand. The 60-run defeat endured by New Zealand women has placed the white ferns at the third position in the points table. The Kiwis claimed a thumping 58-run win in their opening clash against India women. However, the defeat against Australia has hit their net run rate which is now looming in the negative range.

Australia women thrash New Zealand women to turn the table toppers at ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Australia Women won the toss at Sharjah to bat first in their second contest of the season. New Zealand women seemed to be putting in notable efforts in the first innings as they restricted Australia to 148. However, what transpired next was a terrible batting performance that led New Zealand into the deeper pits of a defeat. New Zealand women broke their 10-match losing streak against India women earlier in the tournament. However, the team had sustained a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Australia women ahead of the marquee event.

Batting first at Sharjah, Australian started intently as Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney exploited the powerplay. Healy went behind the spinners early in the match before being dismissed by Rosemary Mair. Mooney continued with a swift 45-run partnership alongside Ellyse Perry, who then took charge. However, riding high on their commanding win over India in the previous game, New Zealand didn’t let Australia cruise without a challenge. Key all-rounder to the Kiwis, Amelia Kerr sparked the onset of an Australian collapse when she dismissed Mooney at the score of 40 in the 12th over.

Returning to bowl the 14th over, Kerr dismissed Ellyse Perry and Grace Harris on consecutive deliveries. Perry departed at the score of 30 off 24 before Kerr claimed Harris for a golden duck. None of the next batters in levied any significant impact as Phoebe Litchfield and Brooke Halliday cemented the Kiwi attack along with Kerr. Amelia Kerr wrapped up the first innings with a 4/26 figure as Litchfield and Halliday scalped 2 wickets each.

The defending champions, however, scripted a swift redemption in the second innings. The slow pitch of Sharjah played the spoilsport for New Zealand in the chase. Megan Schutt gave Australia a perfect start as she struck the timber to dismiss Georgia Plimmer. The seasoned Australian, subsequently, became the leading wicket-taker in Women's T20 World Cup history. New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Kerr put together a 47-run stand, but it was slow and lacked the needed pace in absence of boundaries.

The 47-run stand, however, emerged as the best batting effort put forth by New Zealand women in the match. The white ferns staged a worse collapse than Australia women in the match. As Sophie Molineux claimed Bates at the score of 20, New Zealand women gave up on the match. Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, and Isabelle Gaze returned to the pavilion within a matter of 2 overs as Australia reduced New Zealand to 5 wickets for just 6 runs. The match turned easy for Australia to claim from there as Megan Schutt turned up as the top performer with 3 scalps to her name. Australia women with the 60-run win over New Zealand women have shuffled the Group A points table remarkably. New Zealand has suffered a massive blow to their net run rate which now reads -0.50.