Aussie champs seal series win despite Kiwi's spin masterclass and ...
Australia toppled trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand by 29 runs at Great Barrier Reef Arena on Sunday evening to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the bilateral T20 series.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Australia was bowled out for 142 in 19.3 overs, with White Ferns leg-spinner Amelia Kerr claiming career-best figures of 4-20. Kerr ripped through the middle order to spark a horror collapse of 7-28 from 26 deliveries, with Australia’s tail failing to wag.
However, New Zealand’s batters struggled to find the boundary rope during the timid run chase, crawling towards 7-113 despite some sloppy fielding from the Australians.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs New Zealand second T20I scorecard
The White Ferns have now suffered nine consecutive defeats in the format, a worrying omen ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, while Australia will acknowledge there’s plenty of room for improvement, particularly when batting against spin and executing outfield catches.
“A win’s a win,” Australian all-rounder Annabel Sutherland shrugged after the match.
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Earlier, captain Alyssa Healy (38 from 25 balls) and Ellyse Perry (34 from 33 balls) top-scored as the hosts posted an under-par, albeit defendable total in Mackay.
Opener Beth Mooney, playing her 100th T20I, was bowled by Kiwi spinner Fran Jonas after missing an arm ball that skidded into off stump before Healy holed out towards cow corner, falling victim to tweaker Eden Carson.
Perry departed in comical fashion, run out by wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze after losing sight of the ball — following an appeal for LBW, she wandered out of her crease in search of a single, only for Gaze to retrieve the ball and whip off the bails.
Ellyse Perry of Australia. Photo by Albert Perez/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesYoung gun Phoebe Litchfield, player of the match from Thursday’s series opener, was gifted an early life after Jonas dropped a regulation chance at deep square leg, but the left-hander couldn’t make the most of the reprieve, bowled the following over by Brooke Halliday after charging out of her crease. Moments later, Kerr produced a gorgeous wrong-un to knock over Ash Gardner, bowled through the gate for 18.
White Ferns speedster Lea Tahuhu knocked over Georgia Wareham to secure her 200th international wicket before Kerr bamboozled Australian vice-captain Tahlia McGrath with another wrong-un.
Kerr and Halliday cleaned up the tail, with Australia losing 5-12 in 11 deliveries after Wareham’s dismissal.
Amelia Kerr of New Zealand. Photo by Albert Perez/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesNew Zealand openers Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer survived the Powerplay unscathed, combining for a 37-run partnership before leg-spinner Wareham broke the stand in the seventh over. Plimmer attempted a sweep shot but instead gloved the ball into leg stump, bowled around her legs for 9.
Gardner entered the attack in the tenth over and immediately unearthed a breakthrough, trapping a sweeping Kerr LBW for 6.
On the first delivery after the drinks break, the dangerous Bates charged at Darcie Brown and chipped towards cover, where Litchfield lunged into the air and held onto a speccy.
Despite the cluster of wickets, New Zealand would have felt confident of reeling in the target with captain Sophie Devine still at the crease, especially after Brown dropped a chance at short third man to gift the Kiwi skipper a reprieve on 3. However, later in the same, Sophie Molineux held onto a superb catch at backward point to send Devine back to the sheds.
And when Gardner cleaned up Halliday in the 15th over, Australia’s victory was all but secure — but not before Megan Schutt dropped an absolute soda on the ring.
Gardner was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 3-16 from four overs, while fellow all-rounder Sutherland (1-18 from four) tightened the screws during the death overs.
The third T20 between Australia and New Zealand gets underway at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field on Tuesday, with the first ball scheduled for 7.10pm AEST.
Australia celebrate. Photo by Albert Perez/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesRelive all the action in our live blog below! Can’t see the blog? CLICK HERE
