Australian players celebrate the wicket of New Zealand’s Brooke Halliday during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match between Australia and New Zealand at Sharjah Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Australia’s batters provided their experienced bowling unit with sufficient runs to defend on a slow wicket and register a comprehensive 60-run win over New Zealand in the Women’s T20 World Cup here on Tuesday (October 8, 2024).

Opener Beth Mooney top-scored with a 32-ball 40 as Australia posted a challenging 148 for eight. Ellyse Perry chipped in with a 24-ball 30, after Alyssa Healy contributed 26 in 20 deliveries at the top of the order.

In reply, New Zealand were all out for 88 in 19.2 overs with Megan Schutt returning excellent figures of 3/3 in 3.2 overs. Annabel Sutherland (3/21) and Sophie Molineux (2/15) were the other major wicket-takers for Australia.

With this result, Australia grabbed the top spot in Group A with two wins from as many as matches.

Opting to bat, six-time winners Australia were off to a fine start with Healy and Beth Mooney adding 41 runs for the first wicket in just 5.2 overs.

Healy was adjudged out lbw after being hit on the pad by left-arm spinner Fran Jonas but after being persuaded by Mooney, the batter opted for a review, and it proved to be the right call, as the on-field umpire’s decision was overturned.

Healy responded with two fours and in the next over, she lofted Eden Carson over extra cover region for another boundary.

New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, who picked up 4/26, also pulled off a brilliant running catch to send back Phoebe Litchfield (18 off 18).

Brief scores:

Australia: 148/8 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 40; Amelia Kerr 4/26)

New Zealand: 88 all out in 19.2 overs (Amelia Kerr 29; Megan Schutt 3/3, Annabel Sutherland 3/21).

India Women’s Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana celebrate their partnership during the Semi-Final match against Bangladesh Women’s in the Womens Asia Cup T20, 2024, at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) said skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will be leading the side against Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 World Cup, having got retired hurt in the previous game due to discomfort in her neck.

Harmanpreet had walked off the field when she was batting on 29 against Pakistan on Sunday. India won that game by six wickets but still face early elimination from the tournament following the loss to New Zealand in their opener.

“She [Harman] is doing fine and she will be fine for tomorrow,” Mandhana told reporters.

However, there is no clarity over the fitness status of all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar who missed the Pakistan game.

“Pooja, I think the medical team is still working on her. So, the update will come only tomorrow during the match. But yeah, I don’t think I can say anything at the moment,” said Mandhana.

Conditions different from our expectations

Mandhana, the best batter in the side, has failed to get going thus far on the slow wickets of the UAE where stroke making has proved to be extremely tough.

India face Sri Lanka on Wednesday, a team that stunned them in the Asia Cup final not so long ago. They are yet to play Australia and their hopes of making the semifinals hang by a thread.

India chased down 106 in 18.5 overs against Pakistan, mindful of the run rate factor in the business end of the tournament.

“It [run rate] definitely was last match, but as I said, the conditions are a lot different to what you expect as a batter so you are probably thinking to get that run rate high and also you firstly you have to win the match first that’s the first priority for us,” said Mandhana.

“So, it’s a balance between trying to find out what’s the best for the team. Of course, you know in the last match I couldn’t like I started off fine but then later on I consumed a few dot balls which was a little irritating for me…”

“…but yeah having said that as batters we have to be really smart we can’t we can’t just go out there thinking that oh we are going to take on this bowling lineup and we are just going to cruise because of course the conditions and the outfield is a lot different,” she said.

Mandhana said conditions in the tournament have been different from their expectations when asked about Harmanpreet going back to number four against Pakistan after batting at three against New Zealand.

“Definitely the wicket condition, the ground conditions are a lot different to what we thought when we came here. That also is a big consideration [in deciding batter order],” she said.

“The conditions, I don’t see any except the New Zealand match, we haven’t seen any team go over 140 in the whole tournament, 135-140, be it a day game or a night game, says a lot about the conditions,” she added.