Australia survive seven-wicket collapse to beat New Zealand in opening women’s T20
Kim Garth struck the winning boundary at North Sydney Oval as Australia chased down New Zealand’s 162 for two with seven balls remaining.
Australia beat New Zealand by two wickets in the opening women’s Twenty20 international at North Sydney Oval on Sunday, 18 October, surviving a late batting collapse to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, ABC News reported. The hosts reached 165 for eight in reply to New Zealand’s 162 for two, with seven balls remaining.
Kim Garth hit the winning boundary after facing eight balls without scoring. Australia had lost seven wickets for 62 runs during the latter part of its chase, turning what had looked like a comfortable pursuit into a close finish, according to ABC.
How Australia’s chase nearly unravelled
Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry had taken Australia to 86 in 8.2 overs when Mooney was run out for 38 from 25 balls after a mix-up over a run. Perry reached a half-century in 27 balls, equalling her fastest in T20 cricket, before Jess Kerr dismissed her for 52 with a catch by Issy Sharp in the deep, ABC reported.
Kerr went on to take four wickets. She also dismissed Ash Gardner, who made 23 from 17 balls, and Annabel Sutherland, who scored nine from five. Georgie Wareham made 10 from seven before falling to Amelia Kerr, while Nicole Cary was run out for four. Captain Sophie Molineux made 11 before she too fell, leaving Garth to finish the chase.
Plimmer and Green set New Zealand’s total
Georgia Plimmer made a career-best 85 from 68 balls and Maddy Green scored an unbeaten 56 from 37. Their unbroken stand of 127 came from 80 balls and was a New Zealand record partnership, according to ABC, which also described the team’s 162 for two as a record-equalling total in Australia.
Plimmer, 22, entered the match with a T20 batting average of 16 and a strike rate of 104. She had scored three half-centuries in her previous 53 matches for New Zealand; this innings was her fourth. ABC reported that she survived a stumping chance and a catch chance involving wicketkeeper Mooney while facing Sutherland and Hamilton.
Remaining matches at North Sydney Oval
The teams are scheduled to play the remaining two matches at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday, 20 October, and Thursday, 22 October, ABC reported. Cricket Australia had set out the three-match Sydney schedule in September, alongside a Governor-General’s XI warm-up match for New Zealand on 15 October.
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Sources and context
- Aussies survives dramatic collapse to beat New Zealand in first women's T20ABC News
- New-look Kiwis to meet Governor-General's XI in SydneyCricket Australia
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.