AUS v NZ [W] 2024, AUS-W vs NZ-W 1st T20I Match Report, September 19, 2024

Australia 145 for 5 (Litchfield 64*, Wareham 26, Penfold 2-24) beat New Zealand 143 for 7 (Green 35, Bates 33, Graham 1-13, Sutherland 1-18) for five wickets

But they were good enough to win and extend New Zealand’s women’s T20I unbeaten run to eight matches.

Variety is the spice of Australia’s powerplay

Healy said Australia will not try in this series and it is clear that diversity will be the key to their bowling plans for the World Cup. The bowling and skill of Megan Schutt mixed with the extra pace of Tayla Vlaeminck and the trickery of Molineux made it difficult to beat New Zealand in the powerplay as they were reduced to 35 for 2.

Georgia Plimmer’s world-class woes continued. There was one well-struck boundary on a run-a-ball 11 but he was a bit surprised at the crease and ended up falling unceremoniously on a cut shot that was fenced back. Bates took some time to get going and eventually found the middle hitting two boundaries from Vlaeminck over midwicket. But he did not support it on the other side. Amelia Kerr made a mistake sweeping the slog straight into the middle from Molineux’s first ball. Brooke Halliday missed out on a full rink run from Wareham attempting an organized paddle.

Healy mixed up his bowlers well, including a late addition with Graham taking the wicket. Molineux and Schutt were incredibly economical and only Vlaeminck was expensive. Green ensured that New Zealand put in something they could defend with 35 balls from 33 balls but he failed to get a rope. The visitors scored 10 boundaries in total, while Litchfield set up their own chase. New Zealand’s innings culminated in a difficult run out as Jess Kerr and Leigh Kasperek ended up at the same spot in the last over.

Penfold causes panic

Devine marked Penfold’s biggest ceiling, both literally and figuratively, as a fast bowler the day before the series began and he showed his incredible talent with 2 for 24 to strike fear into Australia. After a loose first over from Fran Jonas that cost 12, Penfold pointed Australia back with pace and bounce. He said Beth Mooney with a cracking bumper that rushed him and brushed the glove. then he put down Healy and Ellyse Perry by delivering six dot balls that caused errors at the other end. Healy miscued Kasperek to cover while Perry lost his leg stump trying to field Lea Tahuhu’s first ball to leave Australia at 44 for 3 after 6.1 overs.

Penfold returned to bowl Tahlia McGrath in the 12th over and finished with a superb 2 for 24 from four to give New Zealand a brief hope of ending a seven-match losing streak. But despite delivering four dot balls to match-winning Litchfield, he couldn’t take the crucial breakthrough and ran out of overs.

Litchfield lights up Mackay

Litchfield spoke on Tuesday about his place in Australia’s starting XI for the first World Cup. He might have entered his name with an outstanding innings to save Australia. No hitter in the game managed a two-pitch pitch until Litchfield walked to the plate.

His first boundary was a piece of luck, a thick edge beating Jess Kerr at third short. But his next three showed his incredible skill and courage. At the same time he broke through the penalty of Tahuhu, carved him a cover and harassed him in mid-on to relieve any pressure on the chase. He hit three more boundaries against spin in the next two overs before seeing off Penfold’s danger after losing McGrath.

He then reached into the bag of tricks to show the full song. Kasperek found the rope after which he hit Penfold at square leg before reaching his second T20I century in 32 balls. Wareham made an excellent 26 off 20 to lend support to a critical 50-run stand. It was left to Litchfield to finish it off and do it in style with a sweeping sweep up and over the cover.