AUS v NZ [W] 2024, AUS-W vs NZ-W 2nd T20I Match Report, September 22, 2024

Australia 142 (Healy 38, Perry 34, Kerr 4-20). New Zealand 113 for 7 (Bates 34, Gardner 3-16) for 29 runs

Hot start for Healy

In a place where only five batsmen managed to score more than 120, Healy stood head and shoulders above the pack. Molly Penfold was a big threat in the first T20I and Healy dismissed her in the first over. He hit him low and then unleashed a stunning front foot shot over midwicket on the next ball as Australia took 12 in the first over. He then set up Lea Tahuhu over a point before sweeping home Eden Carson’s penalty.

He saved his best for Kerr, sweeping him from mid-stump through cover as Australia reached 48 for 1 in the powerplay. But while Healy was hot, Perry was very cold. After an early loss to Beth Mooney – playing her 100th T20I – bowled by Fran Jonas trying to pull, Perry struggled to find time. He faced eight dot balls in his first 16 and was 13 of 18 at one point. He struggled to even feed Healy a strike. Healy fell trying to get a foot down on Carson, going 38 for 25. But it will make a big contribution.

Kerr puts Australia in a cycle of spin

Just as Perry began to find a rhythm, his dismissal began Australia’s downfall and was a sign of things to come. He tried to sweep Kerr and was hit by the pad. The ball bounced off his pad and over his head. Perry was confused as to where he was going and just ran out. By the time he saw it land behind him, wicket keeper Izzy Gaze had bailed out for 34 off 33. Soon after, Australia suffered a disaster, something that has never happened to this all-conquering team. .

They were dismissed inside 20 overs for the second time since the 2020 T20 World Cup. It started with Phoebe Litchfield hitting the wrong-footed Brooke Halliday pacers and losing her leg stump. Then Kerr wandered on his way to order. Two very good wrong’uns took Gardner and Tahlia McGrath out of the gate. Sophie Molineux was hit in the air and crashed a mile before Megan Schutt was finished and was brought on immediately. Kerr finished with 4 for 20 from four overs. Australia looked vulnerable defending just 143.

Australian bowlers are in a tight spot

Early wickets are always a desirable way to apply pressure if you are defending a small total. The next best thing is to use running average pressure. And that’s exactly what Australia did on the powerplay. They did not concede a boundary in the first four overs with Bates and Georgia Plimmer struggling for rhythm. Bates finally broke through against Schutt and Darcie Brown, earning a triple tie. But New Zealand managed to score only 34 runs in the powerplay despite not losing a wicket. When Plimmer pulled an attempted sweep off his stumps at Georgia Wareham, the required standard had risen above eight per over. Nine overs soon passed when Gardner got his revenge on Kerr, pinning him lbw with a subtle change of pace as he attempted to sweep. Litchfield then stuck to an athletic catch at cover to remove the well-set Bates for a run-a-ball 34.

Sophie Devine fell two overs later suffering 4 from 10 balls, including Brown being dismissed at short third. Australia managed to close out the game from there despite a lot of disorganization. New Zealand’s equation reached 54 for 18 before Maddy Green and Gaze threatened to pull off a miracle. But that only happens because of some dishonesty. Schutt brought down Sitter on the green at cover-point and watched three of the next five balls hit the line. Green then had Gardner out trying to steal second but Healy fumbled the throw, which was a little wider than it should have been. But Sutherland held his nerve deep on Gardner to finally finish off Green’s back-rower.