Sophie Molineux is player of the match for her 2/17. “Sophie Devine is a world class player so we knew it was a pretty important wicket to get,” she says of the big breakthrough at the very start of her four overs. Devine’s turn to talk. The New Zealand captain believes their issue with the ball isn’t that they don’t have bowlers who can take pace off the ball, but that they didn’t bowl into the pitch well enough. Now Meg Lanning. “We pegged them back well with the ball and batting wise, Healy and Mooney getting off to a flying start meant that we could see it home.”
And that’s that: Australia big winners by eight wickets, taking a two-nil series win into the third and final T20 on Wednesday. I’ll be back with you then. Bye for now!
New Zealand never had enough runs. This was highlighted when Healy took 22 runs from one Bates over in the power play. From there, even after she fell for 33 (off 17 balls) then Mooney for 24, the chase was well and truly in hand. Haynes was resourceful and efficient, unbeaten on 40 from 31, and Lanning did as Lanning does, not out 26 when the victory target of 129 was reached in the 17th over.
With 20 balls to spare, the captain Lanning wrapping up the series with a single to point. Australia have done this easy, the unbroken stand between the leadership duo worth 65 runs from 55 balls when the winning run was scored. What a team.
16.4 overs Australia 129-2 (Lanning 26*, Haynes 40*)
16th over: Australia 126-2 (Lanning 24, Haynes 39) Target 129. Haynes dances at Green’s off-spin, striking perfectly straight down the ground for four. Shot. Into single digits for the win now. She goes again and Bates nearly takes a screamer diving after running around from long-on. It bobbles out; not to be. What a shame, that would have made quite the viral highlight. Three singles to finish the over, Lanning retaining the strike with three runs needed from four overs.
15th over: Australia 118-2 (Lanning 22, Haynes 33) Target 129. Mair is back and the 50-stand is raised in 43 balls when she slips down the legside with a wide. Haynes is still looking to knock these runs of in a hurry, smashing the seamer down the ground, but a good bit of fielding keeps it to two. 11 to win; 30 balls. Finish it, Meg.
14th over: Australia 111-2 (Lanning 20, Haynes 29) Target 129. One, two, three four - all singles, all easy. An over from Tahuhu, the attack leader, is safely negotiated.
13th over: Australia 107-2 (Lanning 18, Haynes 27) Target 129. Haynes begins by sweeping fine and well for four. Ooh, she tries again and miscues Kerr off an edge but it falls just short of Devine who doesn’t time her dive at short fine. Another wonderful sweep later in the over, this time in front of square, hammering Kerr out to the rope in front of the pavilion. 13 off the over, leaving 22 to win from 42 balls.
12th over: Australia 94-2 (Lanning 17, Haynes 15) Target 129. Green wins a leading edge from Haynes, nearly earning a return catch opportunity too, but the ball falls just short. Lanning’s turn and she GOES BIG for the first time, nailing a swept SIX! That’ll do. 35 needed from 48 balls for Australia to finish the job from here.
11th over: Australia 85-2 (Lanning 10, Haynes 13) Target 129. Any run-rate pressure that New Zealand might apply is stunted with back to back boundaries from Haynes, getting across her stumps to flick cleverly with fine leg inside the circle for Devine, then steering wide of third man - also inside the ring. Such a clever player.
10th over: Australia 75-2 (Lanning 9, Haynes 4) Target 129. Mair is back and Lanning is watchful for the most part, just three from the over. Not sure how I feel about the TV caller asking the New Zealand stumper, Katey Martin, to do TikTok dances when she’s in the middle of a game of international cricket? Anyway, each to their own. Australia need 54 from the second half of their chase... should be easy.
9th over: Australia 72-2 (Lanning 8, Haynes 3) Target 129. There’s nothing easy about forcing the pace against spin on this track. Seven off Green’s off-breaks, two of those with a wide down the legside. The problem for New Zealand is that they only have 57 runs to play with and 66 deliveries to bowl.
“With Australia sauntering towards their target,” begins Abhijato Sensarma, “I hope you don’t mind me reminding the rest of the readers about our celebrations tonight. The Nat Sciver Fan Club invites you to the celebration of her perfectly timed masterpiece on the BBC yesterday! Timing: Perfect, just like hers. Entry Fees: £82 (runs she scored) with a discount of £61 (balls she faced) for premium members too.” You’ve really put some thought into this, young man. Well played.
8th over: Australia 65-2 (Lanning 5, Haynes 1) Target 129. Two runs and a wicket from the Kerr over - she has 1/6 from her two. Oh yes, I forgot Maddy Green who will be important with her off-breaks as well, the next bowler into the attack.
WICKET! Mooney c Satterthwaite b Kerr 24 (Australia 64-2)
Mooney picks out Satterthwaite on the circle at mid-off. Spin to win, but who else can turn their hand to it after Kerr? A poor call to remain unchanged, for mine.
7th over: Australia 63-1 (Mooney 24, Lanning 4) Target 129. Jensen to Lanning - three dots to begin with the field now out, the captain then off strike with a tuck. Three off it, making two good overs in a row for the White Ferns. But that won’t be enough from here - they need wickets, and a lot of them, in a hurry.
6th over: Australia 60-1 (Mooney 23, Lanning 2) Target 129. Spin, at last, to finish the power play for New Zealand and what do you know? Just four runs off it.
5th over: Australia 56-1 (Mooney 21, Lanning 0) Target 129. Easy as you like, Mooney picks Tahuhu off her hip, around the corner to the fine leg rope for four more. A successful over for New Zealand but nine runs added along the way.
WICKET! Healy c Bates b Tahuhu 33 (Australia 51-1)
Healy tries to go over cover once more but doesn’t get all of it, a high chance taken by Bates at cover on the circle. But before departing, she had time to slap one more boundary down the ground to bring up a 25-ball 50 stand. She’s out for 33 off 17.
4th over: Australia 47-0 (Healy 29, Mooney 16) Target 129. So, after Australia bowled five overs of spin in the power play, New Zealand are now into their fourth of pace inside the opening six. As Mel Jones notes, that was largely a function of their decisions at the selection table. Bates to Healy, who steers her with complete control behing point - class. And now for the muscle, crunching the medium-pacer over mid-on for back to back fours. Make it three? Why not! Inside-out over cover to complete the hat-trick of fours. One ball to come... and it’s four in a row! This time a clipped SIX! And it’s a front-foot no-ball! So, a free-hit to finish then and Healy hits her straight down the throat of long-on. Of course, she can’t be dismissed from that ball so they get through for a single instead. 22 off the over, if you don’t mind! They’ll have this knocked off in 12 overs at this rate. Dominant batting.
3rd over: Australia 25-0 (Healy 8, Mooney 16) Target 129. Mooney has a third boundary, tucking Devine’s second delivery down to long leg in front of the Stuart Law Stand. Healy’s turn to get into the act, picking up a delightful clip through midwicket, racing away with perfect timing. They’re making short work of this.
2nd over: Australia 15-0 (Healy 3, Mooney 11) Target 129. And there she goes again, this time Mooney steering her punch - and it’s that, rather than a drive - the other side of point for four more to to begin Tahuhu’s over. Early call, but she’s on here. The Queenslander adds a couple more through the legside before taking another single behind point. Tahuhu bumps Healy to finish - well ducked.
1st over: Australia 8-0 (Healy 3, Mooney 4) Target 129. Healy gets Australia’s chase underway with a couple out to midwicket then a single past point. Mooney’s turn and she’s off the mark in quintissential Mooney fashion, punching through cover for four with pristine timing and placement. That’s what she does best.
The players are back on the field. Healy and Mooney, who both failed yesterday, are opening for Australia. As Mel Jones notes on telly, they rarely miss out twice in a row. Mair has the job for New Zealand with the new ball, defending 128. PLAY!
New Zealand were always behind the eight-ball. At least that’s how it felt after Devine fell from the first ball of the third over. Satterthwaite’s 30 in 20 balls (five fours) provided some hope of a significant total, but when she was stumped by Healy - no more than half a centimetre in it - the wickets started falling and they never stopped. The spinners Molineux (2/17) and Wareham (3/26) were outstanding, as was Kimmince (3/21). It’s a slow track but this isn’t a tough chase.
NEW ZEALAND ALL-OUT 128! WICKET! Mair c Lanning b Carey 0.
After her brilliant work in the field in the previous over, it was only right that Carey was thrown the ball for the final over, albeit one that lasted only one ball, the New Zealanders all-out when Mair chipped the all-rounder to Lanning at cover. Australia need 129 to wrap up the three-game series in straight sets.
19th over: New Zealand 127-9 (Perkins 14, Mair 0) The ever-reliable Kimmince finishes with 3/21. She’s had a fantastic three years back in the Aussie gold.
WICKET! Tahuhu c Carey b Kimmince 4 (New Zealand 126-9)
And she does it again! Instead of diving forward, this time she has motor to her right before leaping and the result is the same, completing the chance inches from the grass. Superb outfielding, giving the hosts a chance to bowl New Zealand out.
WICKET! Kerr c Carey b Kimmince 11 (New Zealand 122-8)
What a catch form Carey running in from long-on! Kerr didn’t get much of her lofted drive but the all-rounder had plenty to do, nailing her dive at full speed. She doesn’t always get as many opportunities as she would like to enjoy in this super strong national team but she very rarely lets them down in any facet of the game.
18th over: New Zealand 121-7 (Kerr 11, Perkins 12) At last, the rope is found again with Perkins slogging Jonassen into the gap at midwicket for four then Kerr deploying her best shot, the sweep, into the same gap for four more. 135?
Alyssa Healy now has the outright record for most T20I career keeping dismissals:
17th over: New Zealand 109-7 (Kerr 6, Perkins 5) Much as it was with Molineux’s previous over, Wareham is able to finish her fourth and final over (3/26) without conceding a boundary. Another fine death over, combining loop and spin; Australia’s first-choice leggie finishes with 3/26. The spinners have been so effective today, seam used for just five overs and Jonassen now likely to bowl 18 and 20.
16th over: New Zealand 104-7 (Kerr 5, Perkins 2) A wicket and five runs from the over, the boundary never threatened. Molineux outstanding today, finishing with 2/17 after starting her spell with the biggest wicket going - Sophie Devine.
Through her with the quicker one! Martin was trying to cut but didn’t pick Molineux’s straight and flat one, crashing into the top of her off-stump. A fine bit of finger-spin bowling. They’re every chance of bowling out the visitors from here.
15th over: New Zealand 99-6 (Martin 3, Kerr 2) Wareham has 3/21 from three overs so far - forever busy, always taking wickets. Why is Amelia Kerr, a serious hitter, coming in at No8 in this T20 side, by the way? I’m not sure about that.
WICKET! Down c Healy b Wareham 12 (New Zealand 96-6)
Alyssa Healy, what a gem. This time around, she has the presence of mind to leap on a deflection from the back of Down’s bat when missing a sweep, taking the chance easily before whipping the bails off in the same motion. In the end, it was given out caught behind so it didn’t matter whether her bat was back or not.
14th over: New Zealand 95-5 (Down 12, Martin 1) A productive over for Down, now the senior partner, still taking 10 off Kimmince despite losing Bates at the beginning of the set, an edge spilling away for four when looking to put the foot down.
WICKET! Bates c Jonnasen b Kimmince 22 (New Zealand 85-5)
There are three big New Zealand wickets and Australia now have all of them, Bates - out 22 from 28 balls - tried to get resourceful jumping across her stumps but failed to make the contact she needed, her leading edge ending up at mid-off instead.
13th over: New Zealand 81-4 (Bates 22, Down 3) A handy over at a handy time from Nic Carey, into the attack with her medium pace and giving up just four singles.
12th over: New Zealand 81-4 (Bates 20, Down 1) Down of the mark first ball. Bates is down the other end on 20 from 24 balls. As I mentioned earlier, she’s short of her fluent best at the moment but she’s still there.
11th over: New Zealand 73-3 (Bates 18, Jensen 2) Five singles off Molineux , albeit without complete control from the new batter Jensen. Both teams would probably be happy with that outcome at this stage. 140 would be a good effort for the Kiwis.
WICKET! Satterthwaite st Healy b Wareham 30 (New Zealand 68-3)
She has! It’s taken a good three minutes before the third umpire gets the angle he needs to show that Satterthwaite doesn’t have a spike behind the line; as close as it comes. But, a good decision... in the end. It played out after the left-hander missed a swipe through midwicket, dragging her back foot in the process.
9th over: New Zealand 59-2 (Bates 15, Satterthwaite 23) Just when New Zealand needed to shift up a gear they have done precisely that, Bates benefitting from a misfield at deep midwicket to collect one boundary off Schutt then Satterthwaite beating short fine leg to bank another. All up, 12 from the over - their best yet.
8th over: New Zealand 47-2 (Bates 9, Satterthwaite 17) Kimmince into the attack for the first time today and the medium-pacer is right onto her line and length, denying either player a chance to attack the rope, having to settle with five singles instead.
7th over: New Zealand 42-2 (Bates 6, Satterthwaite 15) Three boundaries in three overs for Satterthwaite, this the best so far, dancing at Gardner and again popping it over mid-on with a minimum of fuss. She’s a very good player with a fine record.
6th over: New Zealand 36-2 (Bates 6, Satterthwaite 9) Good again from Satterthwaite, down the track at Molineux, lifting the spinner over mid-on for four. Five overs of spin in the power play, New Zealand at a run a ball and losing two wickets. But that puts the home side ahead with Devine one of those dismissed.
5th over: New Zealand 30-2 (Bates 4, Satterthwaite 5) Big turn from the outset for Gardner with her off-spin from around the wicket to Satterthwaite. The all-rounder gives it a big rip, giving away just one single from the first five balls. But the left-hander holds her nerve, picking the final ball up and over extra cover for four.
4th over: New Zealand 25-2 (Bates 4, Satterthwaite 1) The good news for the Kiwis is that the new player to the crease is one of their most accomplished and experienced, former captain Amy Satterthwaite. She was caught behind brilliantly by Healy when reverse sweeping yesterday, a highlight of a fine performance by the Australian stumper. It’s that shot she misses to finish Jonassen’s over here too, albeit past Healy’s gloves this time, running away for four byes.
WICKET! Green run out [Wareham/Healy] 7. New Zealand 19-2
Uh oh. New Zealand are in the hole now, the 50-gamer Green run out by Wareham from fine leg, running to the danger end and caught short with her big dive when returning for a third run. Australia can start their squeeze nice and early.
3rd over: New Zealand 16-1 (Green 7, Bates 1) Bates, who struggled for runs in the T20 World Cup earlier this year and for fluency yesterday in her 38-balls in the middle, gets one down the ground to get off the mark. Oooh, Green is beaten by a beauty to finish by Molineux from around the wicket, beating both the edge and the off-stump by a matter of centimetres. A superb start from the spinner.
WICKET! Devine c & b Molineux 9 (New Zealand 16-1)
That’s a huge wicket for Molineux with her first ball of the day, winning a return catch from the leading edge of Devine, making no mistake in her follow-through. The New Zealand skpper, and most destructive player, is gutted with that.
2nd over: New Zealand 16-0 (Devine 9, Green 7) Schutt’s first ball drifts onto the pads of Devine, her former Big Bash teamname flicking her away for four. The New Zealander’s move to the Perth Scorchers for the upcoming season was one of a number of big squad changes in the lead up to the fresh WBBL season, the Australian skipper Meg Lanning heading back to the Stars from Perth and Beth Mooney heading west from Brisbane. Green ensures the pricey over is bookended with boundaries, opening the face to steer a second four behind point. Nice shot.
1st over: New Zealand 5-0 (Devine 3, Green 2) Starting in singles, five of them, both New Zealand openers happy to play themselves in rather than taking on the probing tweaker. Interesting that she was given the first over ahead ofthe in-form Schutt, but it’ll be the gun seamer - with 93 wickets at 14.9 in T20s - bowling the next over.
The players are on the field. Maddy Green, playing her 50th T20 International, is opening alongside her superstar skipper, Sophie Devine. Left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen has the ball in her hand to send down the first over of the game. PLAY!
I mentioned before that it is the same pitch as yesterday. That shouldn’t be a huge factor at the start of a season after just one T20, but it was a touch tacky yesterday when pace was off the ball, so that might be a factor. Looks pretty good to me.
“The best thing about yesterday was being out there again,” says Megan Schutt, who took 4/23 yesterday - all those wickets coming at the death when deploying wide range of slower balls. We’re lucky to have the South Australian back on board as a columnist in our pages - well worth a read whenever she puts pen to paper.
Around the grounds. Isn’t it lovely that we have a bit of cricket going on in different corners of the world at the moment after having to settle for a one match here or there since July? Especially women’s cricket, which was all-but absent until last week when England started their five-game series against the West Indies, wrapping that up in straight sets yesterday with another easy win, this time courtesy of Nat Sciver who crunched 82 of the best from 61 deliveries.
Welcome to the second T20 between Australia’s women and New Zealand at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane. We don’t see matches on consecutive days at international level too often these days, but this is what we are enjoying to begin this three-game series after the hosts won by 17 runs yesterday at the same surface.
After slumping to 82/5 in the 14th over, Meg Lanning’s side powered to the line thanks to Ash Gardner, who cleared the midwicket rope on three occasions on the way to 61 from 41 balls, enabling them to set the White Ferns 139. They were in striking distance at a similar time of their chase, but Megan Schutt’s four wickets in two overs at the death ensured that they would end up falling well short with 121-7.
The toss is shortly. I’ll be back with you then with the result of that and the two teams as named. And as always on the OBO, I’m looking forward to your company.
