Australia Women’s Cricket Team faced off against New Zealand Women’s Cricket Team in the T20 World Cup 2024 game at the Sharjah Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
Australia batted first and managed to score 148 runs in their 20 overs. The total proved more than enough as they dismissed New Zealand for just 88 runs, thereby, winning the game by 60 runs.
Despite New Zealand Women losing the game, there was a moment of brilliance from Amelia Kerr. She picked two wickets on two consecutive balls.
On the fifth ball of the 14th over, she picked up the wicket of Ellyse Perry with a googly. She tossed the ball on the off stump, bowled it slower through the air. Perry went for the drive, but did not judge the turn as it was the wrong ‘un. She got beaten on the inside edge and the ball went on to crash the stumps.
On the very next ball, she got the wicket of Grace Harris. It was a similar googly from Amelia Kerr. It was tossed up slower yet again on the off stump and Harris misjudged the turn. She went for the drive and the ball sneaked through the gap between bat and pad and crashed into the stumps.
Megan Schutt became the Player Of The Match
Meanwhile, Megan Schutt was adjudged as the Player Of The Match.
Here’s what she said in the post-match presentation:
“I feel I have lost a few litres, but it was a crucial match, they played well against India and so to come out like that was clinical. It ebbed and flowed in the first innings, we thought we’d get to 160 at one stage, but we lost a few wickets and so were probably 10-15 runs short, but we knew if we do well in the powerplay, it will set us up. I just bowled to the basics, we kept to our plans, to play in heat like this, the extensive preparations did help. It’s a World Cup and we certainly want to enjoy ourselves, it’s the first World Cup for some of the players, we want to make sure that they do enjoy the experience.”
With that win, Australia are now comfortably sitting at the top of the table with two wins in two games. On the other hand, Pakistan and New Zealand are at second and third, respectively. Both have two points.
India also have two points in two games and take the fourth spot, while Bangladesh are languishing at the bottom of the group A table.
