Confident Australia, with a 5-wicket win in the 3-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series opener, kicked off their home international cricket season against arch-rivals New Zealand. After winning the toss and choosing to bat, New Zealand lost a couple of early wickets in the powerplay. However, Suzie Bates (33) and Maddy Green (35) provided crucial resistance, helping their team reach a competitive total of 143/7, with each Australian bowler taking a wicket.
In their chase, Australia lost Beth Mooney early, and after a brief recovery, Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry fell with the score at 44. Despite Tahlia McGrath’s failure to score big, Phoebe Litchfield’s impressive 64* off 43 balls, along with Georgia Wareham’s 26 off 20, guided Australia to a 5-wicket win with 8 balls to spare. Molly Penfold was New Zealand’s standout bowler, claiming two wickets.
Highlights from the match:
Phoebe Litchfield – 64*(43)
With Australia 3 down for 44 in their chase of 143, and Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry dismissed in the space of 3 balls, Phoebe Litchfield stepped up with poise and delivered a crucial innings. From the outset, she found the fence regularly, forming a vital 41-run partnership with McGrath. Litchfield raced to her fifty off just 32 balls and then combined for another significant 50-run stand with Wareham. She capped off the match with a boundary, striking at 148.83 and hitting 11 fours in her match-winning 64*.
Georgia Wareham – 1/22 (3) & 26(20)
After McGrath’s dismissal, New Zealand looked to reassert themselves, but Wareham, alongside the set Phoebe Litchfield, forged a vital 50-run partnership. Wareham contributed a handy 26, including 3 boundaries, striking at 130.00. Earlier in the game, Wareham had also made an impact with the ball, trapping Brooke Halliday lbw for just 5, breaking a 19-run recovery partnership.
Suzie Bates – 33(27)
Although cautious initially with wickets falling at the other end, Bates accelerated after the powerplay. She formed an 18-run opening stand with Georgia Plimmer and a 19-run partnership with Brooke Halliday before her dismissal on 33 ended a 26-run stand with Maddy Green. Her innings, featuring 5 boundaries and a busy strike rate of 122.22, was instrumental in helping New Zealand post a competitive total.
Molly Penfold – 2/24 (4)
In the quest to defend 143 and gain an early lead in the series, Penfold gave New Zealand a strong start by dismissing the dangerous Beth Mooney for 13 off 10 balls. As the game began to slip away, Penfold returned to the attack and made another immediate impact, removing McGrath for 6 off 10 balls, keeping her team’s hopes alive. Despite her efforts, the win eluded them and Penfold finished with impressive figures of 2/24.