First women: T20 International, Eden Park
New Zealand Women 137 – 2(20.0 overs)
Australia Women 138 – 2(13.3 overs)
Australia beat New Zealand by eight wickets
Australia make a statement against the T20 world champions as they race to New Zealand’s 138-run target with eight wickets in hand and 39 balls remaining. Beth Mooney (75 not out) appropriately hit the winning runs after sharing a 123-run opening stand with Georgia Voll (50) that put the result firmly within team’s grasp by the time they reached the second-innings drinks break.
WICKET! Litchfield c Inglis b Tahuhu 2 (Australia 131-2)
The White Ferns pick up another scalp that will only give them a boost with two matches still to play in the series. Litchfield tries to clip around the corner but gets a tickle through to the keeper. The ball has only just carried to Inglis but the young gun is on her way.
Perry comes to the crease and immediately cops a rib-tickler as Australia edge closer to victory.
13th over: Australia 136-2 (Mooney 74, Perry 2)
11th over: Australia 123-1 (Mooney 68, Litchfield 0) SIX! No let up from Beth Mooney with victory now in Australia’s sights. The left-hander dances down the track and clobbers Tahuhu over long on for the first six of the game. Voll brings up her first T20 fifty, to go with her earlier ODI ton, before she picks out Carson just inside the rope at deep square leg.
12th over: Australia 130-1 (Mooney 73, Litchfield 2) New Zealand almost pick up another as Litchfield half-heatedly drives back towards Kerr and lifts the shot agonisingly short of the bowler’s reach. Mooney looks far more comfortable as she cuts for three runs at backward point.
10th over: Australia 113-0 (Mooney 60, Voll 49) That’s drinks and this contest is already all but over after a scintillating opening stand from Mooney and Voll. Mooney has reached 60 not out from 33 balls with 10 boundaries, while Voll is far from staying in her more experienced partner’s shadow as the young gun amasses an unbeaten 49 from 29 deliveries with nine fours. The 21-year-old is working to a plan as she sweeps away at Melie Kerr, starting with another boundary before the Australia pair cruise into the break with four easy singles.
The visitors only need another 25 runs with all 10 wickets still in hand.
Beth Mooney passes fifty for the 28th time in T20Is with her ninth boundary of the innings to reach the milestone from only 28 balls. The No 1-ranked batter in the world celebrates with another four after a rare misfield from Melie Kerr on the boundary.
Australia star batter Beth Mooney has celebrated her milestone match in style by leading the side to a commanding eight-wicket triumph over the T20 world champions New Zealand at Eden Park on Friday.
The visitors were arguably below their best in the field as they gave up a strong start to allow New Zealand to edge towards a competitive total as Melie Kerr (51 not out) and Sophie Devine (39 no) guided the hosts to 137-2. But there was no denying Australia once openers Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll came to the crease.
The left-right combination blazed away for an unbroken 77 runs during the six overs of the powerplay and fired Australia to within 25 runs of their target by the halfway mark of the chase. Voll was dismissed soon after reaching her maiden T20 half-century with Australia only 15 runs short of their mark, but Mooney celebrated her 200th international by hitting the winning runs as she finished on 75 not out.
But Australia’s win could have come at a huge cost with all-rounder Ash Gardner sent for scans on her right index finger after injuring it while attempting to catch a powerful Devine straight drive late in the White Ferns’ innings.
New Zealand picked up a couple of late wickets when the win was already out of their reach but will have to significantly turn around their form and come with better bowling plans if they are to challenge Australia when the arch-rivals meet again on Sunday.