ICC Women's T20 World Cup: Australia thrash New Zealand by 60 runs

Kiwi captain Sophie Devine expressed her disappointment after the match

PHOTO: ICC

Australia secured a commanding 60-run victory over New Zealand in their Group A match at Sharjah on Tuesday, continuing their journey toward a seventh Women's T20 World Cup title. The defending champions posted an impressive 148-8 in 20 overs, with Beth Mooney leading the way with a top score of 40.

New Zealand’s batting lineup struggled in response, collapsing for just 88 runs in 19.2 overs. Megan Schutt starred for Australia with a standout performance, taking 3 wickets for just 3 runs in 3.2 overs, earning her the Player of the Match award.

"We could have been smarter with the bat at the end, but we came out really well with the ball and I'm really happy with that," said Australia skipper Alyssa Healy.

"Megan Schutt has been wonderful but I thought the whole attack tonight was unbelievable," she further added.

Australia dominated with the ball after a solid batting performance. Healy had set the tone early, scoring 26 from 20 balls before being dismissed by Rosemary Mair. Ellyse Perry was dropped early on but built a 45-run partnership with Mooney, who scored a crucial 40. New Zealand's Amelia Kerr brought the Kiwis back into the game with key wickets, dismissing Perry (30) and Grace Harris (0) with successive deliveries. Despite losing several middle-order wickets, Australia set a challenging target for New Zealand.

New Zealand, who had beaten India in their opening match, struggled to maintain momentum. After Kerr's dismissal for 29, the team collapsed, losing 9 wickets for just 29 runs. Annabel Sutherland also impressed for Australia, taking 3-21 to help seal the win.

Kiwi captain Sophie Devine expressed her disappointment after the match.

"We needed to have a good start and we let the run rate creep up too much. We've still got two games to go," Sophie said.

Australia now tops Group A, while New Zealand drops to third, behind Pakistan. Australia will face Pakistan next in Dubai on Sunday, while New Zealand will take on Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Saturday.