The 89-run victory over current T20 world champions New Zealand on Wednesday was a timely reminder of why Australia are the heavy favourites to make it eight. (AP Photo)Australia arrived at the Holkar Stadium in Indore for their World Cup opener with nine successive ODI series victories behind them and heavy expectations surrounding the seven-time champions. Their 89-run victory over current T20 world champions New Zealand on Wednesday was a timely reminder of why they are the heavy favourites to make it eight.
Picking to bat first on a flat deck that was meant to be a batter’s dream, Australia never let scoring momentum fall but found themselves in various spots of bother throughout the first-half of their innings. They were reduced to 128-5, with Amelia Kerr’s deft leg spin choking their run-scoring and providing more evidence of how effective good tweakers are likely to be in this tournament.
But a phenomenal rearguard stand, led by all-round Ash Gardner’s swashbuckling 88-ball 115 and crucial small contributions by their tail, showed just how deep the side can bat and the varied weaponry in their arsenal. It took them to the 326 total that proved to be unassailable despite Kiwi skipper Sophie Devine’s valiant run-a-ball 112, and allowed them to flex their muscles at the onset of the tournament.
“While Soph was going you never feel comfortable, but credit to the girls for hanging in there,” Aussie skipper Alyssa Healy, beaming, said at the end of the game. “It (aggression) is a balance, but we’ll probably reflect as a batting group on where we can be a bit more precise.”
It was Healy, alongside opener Phoebe Litchfield, that set the stage for Australia. The strategy, or perhaps advantage, behind having a batting order that runs so deep is that risks can be afforded even as wickets fall. Litchfield’s 31-ball 45, inclusive of two clean sixes, guiding Australia to 81 for 1 at the end of the batting powerplay. But as Kerr applied the squeeze, medium pacer Lea Tahuhu struck rapidly, Gardner arrived into the middle looking to salvage the situation. And that she did, without feeling the need to retreat into herself.
Gardner played an innings that was defiant without being defensive; rotating the strike during spells of threatening bowling and making the loose, tired balls pay from the Kiwi bowlers. She reached her half century in 43 balls and then brought up her second ton of the year in 77 deliveries, smoking 16 fours and a six in the process. The valiant, match-winning effort was built around partnerships with Tahlia McGrath and Kim Garth, the latter’s late cameo being central to Australia bringing up their third-highest World Cup total.
“Just because we were five down for not too many, can’t go into my shell. Have to play the way I play and still play that fearless brand of cricket.,” Gardner said after the innings. “It was about trying to take the scoreboard out of it.”
And on a flat wicket like this, any hopes New Zealand harboured of putting together their highest-ever run chase were flattened when they lost two wickets in the first two overs without even having got onto the scoreboard, the first a fatal lapse of judgement leading to an avoidable runout (one of two for the Kiwis this innings).
Devine went into lockdown mode, building partnerships and pacing her innings in the run chase well but the mountain was simply too steep to climb. Despite trying to raise gears and knocking off some smooth boundaries, as well as some hitting contributions from the rest of her team, by the time Devine fell for a well-made 112, New Zealand’s run chase had collapsed. The last four wickets fell in eight balls to put a line under the sand about this match, and about how formidable Australia look for the coming month.
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
4 min read
