Bats will continue to attack
AUSTRALIA will not curb its attacking instincts and is unlikely to tinker with its lineup, despite a top order collapse in the first women’s T20 match against New Zealand.
Chasing 163 at North Sydney Oval on Saturday, Australia crashed to 4-45.
An unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 119 between captain Meg Lanning (56) and deputy Rachael Haynes (69) powered the team to a six-wicket win with 14 balls to spare.
Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner were caught in the deep, as Australia came out with all bats blazing.
Lanning and Haynes steadied the ship after coming in at five and six and champion allrounder Ellyse Perry didn’t even reached to the crease.
Haynes, who captained the side last summer when Lanning was injured, doubted either of them or Perry would be moved up the order.
“No I think we’ll back our batting line-up, that’s probably one of our strengths, that we do bat quite deep,” she said.
“But I think everyone who comes in, we want them to play with aggression and play with a positive style and intent.”
Haynes described the efforts of spinner Sophie Molineux as outstanding after the Victorian allrounder conceded 21 runs off her four overs.
But she said the bowlers needed to tidy up for today’s second match, in Brisbane, after conceding 36 runs off their last two overs.
New Zealand coach Haidee Tiffen is also looking for better execution from her bowlers, and for her batters to start their late-innings charge earlier.
Tiffen will also look for highly rated teenage spinner Amelia Kerr to bounce back after conceding 24 off two overs.