T20 series ends with walkover

ALYSSA Healy provided the batting fireworks and allrounders Ellyse Perry and Sophie Molineux the bowling pyrotechnics, with Australia completing a first women’s T20 series clean sweep of New Zealand.

Australia added a ninewicket win at Canberra’s Manuka Oval last night to the sixwicket victories in the first two matches of the series in Sydney and Brisbane.

New Zealand’s openers put on 29 for the first wicket but the White Ferns lost 6-16 before being rolled for just 103.

Wicketkeeper Healy and fellow opener Beth Mooney made light work of the modest target, which was reached after just 12.3 overs.

Healy laid into an ineffective attack, smashing 67 off 44 balls before lofting a catch to deep midwicket with six runs required.

Coming off 57 in the second game, Healy belted 12 fours and a six, while Mooney finished unbeaten on 29.

Healy was named player of the series.

Fast bowler and player of the match Perry was at her aggressive best, taking 4-21, including the key scalps of Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite.

Spinner Molineux showed great control to earn lbw decisions against Bernadine Bezuidenhout and Kate Ebrahim in successive deliveries and although denied a hat-trick she could celebrate her best T20 international figures of 3-11.

So dominant was Australia through the series that accomplished batters Perry and Molineux didn’t have a hit in the three games.

New Zealand contributed to its downfall with some loose shots.

The only White Ferns batter to fire was Katey Martin whose defiant unbeaten 35 off 34 balls, included three of the innings’ seven fours.

While an unchanged Australian line-up dropped two chances early on, vice-captain Rachael Haynes took a superb diving left-handed catch to remove Jess Watkin for the first of New Zealand’s five ducks.

Australia will play three matches against Pakistan in Malaysia later this month before heading to the West Indies for the World T20 tournament in November.