White Ferns set testing target but Australia gets up for win in first T20
SYDNEY: Team leaders Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes produced a superb rescue act to mastermind Australia’s most successful women’s twenty20 run chase against New Zealand at the North Sydney Oval on Saturday.
Chasing 163, Australia was struggling at 45 for four in the fifth over but recovered to win by six wickets with 14 balls to spare.
Australia’s previous highest successful chase against New Zealand was 147 seven years ago in England.
A perfectly paced unbroken fifthwicket stand of 119 wrenched the match out of the White Ferns’ grasp.
Lanning, in her first international in Australia since February 2017, scored 56 off 44 balls.
Her deputy Haynes, who led Australia last summer when Lanning missed the entire Ashes series with a shoulder injury, was dropped on 56 and 58, but otherwise batted fluently in her innings of 69.
The result gave Australia its sixth win from as many T20 internationals on the ground.
‘‘Meg’s a pretty good player to bat with,’’ Haynes said.
‘‘We lost a few early wickets, there was some good bowling out there as well, but it was nice to have a partnership and get us over the line.’’
A lateinnings flourish which produced 36 from the last two overs set Australia a testing target.
Sent in by Lanning, the White Ferns made 162 for five with Katey Martin topscoring with an unbeaten 56 off 33 balls and Sophie Devine notching 43 from the same amount of deliveries.
Devine’s dismissal was contentious, with the catch by Beth Mooney at point looking as if it might have been taken on the half volley.
It was confirmed as out after numerous looks by the offfield official, although Devine felt she was not out.
‘‘I was disappointed with the
decision. I think from our point of view, we felt that it was not out and maybe it had an impact on the game,’’ White Ferns coach Haidee Tiffen said.
However, Haynes was adamant it was a fair catch.
‘‘I was two metres from it, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it carried,’’ ’ Haynes said.
Spinner Ashleigh Gardner was Australia’s only multiple wicket taker with two for 22 off three overs.
Debutante Georgia Wareham went for 15 in her one over of legspin, but had Jess Watkin smartly stumped by Alyssa Healy off a legside wide.
The Australian openers took 13 off the first over, but Devine earned lbw decisions against Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani and Leigh Kasperek had Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner caught in the deep.
Lanning took three boundaries from the first over from highly touted White Ferns teenage spinner Amelia Kerr and Australia remained in control thereafter.
The series continues in Brisbane today and Canberra hosts the finale four days later.