White ferns fall short in T20 chase against Australia on return to international cricket

The White Ferns returned to the international stage in Twenty20 cricket, but failed to chase world champions Australia in a disappointing 17-run loss in Brisbane on Saturday.

Sophie Devine was the choice of New Zealand bowlers (3-18) as her attack greatly limited Australia’s star-studded batting lineup, though Ashleigh Gardner crucially threw 61 of 41 balls to power up Australia. the hosts to a competitive 138-6.

But Devine’s window in New Zealand’s response, when Alyssa Healy slammed the captain into the bowl of Delissa Kimmince after lifting her foot, it was a tight decision that went in Australia’s favor and her departure for 29 in the ninth. blocked the chase.

Star star Suzie Bates, who hit just two fours on 38 balls, never got started and the run rate continued to climb as Australia consistently shot well with Kimmince (2-24), Jess Jonassen (1-20) and Megan Schutt (4- 23) restricting New Zealand’s batting order.

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The White Ferns became the first New Zealand national sports team to play after Covid-19 decimated the sports calendar, but they have work to do in the next two T20 games against Australia in the coming days.

Needing 46 of 24 balls, after Maddy Green (5) and Amy Satterthwaite (9) fell cheaply, Bates (33) and Katey Martin (21) edged Schutt in the 18th over.

Schutt finished with four wickets when Amelia Kerr and Hayley Jensen were caught in the end when the White Ferns only made 121-7, a disappointing return off the bat.

Two weeks before Covid-19 shut down the sport in March, more than 86,000 were at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the final T20 women’s international match when Australia crushed India to win the World Cup.

More than six months later, with most of the world still reeling from Covid-19, a small socially estranged crowd dispersed across Allan Border Field.

Australia put an end to New Zealand’s hopes of the T20 World Cup in their last match on March 2 and neither team found easy scoring.

There was the unusual sight of players spread out for national anthems, adhering to the social distancing protocols we’ve grown accustomed to, but it was a relief for both parties to finally play cricket again after the White Ferns spent two weeks in quarantine for a period of time. crack in the world champions.

All-rounder Devine was the captain despite Satterthwaite’s return for her 100th T20 international after maternity leave. She won the toss, but the White Ferns did not make the most of a positive start on the ball due to poor field.

Australia were just 25-2 after five overs, but Rachel Haynes and Gardner were rebuilding well until the former was down 23 at 14, caught deep by Kerr for Devine’s second wicket.

Sophie Molineux came out for a duck three balls later after throwing a ball to Bates for Devine’s third. She was denied a fourth scalp when the umpires didn’t hear any advantage from Nicola Carey’s bat at the end of a hectic round.

Gardner then lowered the hammer, hitting three huge sixes to boost Australia’s attack speed, before falling to the penultimate to find Satterthwaite on the rope of Bates’s solitaire with the ball.

Still, Australia rallied from a potentially precarious position at 82-5 to put the White Ferns 139 to win.

The White Ferns justified bowling first with first pitchers Healy and Beth Mooney to Devine and Rosemary Mair respectively.

Lea Tahuhu then hit to eliminate Australian captain Meg Lanning by 24, but Gardner hit six fours and three sixes to counter the New Zealand bowlers for a match-winning blow.

Take a look

At Allan Border Field, Brisbane: Australia 138-6 (Gardner 61; Devine 3-18) beat New Zealand 121-7 (Bates 33; Schutt 4-23, Kimmince 2-24) for 17 races.