AUS W VS NZ W T20

That is it from this game and the reigning champions Australia Women start their campaign on a positive note. The action in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 continues on Sunday, the 12th of February with another doubleheader. It is an all-Asian affair as in the first game of the day, India Women will take on arch-rivals Pakistan Women at 6.30 pm IST (1 pm GMT). Then in the second game, Sri Lanka Women square off aginst Bangladesh Women at 10.30 pm IST (5 pm GMT). Both these games will be played at the Newlands in Cape Town and you can join us a lot early for the build-up for both those games. Cheers!

Meg Lanning, the captain of Australia Women says that she is very happy and they came into this game without knowing what to expect in these conditions. Feels that Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry batted exceptionally well and adds that she was in the mood and was disappointed to get out. Mentions that with the ball early wickets made all the difference. Tells that Ashleigh Gardner has been bowling quite well for a while and says that she has worked very hard to get to this position.

New Zealand Women skipper, Sophie Devine says that they were really poor in this game in all facets of the game. Tells that Lea Tahuhu was quite good and Amelia Kerr was also outstanding but feels that 170 was always going to be tough. Tells that it was a good effort from them to take wickets at the backend of the innings and feels that they need to learn from this game and be smart in a tournament with a quick turnaround. Tells that they need to figure out the conditions and then take it forward from there and feels that it probably played slower and lower than they expected but reckons that it is all part of the game.

Ashleigh Gardner (3-0-12-5) is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her brilliant bowling figures. Gardner says that the win was set up by their batters and that gave the bowling unit the flexibility and luxury. Mentions that they started well with the ball and she is just lucky to get wickets in the end. States that she has worked on her wrist position to get up and over the ball to try to turn it. Says that she also tried to bowl fuller in length and says that wickets have been slow and the bounce is bit up and down and reckons that the bowlers need to bowl stump-to-stump line.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Sophie Devine opted to put Australia Women into bat and Lea Tahuhu got them off to a perfect start by dismissing Beth Mooney for a duck. That is the best it got for a while as Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy put on a big stand. Amelia Kerr did break the stand but Healy got to 50 and Ellyse Perry came out with aggressive intent and went on to score a quickfire 40. Lea Tahuhu picked up three wickets for the Kiwis and so did Amelia Kerr. Australia Women were able to get to 173 which was their best score aginst these opponents. Coming to the chase, it all went wrong up top for New Zealand Women after which they never recovered and Australia Women went on to win comfortably.

New Zealand Women were simply outplayed by Australia Women but a lot of the blame for this surprisingly poor batting display will go to their openers. Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates are one of the most destructive opening pairs in the world and the way they got out in the very first over put the team under pressure. After that, Amelia Kerr just couldn'ty get the ball away and once Bernadine Bezuidenhout fell, the White Ferns lost wickets in a heap. Kerr did hit a flurry of boundaries at one stage but fell soon after and a few boundaries here and there from the tailenders hardly made any difference. New Zealand Women have been dealt a huge blow in terms of net run rate as well and will have to bounce back really strongly in the next game to get their campaign back on track.

Australia Women  had a pretty big total on the board and got off to a perfect start as Megan Schutt knocked over the talismanic opening pair of the White Ferns in the very first over itself. After that the Aussies were always ahead in the game and kept on bowling good line and lengths. This constant pressure brought them regular wickets as well and they managed to bundle out their opponents with 36 balls to spare. Everyone apart from Jess Jonassen and Tahlia McGrath were economical with Ashleigh Gardner being the pick of the bowler with a superb five-wicket haul, her best-ever performance in a T20I game.

A real statement performance this from the reigning champions and Australia Women have simply steamrolled their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand Women to start their title-defense in style. It is a big win for the Aussies but it is the heaviest defeat suffered in terms of runs for the White Ferns in T20Is.

OUT! LBW! Ashleigh Gardner gets a five-wicket haul and Australia Women complete a thumping win here in Boland Park! She bowls it quick and touch shorter of fuller length, on off. It turns in sharply and Eden Carson gets stuck in her crease as she tries to work it towards the leg side. The ball hits her pads and Ashleigh Gardner goes up in appeal. The umpire too raises the finger without taking much time and New Zealand Women have been bundled out for just 76! Australia Women win by 97 runs!

A flatter and quicker on off. Eden Carson blocks it out.

Tossed up on middle. Jonas pushes it to long on for a single.

Goes fuller and on middle. Jonas works it towards the leg side.

Fran Jonas is the last batter in for New Zealand Women.

OUT! BOWLED! Ashleigh Gardner gets her fourth wicket and takes the revenge of the six in the previous delivery with some style. Bowls it on the shorter side, pitching on off and turning in. Jess Kerr makes room and tries to cut it but misses and the ball knocks over the stumps.

SIX! Over the fence this time! Tossed up on off. Jess Kerr dances down the track and tonks it over long on for a maximum.

On a length, on off. Kerr makes room and hits it over mid off. The fielder cuts it off inside the fence and the batters run three.