Australia advanced towards capturing their seventh Women's T20 World Cup title with a resounding 60-run victory over New Zealand during their Group A encounter in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Setting a tournament-leading score of 148-8 in their 20 overs, Australia’s top performer was Beth Mooney, who scored 40 runs. In response, New Zealand struggled, collapsing for just 88 runs in 19.2 overs. Megan Schutt was the standout bowler for Australia, earning the Player of the Match award with impressive figures of 3-3 in 3.2 overs.
"We could have been smarter with the bat towards the end, but our bowling was exceptional, and I’m really pleased with that," said Australia’s captain Alyssa Healy. "Megan Schutt has been outstanding, but the entire bowling attack was phenomenal tonight."
As the defending champions and winners of six out of the eight previous tournaments, Australia now leads Group A, while New Zealand drops to third, trailing Pakistan but ahead of India on net run rate.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Healy provided a strong start, scoring a quick 26 off just 20 balls before getting caught off a slower delivery from Rosemary Mair. Ellyse Perry, who was dropped early in her innings, contributed 30 runs and formed a 45-run partnership with Mooney, who eventually fell to Amelia Kerr.
Despite a shaky middle order, Australia set a formidable total. The New Zealand innings struggled to gain momentum; after Kerr scored 29, the team rapidly lost nine wickets for just 29 runs. Schutt's performance brought her tournament total to six wickets, while Annabel Sutherland added 3-21 to the tally.
"We needed a solid start, but we allowed the run rate to increase too much," commented Kiwi captain Sophie Devine. "We still have two games left to play."
Australia will face Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, while New Zealand will square off against Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Saturday.