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Schutt Shines as Aus-W Defeat NZ-W by 60 Runs in T20 WC

Sports Desk

  09 Oct 2024, 10:39
Photo: AP

Fast bowler Megan Schutt was the standout performer for Australia, taking 3/3 in 3.2 overs, which earned her the Player of the Match award in the T20 World Cup 2024. "We could have been smarter with the bat at the end, but we came out really well with the ball, and I'm really happy with that," said Australian captain Alyssa Healy. "Schutt has been wonderful, but I thought the whole attack was unbelievable."

Australia, the reigning champions, have won six of the eight previous tournaments and now lead Group A, while New Zealand slips to third place behind Pakistan, but still ahead of India on net run rate.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Healy gave Australia a strong start, hitting four boundaries in her quickfire 26 off 20 balls before she was caught by Rosemary Mair’s slower ball. Ellyse Perry was dropped on four by Maddy Green at long-on but went on to add 45 runs with Beth Mooney, who was eventually dismissed for 40 by Amelia Kerr, with Green making the catch at mid-off.

Australia wobbled in the middle order as Amelia Kerr used her googly to bowl Perry for 30 and dismiss Grace Harris for a duck on consecutive deliveries. Kerr also took a fine catch in the deep to remove Phoebe Litchfield for 18. Despite losing wickets in quick succession, Australia managed to set a challenging target of 148/8.

In response, New Zealand, who had defeated India in their opening match, started slowly. After Kerr was dismissed for 29, the Kiwi innings collapsed, losing nine wickets for just 29 runs. Schutt’s outstanding performance took her tally to six wickets in the tournament, while Annabel Sutherland also contributed with 3/21.

Kiwi captain Sophie Devine admitted, "We needed to get off to a good start, but we let the run rate climb too much. We've still got two games to go."

Australia will face Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, while New Zealand will play Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Saturday.

Match Summary: Australia 148/8 (Mooney 40, Perry 30, Healy 26, Kerr 4/26, Mair 2/22) defeated New Zealand 88 in 19.2 overs (Kerr 29, Bates 20, Schutt 3/3, Sutherland 3/21, Molineux 2/15) by 60 runs.

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