Australia’s T20 women world champions have completed a 3-0 clean sweep of New Zealand with a tense Brisbane run-chase just hours before departing for their title defence in Dubai.
The hosts chased New Zealand’s 6-146 with five wickets and five balls to spare on Tuesday night at Allan Border Field, Australia seemingly cruising to the total before some late jitters.
It followed five-wicket and 29-run victories in Mackay, both sides set to fly to the UAE on Wednesday ahead of next month’s 20-over women’s showpiece.
Australia will be confident in their defence after again cruising to victory against the New Zealanders, who have lost their last 10 games in the format.
But there were improvements with the bat after a limp game-two chase, opener Georgia Plimmer (53 off 48) hitting just the second New Zealand six of the series on her way to a maiden half century.
Amelia Kerr (40 off 36) joined her for a 73-run stand, with Georgia Wareham’s (2-21) breakthrough triggering a collapse of 5-14 before Maddy Green (12 off five balls) had joy in the final over.
Australia’s chase began slowly with Beth Mooney (six) deceiving to complete a rare, lean series that featured a highest score of 13 and Alyssa Healy (27 off 29) unable to find top gear.
Wareham’s (26 off 16) surprise move up the order provided a sugar hit to Australia’s chase, the leg-spinner striking four boundaries in a confident knock.
The strategic move – one that could be repeated at the World Cup – got the required rate to around six an over.
Ashleigh Gardner (33 off 26) then took 12 from Sophie Devine’s first over to put Australia in complete control.
Ellyse Perry (36 off 29) was also in good touch, driving powerfully down the ground and picking gaps as she shared in a calm 61-run stand with Gardner that got the hosts within 10 runs of the target.
There were some nervous moments when Gardner immediately followed Perry to the sheds, Fran Jonas then dropping a simple catch to give Phoebe Litchfield a life with five runs still to get.
Tahlia McGrath then nervelessly put the game to bed with a boundary off the first ball of the last over.
“To win 3-0 is a testament to where we’re at … we didn’t play our best and got it done, which is exciting,” Wareham said.
“The opportunity to bat up the order in the power play was a bit of fun … and I feel like the ball’s coming out okay as well, so good signs leading into the World Cup.”
New Zealand’s 3-0 series loss in Australia comes after a 7-0 defeat in England in the T20 format.
But veteran captain Sophie Devine said there was enough to like in this series to offer them hope on the early-morning flight to Dubai.
“We knew the challenge we were up against, the world’s best team for a reason but we’re trending in the right direction,” she said.
“One-off games in a World Cup is where we thrive … everything starts back at zero and we’ll use that to our advantage.”
