Twenty20

Aug 6, 2022

Steve JanceticAAP You don’t get many chances to beat Australia’s all-conquering women’s T20 outfit and New Zealand fluffed their lines at the worst possible time. The Australians scrapped their way through to the gold medal match in Birmingham on Saturday with three balls left.. Chasing New Zealand’s middling total of 144 in the Commonwealth Games semi-final at Edgbaston, Australia benefited from three dropped catches as they reached 5-145. They will meet India in Sunday’s final after they beat hosts England in the earlier semi-final. Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning and Tahlia McGrath were all given a life, and while Lanning’s dropped chance - when she was put down first ball at point - didn’t hurt too much, the same can’t be said for the others. Mooney and McGrath made the most of their second chances with a 56-run partnership that gave Australia the momentum. But just as McGrath was cashing in with six boundaries in her 23-ball 34, a brilliant piece of work from Amelia Kerr ended her knock. Kerr made a diving stop and throw from point, to have the in-form No.4 run out after she was called through for a single. It left Australia at 3-84 in the 11th over, needing another 61 off 56 deliveries. There were more tremors in the Australian camp when Mooney departed for 34 off 26, and with Australia needing 21 off 20 balls, Izzy Gaze missed a stumping chance off Rachael Haynes. That stung a little more when Haynes found the boundary a few balls later. But when she was well caught by Suzie Bates at long on, Australia needed 16 runs off as many balls, Grace Harris and Ash Gardner getting them home. After winning the toss and sending New Zealand in, Australia could not have asked for a better start with Suzie Bates chopping on first ball. Megan Schutt thought she was on a hat-trick when debutant Georgia Plimmer was given out lbw, only for the 18-year-old to successfully review the decision. Skipper Sophie Devine then got the Kiwis going as she kept things ticking over, but it was steady rather than explosive as they reached 2-39 after the power play. She continued to accumulate until hitting the go button with a boundary and a six off consecutive deliveries to bring up her 50 off 46 balls, but could only find Beth Mooney on the rope as she tried to go big a third time. With their guns back in the shed, New Zealand struggled to accelerate and the innings faded rather than fizzed to finish on 7-144.