Aussie champs begin T20 WC with crushing 97-run win as Healy, Gardner demolish Kiwis

The reigning T20 World Cup champions have made a statement after putting New Zealand to the sword in the tournament opener.

Australia opened the defence of their Women’s T20 World Cup title with a crushing 97-run win over New Zealand at Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday.

A half-century by Alyssa Healy and forties by Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry took Australia to a total of 173 for nine after they were sent in to bat.

New Zealand lost their two most experienced batters in the first over and never recovered as they were bowled out for just 76.

Off-spinner Ash Gardner took a career-best five for 12 after Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown and Perry did the early damage.

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Healy made 55 off 38 balls and with captain Meg Lanning (41) set the foundation for the highest total of the first two days of the tournament after Beth Mooney fell for nought off the fourth ball of the match.

Healy and Lanning put on 71 for the second wicket before Lanning was bowled by Amelia Kerr in the 10th over.

Alyssa Healy of Australia plays a shot during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup group A match between Australia and New Zealand at Boland Park on February 11, 2023 in Paarl, South Africa. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Healy and Perry were mainly responsible for Australia adding exactly 100 runs in the second half of their innings, scoring 50 off 28 balls for the fourth wicket.

Perry went on to make 40 off 22 balls with two sixes and three fours, after escaping an LBW that went un-reviewed by NZ while on 11 runs.

Ellyse Perry of Australia plays a shot during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup group A match between Australia and New Zealand at Boland Park on February 11, 2023 in Paarl, South Africa. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Schutt delivered a wide which went to the boundary with her first delivery of the New Zealand innings but bowled Suzie Bates with her next ball as Bates swung wildly across the line. Sophie Devine was leg before wicket four balls later.

Bernardine Bezuidenhout (14) and Amelia Kerr (21) added 20 for the third wicket before Bezuidenhout was ruled to have been caught by a diving Brown off Perry, although the decision by television umpire Jacqueline Williams seemed debatable.

“My eyesight has definitely gone now that I’ve retired, but it just looked like it was on the half-volley,” ex-New Zealand wicketkeeper Katey Martin said.

The rest of the innings folded rapidly as Australia began their tournament in style.

“We started the exact way we wanted to, and I was lucky enough to take those wickets at the end,” player of the match Gardner said.

“We were really poor in all facets of the game,” New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine said after her team’s worst ever T20 loss.

Australia's Ashleigh Gardner (L) celebrates after the dismissal of New Zealand's Lea Tahuhu.

‘FEARLESS’ ENGLAND TAKE ‘BIG STEP’

Meanwhile, England’s batters made light of a potentially challenging target to secure a seven-wicket win against the West Indies in their Women’s T20 World Cup match at Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday.

Set to make 136 to win, England raced to victory with 5.3 overs to spare. Opener Sophia Dunkley set the tone, pounding 34 off 18 balls before Nat Sciver-Brunt (40 not out) and captain Heather Knight (32 not out) completed the win with an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 67 off 43 balls.

“That’s exactly what we want to do,” said Knight.

“We want to be fearless and take the game on – and entertain as well. “We want to try to go hard up front and today was a big step to do that in a big tournament.”

Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt of England celebrate following the ICC Women's T20 World Cup group B match between West Indies and England at Boland Park on February 11, 2023 in Paarl, South Africa. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

West Indies chose to bat in scorching heat of up to 38 degrees Celsius. They posted 135 for seven with captain Hayley Matthews hitting 42 off 32 balls, including eight fours.

Matthews dominated an opening stand of 47 with fit-again Stafanie Taylor, who made only three.

Shemaine Campbelle also batted brightly in making 34 off 37 as the England bowlers and fielders toiled in the heat.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone was England’s most successful bowler, taking three for 23, with two of her wickets falling in the penultimate over as batters attempted ambitious strokes.

Originally published as Aussie champs begin T20 WC with crushing 97-run win as Healy, Gardner demolish Kiwis