Ash Gardner sent for scans on her finger before Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll destroyed New Zealand’s bowlers

Australia travelled to Auckland to take on the T20 World Cup winners and re-asserted their dominance with a stunning innings from the world’s best T20 batter in game 200.

The world’s best T20 batter Beth Mooney celebrated her 200th game for Australia in style with a brilliant batting display in Auckland after a finger injury to star Australian all-rounder Ash Gardner potentially ended her series.

Australia demolished reigning T20 World champs New Zealand in the first of three games across the next six days as Mooney and rising star Georgia Voll put the local bowlers to the sword in record-setting style, reasserting themselves as the world’s No.1 ranked team.

Set 138 to win, Mooney and Voll, opening in place of injured captain Alyssa Healy, blasted 77 off the six- over power play, a record for the Aussies in T20 clashes with the Kiwis, striking 14 boundaries against the hapless local bowlers.

Beth Mooney blasted the New Zealand batters. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

It took less than 14 overs to reel in the total, just two wickets down reaching 2-138, Mooney and Voll setting a new record for Australia’s highest T20 opening partnership against the Kiwis of 123

Mooney, the No.1 T20 batter in the world who blasted an unbeaten 96 just four innings ago in the Women’s Premier League in Indian finished unbeaten on 75 off just 42 balls, hitting the winning runs in a player of the match display, aided by the Kiwis twice dropping catches off her bat.

Voll, 21, who already has an ODI century to her name and made 99 in the WPL after a late call-up, was out for a 30-ball 50 with just 15 runs needed for victory.

“It has been a pretty long summer but it’s not that hard to get up for a game wearing this Australian shirt,” Mooney said after her all-conquering effort in her milestone match.

“The staff and the girls had a couple of speeches for me yesterday and put on a video from my close mates and folks back home saying a few nice words. I’m feeling pretty lucky and pretty valued in this Australian line-up.

“Getting to 200 matches means I am getting a little bit older, and have had 200 warm-ups behind me. You take those day where you get everything right.”

Captain Talia McGrath said Mooney goes “under the radar” but was invaluable to the team.

“It was special that she could put up a performance like that She has been doing that for years,” she said.

“She flies under the radar a bit.”

Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney were brilliant in Auckland against New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

FINGER INJURY

Gardner was sent for scans to assess the extent of the injury to her right index finger which she hurt dropping a return catch off New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine while bowling the 17th over, which she couldn’t finish.

It appeared Gardner had cut her finger in the incident which forced her from the field.

But with game two setto be played in Tauranga on Sunday before the series ends in Wellington next Wednesday, she may not be seen again.

KING-SIZED OMISSION

Ashes hero Alana King was a surprise omission from the Australian team and selectors went with long-time T20 No.1 Georgia Wareham to do the leg-spinning duties.

King wass Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the multi-format Ashes, snaring 23 at an average of just 11.17, and returned to the T20 team for the series for the first time since 2023.

Her three Ashes T20s were King’s only ones in that stint and Wareham, who has been Australia’s first-choice T20 spinner for prior to her fellow tweakers’s return, got the nod and finished with 0-16 from 2.4 overs.