Australia’s 26-year grip on the Rose Bowl will last a little longer after Ash Gardner’s brutal knock set up a 40-run victory over New Zealand at North Sydney Oval.
The result makes it 2-0 with one more game to play on Thursday night, with the Aussies looking to make it a clean sweep over their rivals after they comfortably defended their total of 7/167.
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While opener Georgia Voll was dismissed for her second duck in a row, Gardner couldn’t be stopped as she blasted 10 boundaries and cleared the rope four times in her match-winning 84 off 45.
The veteran batter played some glorious strokes over cover early in her innings and raced to her half-century off just 29 deliveries.
Gardner then upped the ante in the penultimate over when she went 4, 6, 4, 6 to ensure the hosts posted a more than competitive total with her second-highest score in T20 internationals.
OUCH
Nicola Carey copped one to the face after dropping a sitter on the boundary but was thankfully cleared to play on after a quick concussion test.
It was the second life Melie Kerr was given after a mix-up in the field between Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland saw the ball land safely when either of them could’ve caught it.
The Aussies were far from perfect in the field but Georgia Wareham did come up with the goods off her own bowling to run out Maddy Green who was caught short of her crease after a well hit shot was deflected onto the stumps.
Wareham then picked up another wicket a few balls later to kill off any hopes of a miracle run chase, with the spinner involved in everything with three wickets, two catches and a run out.
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TOO SLOW, TOO FURIOUS
New Zealand found out the hard way that slow and steady doesn’t always win the race.
After starting so well with the ball to have the Aussies 3-41, they would have fancied their chances of chasing down 168.
But they were on the back foot from the outset with the top order unable to apply any scoreboard pressure.
Game one hero Georgia Plimmer missed out on Tuesday night and her teammates couldn’t pick up the slack as they limped to 2-56 after the first 10 overs.
Kerr didn’t make the most of her chances and was eventually dismissed for 32 off 38 by Gardner.
The visitors will feel like they let one slip, with a few basic errors like dropping the legendary Beth Mooney for four costing them dearly.
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