A blistering half-century from Ashleigh Gardner ensured Australia kicked off their New Zealand tour with a convincing victory, winning the first of three T20 Internationals by six wickets.
Australia lost three wickets in the powerplay, after New Zealand set the visitors a modest target of 131, but Gardner’s unbeaten 73 off 48 deliveries broke the back of the chase, while Ellyse Perry hit the winning runs with two overs remaining.
Here are our key takeaways from the match.
MORE: Meg Lanning eager for more countries to follow India's lead and commit to more women's Test cricket
New Zealand 6/130 (Satterthwaite 40, Jonassen 3/26) v Australia 4/133 (Gardner 73*, J Kerr 2/17)
The Tayla Express
Tayla Vlaeminck has long been heralded as the exciting future of Australia’s fast bowling but a string of injuries has deprived fans of her express pace for an extended period in the national side.
More than twelve months after a stress fracture in her foot derailed her T20 World Cup campaign, Vlaeminck took the ball for the first over, let fly consistently at around 120kph and bowled out a maiden.
If Australia can keep her fit, they have a serious weapon in their armoury.
Not so Devine
Sophie Devine scored a total of just 10 runs across New Zealand’s three-match T20I series against England earlier this month and, while she managed double figures against Australia and looked threatening charging down the pitch, her lean run with the bat continued when she holed out to Gardner at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Jess Jonassen.
On another night the ball may well have gone for six but the boundary ropes hadn’t been brought in after New Zealand men’s earlier match against Bangladesh and Devine was gone for 17 off 22.
Her opening partner, Hayley Jenson, fell in the same over to the excellent Jonassen, who finished with 3-26.
It left New Zealand stumbling at the start and wondering when their big-hitting captain will rediscover her form.
Perry’s return
At virtually any time during her 14-year international career, it would have been quite remarkable to see Ellyse Perry in the XI but not bowl a ball.
Her return to the domestic scene over the Australian summer from a hamstring injury in last year’s T20 World Cup has been lean on wickets and expensive with runs.
Meg Lanning clearly had pre-planned match-ups in mind as she rotated her bowlers and, such is the strength and variety of Australia’s bowling depth, the captain was able to choose her bowlers accordingly without turning to the allrounder who has been the reliable spearhead of the Australian attack for more than a decade.
Perry took a catch to dismiss Amy Satterthwaite and smacked 23 runs off 16 balls in support of Gardner, including back-to-back boundaries to seal the match, reminding anyone watching of her allround talents.
A powerful pull shot from Perry sealed the deal for Australia #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/dmwCq5hZ46
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 28, 2021
Swing Time
This may be the T20 leg of Australia’s tour but the delayed 50-over World Cup, in New Zealand next year, looms large over both formats.
The Australians know that pace off the ball and swing will likely be key to success in New Zealand conditions and Jess Kerr demonstrated why in four overs that yielded 17 runs and two wickets.
Kerr hooped the ball in the powerplay, generating deceptively late movement, and was rewarded with the scalps of Beth Mooney and Rachel Haynes. But once her four overs were bowled, Australia piled on the runs.
Jess Kerr has two! Just the start they were after defending in Hamilton. Follow play LIVE at Seddon Park with @sparknzsport and @TVNZ 1 #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/9MC84SF1Kn
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) March 28, 2021
Gardner tees off
Australia were in trouble at 3-14 when Gardner came to the crease but the powerful right-hander quickly accelerated through the gears, singling out the legspin of Amelia Kerr for particular punishment.
The long boundaries set for the match were no impediment for Gardner and in the 14th over she despatched Kerr over the deep-midwicket rope on consecutive deliveries with imperious slog-sweeps.
From that moment the chase was a mere formality, Gardner displaying the batting ferocity that can destroy any side in the world.
Maddy Green, fielding at long-on, dropped Gardner when she was on 30; New Zealand will pay dearly if they give her more lives during the series.
