Women's T20 World Cup: In-form Australia too good for Netherlands
What's the story
Australia secured a dominant 98-run victory over the Netherlands in their latest Group A tournament match on Saturday at The Rose Bowl, Southampton. The win, Australia's third in a row, propelled them to the top of Group A. Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner both scored half-centuries, while Georgia Wareham's explosive cameo helped Australia post a challenging total of 219/6. In response, the Dutch Women were restricted to 121/3 in 20 overs.
Match highlights
Australia score 219/6 in 20 overs
Australia's innings got off to a fiery start, with both openers hitting boundaries off Iris Zwilling in the first over. Despite losing Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry early on, Gardner and Mooney kept the scoreboard ticking. The duo added 101 runs for the third wicket before Mooney retired hurt due to a back spasm at the end of the 14th over. Despite the setback of Mooney's exit, Wareham's explosive knock of 41 off just 18 balls helped Australia score 219/6. Zwilling was the pick of bowlers for Netherlands with figures of 3/52.
Batting woes
Netherlands fall short of target, lose by 98 runs
Chasing a daunting target, the Netherlands got off to a poor start with Phebe Molkenboer dismissed for a duck in the second over. Heather Siegers perished next as the Netherlands became 17/2. Despite a 96-run partnership between Babette de Leede and Sterre Kalis, the Netherlands never looked like threatening Australia's position. Kalis was eventually bowled in the final over as Australia clinched an emphatic victory by 98 runs.