Healy top-scores again as Australia beats NZ to reach Women’s World T20 semis
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Australia has qualified for the semi-finals of the Women's World Twenty20, with a 33-run win over New Zealand in Guyana.
The Australians won the toss and batted first, scoring 7-153 off their full 20 overs.
The White Ferns were all out for 120 in reply, as Australia sealed victory with 15 balls to spare.
External Link: Women's World T20 Australia v NZ manhattan
Alyssa Healy again did the damage with a half-century. The opener was not as quick off the mark as in Australia's last match against Ireland, where she smashed the fastest 50 in Women's World T20 tournament history, but she still managed to make her runs in 38 balls before being bowled by Hannah Rowe.
Unfortunately for New Zealand, the White Ferns were made to pay for sloppy fielding early on, when they gave Healy a life when she was on 11.
It was the third over of play, when Healy skied the ball in the air on the off-side off the bowling of Sophie Devine, only for Amelia Kerr to drop the simplest of chances at cover.
Healy went on to hit eight fours as she top-scored for the Australians.
Healy and Beth Mooney (26) put on 71 for the first wicket before Mooney was caught off Leigh Kasperek.
Skipper Meg Lanning lasted only six balls before edging to the wicketkeeper to go for 5.
Ashleigh Gardner (10) then came out but an over or two later Healy's stay in the middle came to an end.
External Link: Alyssa Healy wagonwheel
She had been moving around the crease trying to create room for shots. This time she stepped to the off-side, then played around a yorker from Devine and was clean bowled.
Her wicket added to the Australians' loss of momentum early in the second half of their innings — they made just 29 runs between the 11th and 15th overs, for the loss of three wickets — including Healy.
In the late overs Elyse Villani made a quickfire 14, Ellyse Perry was caught at point for 3, and Sophie Molineux also fell cheaply for 2 off the final ball of the innings.
Rachael Haynes ensured the target was more than 150, with a solid 29 off 18 balls. Kasperek was the leading bowler with 3-25 off four overs.
White Ferns in trouble from the start
In reply, New Zealand was on the back foot from the start, losing three wickets in the opening 17 balls.
Wickets continued to fall. Opener Suzie Bates was the shining light for the White Ferns, but when she was trapped leg before to Gardner for 48 off 42 balls, her team was 7-99 and on the way to defeat.
For Australia, Megan Schutt (3-12) had the best bowling figures, while Delissa Kimmince finished with 2-24 and Molineux took 2-20.
Healy was the player of the match for the third game running. She said she was not happy with her performance.
"That was a game to sort of forget," Healy said.
"I was just pumped with the [Australian] girls' fight.
"The Kiwis were always going to go hard at us, but our bowling unit really fired."
The win takes Australia to six points after three games, topping Group B, ahead of the Indian team, which has two games left.
No other team can match Australia's three wins and with the top two sides advancing to the last four, Lanning's team is through to the semi-finals which begin on November 23 (AEDT).
External Link: Women's World T20 AUS v NZ scorecard
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