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- Australia vs New Zealand highlights, Women's World Cup 2025: Australia beat New Zealand by 89 runs in Indore
Australia vs New Zealand highlights, Women's World Cup 2025: Australia beat New Zealand by 89 runs in Indore
Molineux’s inclusion means veteran pacer Megan Schutt misses out, with Australia opting for the raw pace of Darcie Brown alongside Kim Garth. The seven-time world champions and defending title holders will be looking to start their campaign on a strong note in what is also the venue’s first-ever women’s international match.
“Just put some runs on the board and see what happens. There's a possibility it could get better later but it didn't happen last night. We played some really tough games of cricket in tough conditions. We're ready to go. The group is in a great place. We're looking at getting better at every single opportunity we get. Want to improve, want to take women's cricket forward,” Healy said at the toss.
New Zealand, meanwhile, are playing their first ODI in six months. Captain Sophie Devine admitted she would have preferred to bat first as well but remained optimistic about her team’s chances.
“But fresh wicket, start of the tournament, not very concerned. I think we've got a great balance within the side. Experience through the batting order in Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer, really balanced group,” she said.
“Just grateful for the opportunity to come out here again and represent my country. Fills me with pride. Obviously results are important, but what matters most to me is the people around me,” Devine added.
Playing XIs
Australia: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Kim Garth, Darcie Brown
New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (capt), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson, Bree Illing
- Beth Mooney 12 (20)
- Ashleigh Gardner 10 (9)
Amelia Kerr to Beth Mooney, Fuller around middle and off, Beth Mooney pushes this to short cover for no run.
Amelia Kerr to Ashleigh Gardner, Tossed up around off, Ashleigh Gardner pushes this out in the deep towards sweeper cover for a single.
Amelia Kerr to Ashleigh Gardner, FOUR! Elegant from Ashleigh Gardner. Tossed up, a bit too full, wide of off. Ashleigh Gardner strides to the pitch of the delivery and drives this past the diving mid off fielder to her left for a boundary.
Amelia Kerr to Ashleigh Gardner, Another googly around middle and off. Ashleigh Gardner blocks this out.
Amelia Kerr to Beth Mooney, Fuller around off, Beth pushes this towards the cover region and takes a quick single.
Amelia Kerr to Ashleigh Gardner, A flighted googly, wide outside off. Ashleigh Gardner dances down the track and swings. Gets it way off the inside edge of her bat towards the mid-wicket region for one.
- Ashleigh Gardner 4 (5)
- Beth Mooney 11 (18)
Lea Tahuhu to Ashleigh Gardner, Aimed at the pads, full in length. Ashleigh Gardner misses to flick and the ball rolls off the front pad towards backward square leg. They cross and get a leg bye. 6 from the over and 11 from the last two overs for Australia Women! Lea Tahuhu's figures read 3-0-9-1 so far.
Lea Tahuhu to Ashleigh Gardner, FOUR! Gardner is off the mark with a beautiful stroke! Short in length from Tahuhu, outside off. Ashleigh Gardner plays off the back foot and elegantly punches it through cover. Brooke Halliday from deep point runs to her right, and puts in a dive as well, but all in vain.
Lea Tahuhu to Ashleigh Gardner, Skids through from a length, on off. Ashleigh Gardner stands tall and punches it solidly to short cover.
Lea Tahuhu to Beth Mooney, Full and outside off, Mooney drives it wide of extra cover for a single.
Lea Tahuhu to Beth Mooney, Full and wide outside off, Mooney tries to carve it away on the off side, but misses.
Lea Tahuhu to Beth Mooney, BEATEN! Back of a length, angling away from the batter. Mooney hangs the bat away from the body and is beaten on the outside edge as the ball wobbles away.
- Ashleigh Gardner 0 (2)
- Beth Mooney 10 (15)
Amelia Kerr to Ashleigh Gardner, Pulls her length, does Kerr, outside off, Ashleigh Gardner goes deep into her crease and taps it to the cover region with soft hands.
Amelia Kerr to Ashleigh Gardner, Full and tossed on middle, eased to short cover off the front foot.
Amelia Kerr to Ashleigh Gardner, WIDE! A googly, pushed down leg on a length, Ashleigh Gardner leaves.
Ashleigh Gardner is in at number 6.
Amelia Kerr to Annabel Sutherland, OUT! GONE! CAUGHT! Amelia Kerr continues to weave her magic with the ball and this is another huge wicket for New Zealand Women! A well-disguised googly from Kerr, tossed up full and right in front of the stumps. Annabel Sutherland steps out to go over mid on, but the bat twists in her hands at impact, and the ball comes off the inner half, flying flat towards mid on. Suzie Bates makes no mistake with a safe catch. Sutherland walks back for 5 (8), and Australia Women have stumbled from 108/2 to 113/4.
Amelia Kerr to Annabel Sutherland, Nice and full, at 74.7 kph, outside off, Annabel Sutherland gets on the front foot and drives it straight to short cover.
Amelia Kerr to Annabel Sutherland, Slower through the air, full and spinning away from the batter. Sutherland lunges forward and eases it with soft hands to backward point.
Amelia Kerr to Annabel Sutherland, FOUR! Glorious stroke! Overpitched, on off. Annabel Sutherland jumps on it and carves it through cover and mid off for a cracking boundary.
- Annabel Sutherland 1 (4)
- Beth Mooney 10 (15)
Lea Tahuhu to Annabel Sutherland, Full and on the pads, Sutherland clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single and gets off the mark. Another successful over for New Zealand Women! Just two singles and a huge wicket of Perry from it.
Lea Tahuhu to Annabel Sutherland, Back of a length, on off, punched off the back foot to extra cover.
Lea Tahuhu to Annabel Sutherland, Fuller and on middle, driven to the leg side.
Lea Tahuhu to Annabel Sutherland, Length, around off, punched to extra cover.
Annabel Sutherland is in at number 5.
Lea Tahuhu to Ellyse Perry, OUT! STRAIGHT UP AND GONE! CAUGHT! Lea Tahuhu strikes gold in her second over! This is on a good length, and on the fourth stump line. Ellyse Perry premeditates and skips down the track to smash it overhead downtown. Does not get the bat properly under the ball and hence, the ball is skied up off the higher part of the blade. It balloons towards mid off and Suzie Bates takes a fine reverse cup catch. Ellyse Perry departs for a scratchy 33 (41) and Australia Women are 108/3.
Lea Tahuhu to Beth Mooney, Full and wide outside off, at 114.3 kph. Mooney slaps it to short cover's right, where the fielder makes a half stop by diving. The ball is parried behind and they cross.
- Ellyse Perry 33 (40)
- Beth Mooney 9 (14)
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, Another wrong'un, on off. Perry opens the bat face very late and runs it towards short third.
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, Flatter googly, outside off, Perry covers the stumps and lets it be.
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, Fuller one, on off, pushed away to extra cover.
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, EDGED AND FOUR! Kerr lands it on a fractionally fuller length, around the off pole. It is the conventional leg break but Perry plays for the googly, and tries to drive it straight, but gets a faint outside edge and the ball shoots behind towards the deep third fence for a boundary.
Amelia Kerr to Beth Mooney, A loopy leg break, on middle, Mooney drills it along the carpet for a single at long on.
Change? Nope. Amelia Kerr (3-0-12-1) to continue.
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, Googly, drifting and gripping back on middle. Perry backs away, gives herself some room and cuts it to deep point for a single.
- Ellyse Perry 28 (35)
- Beth Mooney 8 (13)
Lea Tahuhu to Ellyse Perry, Hard length, outside off, Perry gets a bit of a bottom edge while trying to cut it square. The ball rolls between point and short third for a single. Just 2 runs from Tahuhu's first over.
Lea Tahuhu to Ellyse Perry, In-between length, on middle. Perry stands tall and punches it to mid on.
Lea Tahuhu to Beth Mooney, A bit of width, outside off and full in length. Beth Mooney gets on top of it and slashes it away to deep cover for a single. 100 UP FOR AUSTRALIA WOMEN IN 15.4 OVERS!
Lea Tahuhu to Beth Mooney, Just outside off, on a length, at 109 kph, Mooney plays from the crease, trying to punch it to the off side, but misses as the ball nibbles away.
Lea Tahuhu to Beth Mooney, Outside off, on a good length. Beth Mooney extends her arms to slash it away, but chops it towards the point region. Looks for a single, but there is none.
Lea Tahuhu to Beth Mooney, Nagging length, around off, cut toward point.
DRINKS BREAK. After a breezy start, courtesy of Phoebe Litchfield, the Australian innings has slowed down a bit as the last 5 overs have gone for just 18 runs. Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr have brought the much-needed control that the Kiwis lacked early doors. Ellyse Perry has got a start, but has looked a bit hasty against Kerr, and will aim to convert this start into a substantial score. This middle phase is very crucial as the pitch is still very flat and has a lot of runs written on it. This is where New Zealand Women will aim to not let the Aussies settle for a huge partnership. Lea Tahuhu is introduced into the attack now. She replaces Sophie Devine.
- Beth Mooney 7 (9)
- Ellyse Perry 27 (33)
Amelia Kerr to Beth Mooney, Dragged length, outside off, Mooney cuts it away to deep point for one more.
Amelia Kerr to Beth Mooney, MISFIELD, FOUR! Hands on her head for Kerr! Googly, on a length, outside off. Mooney hangs back and cuts it straight to Carson at backward point, but she doesn't bend low enough and the ball passes through the legs, rolling behind to the fence.
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, Too full and at 74.1 kph, around off. Perry skips down the track and carves it to the mid off region. Jess Kerr dives to her right and a single is taken.
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, Tossed up at 80.5 kph, full and on middle, and a googly once again. Perry lunges with a giant stride forward and blocks.
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, Drags the length back, around off and a googly. Ellyse Perry hangs deep in the crease and dabs it to backward point.
Amelia Kerr to Ellyse Perry, Full and outside off, Perry skips down the track and eases it to the backward point fielder.
- Beth Mooney 2 (7)
- Ellyse Perry 26 (29)
Sophie Devine to Beth Mooney, Back of a length, angling outside off, Mooney crouches and chop-cuts it to backward point. New Zealand Women are pulling things back nicely now. Just 3 runs off the over. Devine's figures read 4-0-24-0 so far!
Sophie Devine to Ellyse Perry, Full and on middle and leg, Perry flicks it uppishly over mid on for a single.
Sophie Devine to Ellyse Perry, A low full toss, on middle. Perry knocks it down to mid on.
With Sophie coming in, veteran pacer Megan Schutt has been left out, as Australia have opted to go with out-and-out pace of Darcie Brown alongside Megan Schutt. Australia are seven-time world champions and reigning holders of the trophy. They are aiming to begin their title defence in what is also the venue’s first international women’s game.
“Just put some runs on the board and see what happens. There's a possibility it could get better later but it didn't happen last night. We played some really tough games of cricket in tough conditions. We're ready to go. The group is in a great place. We're looking at getting better at every single opportunity we get. Want to improve, want to take women's cricket forward,” she said.
On the other hand, New Zealand are playing an ODI after six months and captain Sophie Devine said she would have elected to bat first too. “But fresh wicket, start of the tournament, not very concerned. I think we've got a great balance within the side. Experience through the batting order in Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer, really balanced group.”
“Just grateful for the opportunity to come out here again and represent my country. Fills me with pride. Obviously results are important, but what matters most to me is the people around me,” she said.
Playing XIs-
Australia: Alyssa Healy (captain & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Kim Garth, and Darcie Brown
New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (captain), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson, and Bree Illing
Match Statistics
Venue
Holkar Stadium, Indore
