Healy powers Australia to big win over New Zealand and into the semi-finals

• Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy scores her second consecutive fifty; Australia become first team to book semifinal berth

Another Alyssa Healy blitz, her second half-century of the tournament, set up Australia for a 33-run win against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, assuring them of a berth in the semifinal of the ICC Women’s World T20 2018.

The fixture was must-win for New Zealand if they wanted to qualify for the semifinal without being dependent on other results. But despite a fighting 48 from Suzie Bates, they slid to their seventh consecutive T20I loss, with their campaign now tottering.

Australia had beaten New Zealand in all of their last three meetings, chasing on all three occasions, but Meg Lanning won the toss and chose to bat. It was all coming up roses to start with, as the Australia openers put on their fourth consecutive fifty-partnership, with Healy once again the aggressor.

Healy was dropped on 11in the third over, and made New Zealand pay heavily, taking Australia to a brisk 44 for no loss in the Powerplay. She went on to bring up her fifty off 33 balls, her sixth half century in the last eight innings. She and Beth Mooney (26, 24b, 4x4) put on 71 runs in 51 balls, before Mooney was dismissed by Leigh Kasperek.

Healy (53, 38b, 8x4) was eventually dismissed in the 13th over, with Australia placed on 99 for three, set for a scheduled acceleration. But New Zealand pegged them back, taking four wickets; the next best partnership for Australia was 19.

While the spinners were harder to score off -Kasperek finishing with three- three wickets also went to the fast bowlers. Australia’s total of 153 for seven was under-par given their start, but might have been lower had New Zealand not dropped two more catches.

New Zealand got off to the worst possible start in pursuit of a record chase, scoring only two boundaries and losing three wickets in the Powerplay. Among those wickets was that of Sophie Devine for a duck, bowled through the gate by Ellyse Perry. Another wicket followed, and again it was down to Suzie Bates and Katie Martin, the pair who had top-scored against India.

They bided their time in their 66-run partnership, choosing to launch in the 9th over when the pace of Perry returned. They took 16 runs off that over, leaving 87 required off the remaining 60 balls. Martin was out for 24 (20b, 3x4) nine balls later though, and New Zealand lost three more wickets for 20 runs, including that of Bates (48, 42b, 4x4, 1x6).

The Australia bowlers duly polished off the tail, Megan Schutt ending with three for 12, to see Australia cement their favourites tag. They now play India in their final group game on Saturday (17 November), while new Zealand have two more games against, the first of which is against Pakistan on Thursday (15 November).

Scores in brief:

Australia defeated New Zealand by 33 runs at the Guyana National Stadium in Georgetown

Australia: 153-7, 20 overs (Alyssa Healy 53, Rachael Haynes 29 not out, Beth Mooney 26 ; Leigh Kasperek 3-25, Sophie Devine 2-37)
New Zealand: 120 all out, 17.3 overs (Suzie Bates 48, Katie martin 24; Megan Schutt 3-12, Sophie Mloineux 2-20, Delissa Kimmince 2-24)