Sophie Devine is a world class player so we knew it was a pretty important wicket to get,” she says of the big breakthrough at the very start of her four overs. Devine’s turn to talk. The New Zealand captain believes their issue with the ball isn’t that they don’t have bowlers who can take pace off the ball, but that they didn’t bowl into the pitch well enough. Now Meg Lanning. “We pegged them back well with the ball and batting wise, Healy and Mooney getting off to a flying start meant that we could see it home.”

Australia big winners by eight wickets, taking a two-nil series win into the third and final T20 on Wednesday. I’ll be back with you then. Bye for now!

New Zealand never had enough runs. This was highlighted when Healy took 22 runs from one Bates over in the power play. From there, even after she fell for 33 (off 17 balls) then Mooney for 24, the chase was well and truly in hand. Haynes was resourceful and efficient, unbeaten on 40 from 31, and Lanning did as Lanning does, not out 26 when the victory target of 129 was reached in the 17th over.

Australia Women will take on New Zealand Women in the 1^st game of the 3 game T20 series which will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane. This game will mark the return of the Women’s International Cricket after the COVID-19 pandemic break. The return of the crowd will also be a morale booster for the side.

Both teams have some really good experienced players in their ranks and this can be a really good series to watch out. Australia won the T20 World Cup in March 2020 and would definitely want to play as the World Champions but they will miss the services of Ellyse Perry who is out due to an injury. New Zealand would rely on their senior pros like Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Amelia Kerr.

Britney Cooper smashed a superb 61 off 48 balls to lift the West Indies to 143 for six after New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates won the toss and elected to field.

The tall Cooper smashed five fours and two sixes – both off consecutive deliveries from Leigh Kasperek – to lend momentum to the West Indies innings.

Cooper and Taylor put on 60 for the second wicket after opener Hayley Matthews had fallen for 16 in the third over.
New Zealand wicketkeeper Rahel Priest (L) looks on as West Indies cricketer Britney Cooper plays a shot during the World T20 women’s semi-final match between New Zealand and West Indies in Mumbai on March 31.

New Zealand, undefeated in the league stage and finalist in 2009 and 2010, was restricted to 137 for eight in reply at the Wankhede stadium.

The West Indies will clash with Australia, the champion side in the last three editions in 2010, 2012 and 2014, in the final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday afternoon.

West Indies: 143-6 in 20 overs (Stafanie Taylor 25, Britney Cooper 61, Deandra Dottin 20; Sophie Devine 4-22)

New Zealand: 137-8 in 20 overs (Sophie Devine 22, Sara McGlashan 38, Amy Satterthwaite 24; Stafanie Taylor 3-26)