Beth Mooney (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
Australia continued their dominance in the Women’s T20 World Cup with a crushing 98-run win over the Netherlands on Saturday. The defending champions scored 219/6, equaling the highest total in the tournament’s history and crossing the 200-run mark in a Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time.Beth Mooney led the attack with 74 off 42 balls before retiring hurting with back stiffness. However, the Australian opener later allayed concerns about her fitness.
“I’m fine, just precautionary,” Mooney said. “Maybe we weren’t used to all the bus trips we were taking.”Ash Gardner, back from an ankle injury, scored 58 runs, while Georgia Wareham’s quickfire 41 off 18 balls helped Australia finish strongly.With Mooney leaving the field and regular reserve wicket-keeper Phoebe Litchfield unavailable due to a quad injury, Georgia Foale took up the gloves and impressed behind the stumps.
Australia then backed up their batting effort with a disciplined bowling display, restricting the Netherlands to 121/3.Although it was never likely that the Dutch side would chase 220 runs, captain Babet De Leyde and Steer Kallis put up a valiant fight with a 96-run partnership. Kallis scored 44 runs, while De Lady remained unbeaten with 56 runs in her 100th T20 appearance.
The Netherlands captain is proud despite the defeat
De Lady, who reached the milestone alongside Robin Rieke, said facing Australia was a valuable experience for her team.
“This is a huge moment for us,” De Leydi said. “Australia are a good team (so) learning from them, seeing how they perform in their roles, it’s incredible.”The victory gave Australia its third consecutive victory in the tournament and strengthened its position in the standings.