Australia storm into WT20 finals

The result: Australia 7-153 (Healy 53, Haynes 29*; Kasperek 3-25) defeated New Zealand 120 (Bates 48, Martin 24; Schutt 3-12) in 17.3 overs by 33 runs at Providence Stadium

The match in a tweet: SEMI-FINALS! Australia have successfully qualified for the #WT20 playoffs after another Healy special and a brilliant performance with the ball against New Zealand

The heroes: Healy was awarded a third consecutive player of the match award for her brilliant half-century, but kudos must go to the collective Australian bowling attack for the way they successfully defended a score they would have felt was under par at the innings break, especially given Healy’s start. Megan Schutt struck first, trapping opener Anna Peterson (0) in the first over, before Ellyse Perry struck an enormous blow in the second when she bowled the big-hitting Sophie Devine for nought. Sophie Molineux made it a triple strike next over, removing her Renegades captain Amy Satterthwaite for 2, again lbw.

When the heat was on and Suzie Bates and Katey Martin had put New Zealand right back in the chase, leg-spinner Georgia Wareham did exactly what she’s in the XI to do: pick up a wicket at a big moment, with Martin sharply stumped by Healy for 24 (20). Delissa Kimmince stood tall with two wickets in one over, dismissing Maddy Green and Bernadine Bezuidenhout, before Ashleigh Gardner struck the deadly blow when she trapped Bates lbw for 48. Schutt was back at her best, applying plenty of pressure and picking up two late wickets to finish with 3-12, while Molineux (2-20) and Kimmince (2-24) were the other multiple wicket takers.

The big moment: Bates was poised to take the chase right to the wire with the Australians when she was on 48 in the fifteenth over, but Ashleigh Gardner turned the contest firmly back in Australia’s favour when she sent down a quicker delivery, trapping Bates – who was walking down the wicket – on the pads.

Red-hot Healy: Alyssa Healy continued her outstanding form, striking her sixth half-century from her last eight T20I innings. She was handed a huge slice of luck on 11 when Amelia Kerr put down a sitter at cover and she made New Zealand pay, reaching her fifty from 33 deliveries, striking eight boundaries along the way. But she wasn’t able to carry on with it, dismissed for 53 (38) in the 13th over.

The consolation effort: An early triple-strike from the Australians had New Zealand in trouble at 3-13 in the third, with Peterson, Devine and Satterthwaite all back in the dugout. But there was still the small matter of the world’s top-ranked T20I batter left at the crease and if anyone could pull the White Ferns back into the match, it was their inspirational former skipper Bates. She threw everything she could at the Australians, was given a life on 27 when she was dropped by Healy after top edging Perry, and was well set for the final overs when off-spinner Gardner produced what Australia needed in the fifteenth over, trapping her lbw and ending what was a brilliant 42-ball 48.

The drop: You can ill afford to give Healy an inch in her current form and New Zealand would have rued the life they gave the in-form opener in the third over. Healy was on 11 when Kerr put down a simple skied chance at cover off the bowling of Devine, and she went on to score her second half-century of the tournament.

The milestone: Off-spinner Leigh Kasperek picked up three Australian wickets and in the process became the second fastest female bowler to take 50 T20I wickets, reaching the mark in 29 innings – just one innings behind West Indies record-holder Anisa Mohammed.

The next stop: With their semi-finals spot now locked in, Australia have three-day break before their fourth and final group match against India beginning 11am Saturday local (2am Sunday AEDT). New Zealand are all but out of the tournament now and are back in action on Thursday, when they meet Pakistan at 4pm local (7am Friday AEDT).

Australia XI: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (wk), Ashleigh Gardner, Meg Lanning, Elyse Villani, Rachael Haynes, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, Delissa Kimmince, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt

New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates, Anna Peterson, Sophie Devine, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Katey Martin (wk), Maddy Green, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Leigh Kasperek, Hannah Rowe, Amelia Kerr, Lea Tahuhu

2018 ICC Women's World T20  

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

November 9: Australia beat Pakistan by 52 runs

November 11: Australia beat Ireland by nine wickets

November 13: Australia beat New Zealand by 33 runs

November 17: Australia v India, Province Stadium

November 22: Semi-finals, Sir Vivian Richards Ground, Antigua

November 24: Final, Sir Vivian Richards Ground