Healy and Villani make it 2-0 Australia

Australia women 4 for 149 (Healy 57, Villani 50) beat New Zealand women 8 for 145 (Bates 77, Schutt 3-15) by six wickets

Half-centuries from Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani proved the depth of Australia’s batting in the second Twenty20 international, and guided the hosts to a series victory over New Zealand at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

Meg Lanning and Rachel Haynes controlled the chase in the opening match in Sydney, and Healy and Villani did the same in the second, as the home side cruised past New Zealand’s sub-par total of 145 with seven balls to spare and six wickets in hand.

Australia again wobbled early in the run chase with Beth Mooney clean bowled for 0 in the second over by a superb yorker from Lea Tahuhu. Ashley Gardner was then run out in unusual circumstances in the fifth over. She was left stranded by Healy who stood motionless at the non-striker’s end following Gardner’s call for a single. Sophie Devine’s throw from midwicket half-volleyed in front of the stumps and New Zealand keeper Katey Martin got herself in a tangle as she unsuccessfully attempted to reach forward to collect the throw and dislodge the stumps in one motion. After a long deliberation the third umpire deemed it was the ball that had hit the stumps direct and dislodged the bail, and not Martin’s gloves or body.

But Healy went on to show her class with 10 boundaries to all corners of the picturesque ground. Villani’s power finished the job to hand Australia an unassailable lead in the three-match series.

Earlier, Player of the Match Megan Schutt delivered a miserly spell of 3 for 15 from four overs to keep the total under 150 despite a stunning innings from opener Suzie Bates. Schutt forced both Sophie Devine and Jessica Watkin to hole out in the deep in the Powerplay to leave Bates with a lot of work to do. She was up to the task smashing 11 fours and two enormous sixes in her 77 from just 52 balls. It took a brilliant diving catch from Healy to stop her from marching towards a second T20 international hundred.

Bates did get decent support from captain Amy Satterthwaite. The pair put on 60 in just six overs, which included six fours and three sixes, to give Australia some concerns.

Seamer Delissa Kimmince held her nerve with a very tidy spell amongst the early carnage, claiming the dangerous wicket of Satterthwaite and conceding just 17 from her four overs to give Australia a very manageable chase.

Source: ESPN Crickinfo