The international cricket season in Australia gets underway tonight, as the Australian women’s cricket team takes on New Zealand in Game 1 of the Commbank T20 series, coming to you from North Sydney Oval. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 7:10pm AEST.
It’s fitting that the Australian Women’s cricket team start their season at North Sydney Oval, the unofficial home of Australian women’s cricket after great interest last year with double headers in the WBBL and, of course, the one off Ashes test match.
This T20 series is a great chance for both teams to sharpen their skills ahead of the World T20 in the West Indies in November.
Australia go into this series with a squad full of talent, headlined by Meg Lanning, playing her first game on home soil since early 2017, and, of course, Ellyse Perry, the undoubted star of Australian women’s cricket. Lanning scored a century for Victoria last weekend in the state ODI competition and looms as the key wicket for New Zealand.
The White Ferns have a number of players with WBBL experience, featuring Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu. Bates scored her maiden T20 century in June against South Africa and will be key to New Zealand’s chances.
Prediction
Recent head to head clashes have gone in favour of the White Ferns, winning 2-1 in an Australian T20 series in early 2017. The women’s T20 game has come a long way since then, with much higher totals now the norm.
With Rachael Haynes, Lanning and Perry all in good form in domestic cricket, I suspect Australia may have a little too much fire power in this, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Australia by 25 runs or 4 wickets.
When: 7:10pm AEST
Where: North Sydney Oval
TV: Channel 7 and Fox Cricket
Online: Foxtel app or cricket.com.au
Australian squad
Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham
New Zealand squad
Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin
David Holden
Roar Guru
Australia has won Game 1 of the Trans-Tasman series by 6 wickets tonight. After Australia were 4 wickets down very cheaply, Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes set about building a partnership that effectively was the difference between the two sides. In the end, Australia chased down the White Ferns total with 14 balls to go which indicates a reasonably comfortable win. Prior to the partnership however, Sophie Devine had caused some nervous moments within the Australian camp. Haynes 69 not out and Lanning's unbeaten 56 settled those nerves. Hope you enjoyed the coverage, Roarers. Good night
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 18 6 to win. Jensen to bowl 17.1 Single to Haynes to start the over 17.2 Quick single to cover from Lanning 17.3 Haynes takes single to cover 17.4 Lanning hits lofted cover drive for 4 and Australia has won game 1. 119 unbeaten runs between Lanning and Haynes. AUSTRALIA WIN New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/164 (17.4 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 17 Bates to bowl. 15 runs off 24 required 16.1 Lanning hits through square leg for 4. She has her 50 16.2 No run to point 16.3 Single to deep square 16.4 Haynes gets it fine but no run 16.5 Well run 2 runs to deep mid on from Haynes 16.6 Wide ball 16.6 Haynes takes a single to deep cover New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/157 (17 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 16. Devine to bowl her last over looking for a breakthrough 15.1 Haynes gets a top edge and its races away for 4. She has her 50, a great knock 15.2 Haynes hits another short ball. Not convincing but it has gone for another boundary 15.3 Ohh. Haynes hits in the air to long on and the catch is dropped. Its gone for another 4 runs. That's a crucial error 15.4 Play and miss from Haynes 15.5 Haynes dropped at short fine leg but the ball has raced for 4 runs. 100 partnership between these 2 15.6 Chop to short 3rd man and no run New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/148 (16 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 15 Jensen to bowl her second. 40 off 36 balls required 14.1 Haynes misses and no run 14.2 Haynes hits a lofted straight drive for 4 runs 14.3 Single to long off. She is 47 from 28 balls 14.4 Late cut from Lanning finds the gap and she gets 2 runs. She goes to 45 14.5 Single to cover 14.6 Haynes hits single to deep mid on New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/132 (15 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 14 Bates to bowl 13.1 Wide ball is not called. 13.2 Haynes hits that hard through mid off for 4. 13.3 Beautiful shot. Drive through point for 4 from Haynes 13.4 Single to deep mid on 13.5 Lanning paddles that to deep square leg for a single 13.6 Haynes skies a drive but it falls safe and she takes a single New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/123 (14 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 13 Kasperek to bowl her 3rd. She has 2/13. 12.1 Haynes has hit that over mid on for a big 6 12.2 Straight from Haynes for a single. She is 32 from 20 balls 12.3 Lanning edges on to her pads for no run 12.4 Sharp to cover but no run. Lanning is 34 from 34 balls 12.5 Classic cut from Lanning earns her 4 runs 12.6 Lofted cover drive for a further 4 from Lanning. Glorious shot New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/112 (13 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 12 Bates to bowl her first over. Match is evenly poised right now 11.1 Haynes rocks back but can't beat mid on 11.2 Single to long on from Haynes 11.3 Lanning plays to deep square for a single 11.4 Haynes goes to deep mid on for single, 50 partnership between these two 11.5 Misfield and Lanning gets 1. 11.6. Haynes hits straight drive for 1 New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/97 (12 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 11 Tahuhu to bowl 10.1 Lanning plays to point for no run 10.2 Lanning cuts forward of point for 4 runs 10.3 Play and miss from Lanning. Good delivery from Tahuhu 10.4 Leg bye and 1 run. Lanning rushed by Tahuhu there 10.5 Haynes gets that to fine leg for a single 10.6 Lanning goes for big cut and edges fine for 4. No ball so free hit to come. 10.6 No run from the free hit but a good over for Australia New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/92 (11 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 10 Kerr to bowl her second over 9.1 Haynes hits a short one through the leg side for 4 9.2 Carbon copy for another 4 and Haynes looks in good touch 9.3 Single to deep mid on and Haynes races to 21 off 11 9.4 Wide ball from Kerr 9.4 Leg bye and 1 run 9.5 Play and miss from Haynes as Kerr pitches perfectly 9.6. Haynes chops to gully for no run New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/81 (10 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 9 Tahuhu is back into the attack. 8.1 Quick ball held out by Lanning 8.2 Play and miss as that one bounced to the keeper 8.3 Lanning under the pump here and no run 8.4 Lanning forces into the covers and gets a single 8.5 Haynes plays to gully and no run 8.6 Haynes guides to 3rd man for a single but a good over from Tahuhu New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/70 (9 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 8 Jensen to bowl 7.1 Haynes smacks that over mid on for 4 runs 7.2 Quick single for Haynes 7.3 Drive from Lanning to deep cover for a single 7.4 Haynes goes to deep cover for a single 7.5 Lanning takes quick single through mid on push 7.6 Cut shot from Haynes flies to the boundary New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/68 (8 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 7 Devine to bowl another over 6.1 Lanning plays down to 3rd man for 2 runs 6.2 Lanning plays to mid off but no run 6.3 Cut to 3rd man for a single 6.4 Hayne takes quick single to get off mark 6.5 Cut by Lanning for a further single. 6.6 Haynes takes a single to 3rd man New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/56 (7 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 6 Kasperek will bowl over 2 5.1 Gardner hits to deep mid on and catch is taken by Hayley Jensen. WICKET 5.2 Rachael Haynes is in to try and put a partnership together. Lanning plays and misses 5.3 Late cut from Lanning for 2 runs 5.4 Sweep for no run 5.5 Edge behind point for another 2 runs 5.6 Single to mid on and that was close to a run out New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 4/50 (6 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 5 Devine bowling 4.1 Play and miss from Gardner 4.2 Gardner defends to mid off and no run 4.3 Bouncer and Gardner top edges over the keeper for 4 runs 4.4 Drive from Gardner and a single is taken 4.5 Play and miss from Lanning. Appeal from keeper but given not out 4.6 Defended to mid on and no run New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 3/45 (5 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 4 Kerr will bowl her first over of spin 3.1 Wide ball to start 3.1 Gardner sweeps for a single 3.2 Lanning mistimes to leg and no run 3.3 Full toss and Lannings works behind square for 4 3.4 Full toss and Lanning hits this through square leg for 4 more runs 3.5 Better ball and no run 3.6 Sweep from Lanning for another boundary New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 3/40 (4 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 3 Devine to bowl 2.1 LBW shout but going down leg 2.2 Gardner pushes a single through cover 2.3 LBW shout and Healy has been trapped in front. NZ on top. WICKET 2.4 Villani has taken her spot. Leg glance for 4 to get her off the mark nicely 2.5 Big LBW shout and Villani is gone. Australia is unravelling here. 2.6 Meg Lanning has come out a lot earlier than she would have wanted. She defends the first one New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 3/26 (3 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Over 2 Kasperek bowling her legspin 1.1 Healy takes the single to long on 1.2 Cut from Mooney and she collects 2 runs 1.3 Wide ball 1.3 Mooney lobs one to mid on and Green has taken a great catch. WICKET 1.4 Gardner to the crease. Healy advances and hits that over mid on for a classy 4 runs 1.5 No run as Healy plays back to the bowler 1.6 Hit hard to cover but no run New Zealand 5/162 (20 Overs) Australia 1/21 (2 Overs)
David Holden
Roar Guru
Here we go. Healy and Mooney opening Tahuhu to bowl 0.1 Healy away with a pull shot along the ground for 4 0.2 No run as Tahuhu gets some outswing 0.3 Uppish cover drive from Healy but it has raced to the boundary 0.4 Single out to deep point 0.5 Mooney defends for no run 0.6 Mooney gives herself some room and hits a boundary through backward point New Zealand 5/162 Australia 0/13 (1 Over)
David Holden
Roar Guru
We are not too far away from Australia's innings starting. Hope you are enjoying the coverage and this early start to the cricket season New Zealand 5/162 Australia 0/0