NZ collapse in stunning fashion

After being 54-1 at one point, New Zealand collapsed in spectacular fashion to get bowled out for 88 against Australia in a 2024 T20 World Cup match at Sharjah.

Australia posted 148-8 after Alyssa Healy won the toss and opted to bat. Healy herself hit a 20-ball 26 at the top, Beth Mooney top-scored with a 32-ball 40, while Ellyse Perry hit 30 in 24 balls. At 109-2 in the 14th over, Australia seemed set to put off a big total before Amelia Kerr (4-26) derailed them.

In response, Megan Schutt (3-3) bowled Georgia Plimmer in the third over to go past Shabnim Ismail and become the leading wicket-taker in the history of the tournament. However, Suzie Bates (20 in 27 balls) and Kerr (29 in 31) stayed put, and New Zealand were 60-1 after 10 overs. At that point, they needed a difficult (but possible) 89 in 60 balls with nine wickets in hand.

From this point, they collapsed in spectacular fashion against Schutt, Sophie Molineux (2-15), and Annabel Sutherland (3-21). From 20 balls, they lost five wickets for 10 runs to get reduced to 60-6. There was a semblance of a recovery when the seventh wicket added 15, but the rest caved in, and New Zealand folded for 88 in 19.2 overs.

This was New Zealand’s second-lowest total against Australia at the Women’s T20 World Cup, after their 76 at Paarl in 2023, and their fourth-lowest against any side in the tournament.

This was also the second-worst collapse for any side from the second to tenth wickets at the Women’s T20 World Cup. Only South Africa (nine for 28) had lost their second to tenth wickets for fewer runs.

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