Tue Oct 08 16:59:51 UTC 2024: ## Australia Set Up a Thrilling Chase for New Zealand in T20 World Cup Opener

**Cape Town, South Africa:** Australia set a challenging target of 148 runs for New Zealand in the opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the highest score ever recorded at the venue. Despite a strong start, Australia’s innings was turned around by a spectacular bowling performance from New Zealand.

Amelia Kerr was the star of the show, dismantling the Australian top order with clever spin bowling. She was well supported by Rosemary Mair, while Brook Halliday’s unorthodox bowling style yielded impressive figures of 2 for 16.

Australia had looked well-placed at 109 for 2 after 14 overs but ultimately fell short of a more substantial total. This is only the second time in the tournament that a team has crossed 125 while batting first.

Sophie Devine, New Zealand’s captain, made history by becoming the first player to reach 2000 runs and 100 wickets in Women’s T20Is, joining an elite list of players including Hayley Matthews, Nida Dar, and Ellyse Perry. Meanwhile, Alyssa Healy became the eighth batter to surpass 3000 runs in Women’s T20Is with a strike rate of 129.49, second only to Chloe Tryon.

The chase is expected to be a challenging one for New Zealand on a slow pitch. They have successfully chased down 160 against India recently, but that was on a better wicket in Dubai. The final overs will see if New Zealand can pull off a stunning upset and overturn the script for Australia.

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