SOPHIE Devine’s ninth ODI century went in vain as Australia cruised to a comfortable 89-run win in Indore, on Thursday, to kickstart their World Cup campaign. The platform of the victory was laid by Ash Gardner’s second ODI century, a blazing 83-ball 115.
(Scores: Australia 326 (Gardner 115, Litchfield 45, Tahuhu 3-42) beat New Zealand 237 (Devine 111, Molineux 3-25. Sutherland 3-26) by 89 runs)
Electing to bat, Australia were on the aggressive right from the start. Even though there was some swing on offer for New Zealand’s new-ball pair, Phoebe Litchfield was comfortable to take them on. She cracked a couple of boundaries off Jess Kerr in the second over of the innings and meted out a similar treatment to Bree Illing. Even as Alyssa Healy departed early, Australia were off to a flying start, with 81 on the board in the first 10 overs.
Litchfield’s innings was cut short on 45 when she failed to pick up Amelia Kerr’s googly and was cleaned up. Beth Mooney and Elysse Perry slowed down briefly thereafter, and New Zealand kept chipping away at wickets to reduce the champions to 128 for 5 by the 22nd over.
As Australia looked to build on, Gardner took the aggressive route while Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux and Kim Garth provided adequate support from the other end. She tonked Amelia over long off to bring up her fifty, and then pressed on the accelerator. In the 46th over, she drove Devine’s half volley for a boundary to reach her century. Her innings eventually came to an end in the next over when she toe-ended a catch to Gaze. Jess picked up a couple of late wickets to wrap up Australia’s innings on 326.

On a friendly batting surface, it was a competitive score. However, New Zealand were pegged back early in the chase, losing both their openers before getting a run on the board.
Georgia Plimmer was run out in the first over without even getting to face a delivery while looking to take a tight single. Suzie Bates, who couldn’t get off the mark in the first over was cleaned up in the next by Molineux.
The experienced duo of Devine and Amelia attempted to rebuild the innings with a steady partnership. After a slow start, Amelia cut loose against Darcie Short in the 10th over, cracking three boundaries. As the partnership flourished, so did the scoring rate before Amelia was eventually caught at cover while attempting to loft-drive Alana King.
Devine held the chase from one end, but there wasn’t enough support from the other. Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green and Izzy Gaze made handy contributions, but none of them could stick long enough with the captain to threaten Australia in the contest. Devine waged a lone battle with a run-a-ball 112 before getting cleaned up by Annabel Sutherland.
With only formality to complete thereafter, Sutherland chipped in with a couple of more wickets as New Zealand folded up for 237 in the 44th over.