Australia continued their dominant run in the Women’s T20 World Cup with a convincing 98-run win over the Netherlands on Saturday. The defending champions posted 219/6, equaling the highest total in the history of the tournament and crossing the 200-run mark in the Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time.Beth Mooney he led the charge with a blistering 74 off 42 balls before retiring injured due to a stiff back. However, the Australian champion later played down concerns about her fitness.“I’m fine, just a precaution,” Mooney said. “I’m probably just not used to all the bus travel we’ve been doing.”Ash Gardner, returning from an ankle injury, scored 58, while Georgia WarehamA quickfire 41 off 18 balls helped Australia finish strong.With Mooney sidelined and standard wicketkeeper Phoebe Litchfield unavailable with a quad injury, Georgia Voll took the gloves and impressed behind the stumps. Australia then backed up their batting effort with disciplined bowling, restricting Holland to 121/3.Although it never looked like the Dutch side would chase down 220, captain Babette de Leede and Sterre Kalis put up a valiant fight in a 96-run partnership. Kalis scored 44 while de Leede remained unbeaten on 56 in her 100th T20 appearance.
Dutch captain proud despite defeat
De Leede, who reached the milestone alongside Robine Rijke, said meeting Australia was a valuable experience for her side.“This is a big moment for us,” said de Leede. “Australia are a quality team (so) to learn from them, to see them go through the changes, it’s just amazing.”The win gave Australia their third consecutive win in the tournament and further cemented their position in the standings.
