Australia rout NZ, Eng breeze past WI

Paarl, Feb 12: Australia began their Women’s T20 World Cup title defence on a resounding note with a comfortable 97-run win over Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand here.
Alyssa Healy made 55, her highest score in the format since the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final, while captain Meg Lanning (41) and Ellyse Perry (40) also contributed with the bat as Australia racked up a competitive 173 for nine after being asked to bat on Saturday.
New Zealand endured a forgetful start as Suzie Bates was dismissed with the first ball of their reply and then kept losing wickets in a heap to be bowled out for 76 in 14 overs.
Gardner was the chief destroyer with a sublime spell of 5/12, her best T20I bowling figures, as the five-time champions started off with a dominant victory.
Meanwhile, an unbeaten 67-run partnership for the fourth wicket between veteran all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Heather Knight helped England defeat the West Indies by seven wickets in an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Group B match here on Saturday.
The two England stalwarts took advantage of the below-par West Indies total of 135/7 to launch a concerted effort when they came together at the crease, finishing the match in the 15th over, with Sciver-Brunt scoring an unbeaten 40 and Knight remaining not out at 32. While West Indies were not really off to a poor start after electing to bat, their batting floundered in the middle overs with no one able to give them the push in the death overs. (PTI)