Australia vs New Zealand: Australia will lock horns with New Zealand in the first T20I of a three-match series at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, Australia on Thursday, September 19. The visitors had a terrible tour of England earlier in July this year losing all the 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs. The hosts, on the other hand, were pretty successful on their tour of Bangladesh winning every match.
Alyssa Healy & Co. are coming off a brilliant white-ball series win against Bangladesh earlier this year. The six-time T20 World Cup-winning team will look to bring their A game ahead of the marquee event. A win in this series will surely be a confidence booster for the side. Alyssa Healey will be leading the Aussie side. With Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry in the top order, Australia look very strong with the bat.
There is plenty of experience in the top 3 and each of these batters is a match-winner in their own right. It is a deep batting lineup loaded with experienced and consistent batters who can be relied on to lead Australia to a big total. There is great variety in this bowling attack due to the number of all-rounders and most of them can deliver breakthroughs at regular intervals.
On the other hand, the New Zealand side is coming off a disappointing white-ball tour to England. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, Kiwis will be hoping for a change in fortune. A strong performance against the defending champions will keep them in a positive mindset had all of their star batters in the squad yet failed to score big even on good batting tracks.
Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, and skipper Sophie Devine are the key batters in this side expected to score big and build game-changing partnerships. There are 6 all-rounders in the squad and that allows for depth in the lineup. Lea Tahuhu and Jess Karr will lead the pace attack for the Kiwis. Left-arm orthodox Fran Jonas has shown great promise in recent matches and will be one to watch out for.
Australia vs New Zealand, 1st T20I – Match Details
Date and Time: 19 September 2024, Thursday, 02:40 PM IST
Venue: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, Australia
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney + Hotstar App & Website
Australia vs New Zealand, 1st T20I – Pitch Report
The surface at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay is well balanced. The pitch assists both batters and bowlers allowing an even contest. The average 1st innings score here in the last 10 T20s is 159 runs. Bowlers have the upper hand in the second innings and have successfully defended totals as low as 147 runs.
Australia vs New Zealand, 1st T20I – Weather Report
The weather forecast is expected to be cloudy. However, there are no chances of rain during the game. The temperature is likely to be around 23-degree Celsius with 49% humidity.
Australia vs New Zealand, 1st T20I – Probable Playing XIs
Australia: Alyssa Healy(c & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Grace Harris, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Megan Schutt, Sophie Molineux, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
New Zealand: Sophie Devine(c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze(wk), Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
Australia vs New Zealand, 1st T20I – Head-to-Head Records
| Matches Played | 48 |
| Australia won | 25 |
| New Zealand won | 21 |
| No Result | 01 |
| Tied | 01 |
Prediction: Australia to win the match.
Australia vs New Zealand, 1st T20I – Key Players
Australia
- Ellyse Perry – One of the world’s greatest all-rounders, Perry’s experience and skill with both bat and ball make her a key figure. She will be instrumental in controlling the game during crucial phases. Perry has scored 1878 runs at a strike rate of 116 and also picked up 126 wickets at an economy rate of 5.8 in 154 T20I matches.
- Sophie Molineux – She could be the best bowler in the 1st T20I against New Zealand. Molineux had an impressive Bangladesh series, as she not only ended as the highest wicket-taker of the series with six wickets but also earned the Player of the Series. The left-arm spinner will have a lot on her shoulders and will look to once again back her skills.
New Zealand
- Suzie Bates – The experienced all-rounder could be the best batter in the upcoming first T20I against Australia. Though her side had a disappointing England series, she impressed everyone with her batting. In five innings, Bates smashed 117 runs and was her side’s highest run-scorer.
- Amelia Kerr – The bowling all-rounder is currently in excellent form. Amelia Kerr has scored 1108 runs at a strike rate of 111 and picked up 73 wickets in 76 T20I matches. Her role with both bat and ball is very crucial for the visitors, making her a vital pick.
Australia vs New Zealand, 1st T20I – Dream 11 Prediction
Wicket-Keeper: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy
Batters: Suzie Bates, Tahlia McGrath
All-rounders: Sophie Devine, Amelia Kerr (vc), Ellyse Perry (c), Ashleigh Gardner
Bowlers: Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Fran Jonas
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