Australia (w)
New Zealand (w)
The second match of the ICC Women’s World Cup at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore, will see Australia Women face New Zealand Women. Both teams will start their campaigns with strong intent, but Australia will enter the match as the favourites. Alyssa Healy will lead the Australian side, which has shown solid form by winning four of their last five ODIs, including a recent 2-1 series win against India Women.
New Zealand Women, led by Sophie Devine, will also look for a strong start. They have won two of their last five ODIs, with their last series win coming against Sri Lanka Women in March. The team will rely on their senior players to handle the pressure against a strong opponent.
In head-to-head contests, Australia hold the upper hand. Out of the last five meetings, Australia have won four matches, all while defending totals, and one match was abandoned.
Australia’s batting unit has dominated against New Zealand in recent years, making them more likely to produce the top batter in this match.
The betting tip is...
Top Batter's Team - Australia Women
64 %
36 %
Australia (w)New Zealand (w)Australia will enter the match with several key players returning to form. Sophie Molineux will make her comeback after recovering from knee surgery. She will be a likely first-choice pick if fit, which could create competition between Georgia Wareham and Alana King for the legspinner’s spot.
Alyssa Healy will continue to lead the side with the bat, while Beth Mooney will strengthen the top order with her consistency. Phoebe Litchfield will carry confidence after her quickfire 71 in the warm-up.
Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath will be vital as all-rounders in both departments. Darcie Brown impressed with 1 for 30 (off 6) in the warm-up and will join Megan Schutt and Kim Garth as the main pace options. Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland will provide depth with both bat and ball. Georgia Voll may miss out despite averaging 63.50 in her first 5 ODIs, while Heather Graham has replaced Grace Harris.
Healy, Mooney and Perry are the key players.
Predicted Lineup: Alyssa Healy (c, wk), Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, Darcie Brown, Megan Schutt.
New Zealand will enter the contest with strong batting options. Maddy Green will be a key player, averaging 57.00 in her last 7 matches with 285 runs. Georgia Plimmer will also be important after scoring 245 runs in her last 5 matches at an average of 49.00, including her maiden ODI century.
Both players will form the backbone of the batting lineup. In the bowling department, Eden Carson will lead the spin attack with 10 wickets in her last 8 innings. Jess Kerr will bring consistency with 9 wickets in 5 innings at an average of 18.22, while Amelia Kerr has taken 8 wickets in just 3 innings over the past year.
The Kerr sisters will be crucial against Australia’s batting order. Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday, and Flora Devonshire will add depth as all-rounders.
Bates, Plimmer and Devine are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Sophie Devine (c), Maddy Green, Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday, Isabella Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Eden Carson, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair.
Australia will start this match as the stronger side with their proven depth in batting. Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney will provide a strong foundation at the top, while the middle order will be reinforced by Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland.
Sutherland has been outstanding against New Zealand in recent matches, scoring a century and winning the player of the series award with a century in their last meeting.
With so many all-rounders in the lineup, Australia will bat deep and maintain pressure throughout the innings. New Zealand’s bowlers have struggled against this batting unit in the past, and Australia’s top order will likely dominate once again.
