AUS-W vs NZ-W Match 2 Results

5:07 PM IST Well then, Australia Women have announced themselves strongly in this World Cup. They have laid down an early marker in their title defense with a statement win. New Zealand Women showed fight in patches, but they will need to return to the drawing board to fix the areas where they went wrong. With that, two matches have flown by already in this ICC Women's World Cup 2025. Next up, we move all the way down south in Colombo for the first time in this tournament as Bangladesh Women prepare to go up against Pakistan Women at the famous R. Premadasa Stadium. That game will be played on October 2nd, Thursday, and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 3 pm IST (9.30 am GMT). But do make sure to join us a bit earlier and catch up on all the exciting pre-match analysis and build-up. Till then, take care, cheers!

5:05 PM IST The real gulf between the two sides lay in how they began. New Zealand lost crucial wickets early on, which forced them to claw their way out of trouble before anything meaningful could materialise, which was a complete contrast to Australia’s fluent start. Also, bowling-wise, the Kiwi bowlers didn't dish out many variations and were a bit too predictable at times. And in the end, 327 was always going to be a mountain far too steep to scale.

5:00 PM IST The victorious skipper of Australia Women, Alyssa Healy, reflects on Australia's impressive batting display, acknowledging Sophie Devine's exceptional performance, which made things challenging for the Australian team. However, she praises her teammates for persevering and adjusting their strategy to achieve their target. Says that despite struggling in the middle stages, the team managed to post a total exceeding 300 runs. Healy commends Ashleigh Gardner's maturity as a cricketer, particularly her ability to score crucial hundreds in difficult situations. She expresses pride in Gardner's achievement, noting that if she hadn't scored a century, Kim Garth would have been a strong contender for player of the match. Healy also highlights the team's efforts to improve their power play, seeking wickets during this critical phase, which they struggled with in their previous series against India. She appreciates Sophie Devine's ability to bowl in the Powerplay and Annabel Sutherland's success in finding her length and getting rewarded with wickets. Looking ahead, Healy expresses optimism about building momentum in their next game in Colombo, where the conditions might differ. She praises the beautiful cricket ground, mentioning she would love to play here again.

4:59 PM IST Earlier in the game, Australia Women elected to bat first on what was deemed a belter of a wicket, as always, Indore has characteristically been. Healy did get out early after a start, but Litchfield and Perry timed the ball to perfection and helped the Aussies to get a really positive start in the Powerplay. But with Kerr weaving her magic immediately, and Tahuhu partnering her well with control, the Aussies slipped down to 128/5, losing their key batters in no time. The middle phase can be summed up by Australia forming crucial alliances and New Zealand striking back to break through at the right time. In the centre of it all, though, Ashleigh Gardner stood tall and smashed a valiant century and helped Australia's total push to a massive 326. Jess Kerr and Lea Tahuhu shared three wickets each, while Amelia Kerr and Bree Illing snapped two apiece. But in reality, barely anyone could control the run flow.

4:53 PM IST The captain of New Zealand Women, Sophie Devine, reflects on the defeat. She calls it a bittersweet feeling overall. But mentions that she is happy to see the fight put on by her team. Admits that had it been a couple of years ago, they would have thrown the towels pretty early. Rues that it is a bit hard to digest. Also stresses that they should have held their nerves. Appreciates the way Amelia Kerr and Lea Tahuhu performed. Admits that they missed bowling with control on a flat surface. Still, she feels it was a chaseable total on this kind of a wicket, but highlights that they just leaked too many runs in the backend. Devine says that taking big wickets is vital for the team, and with Illing’s pace and left-arm swing, she adds a real spark. She adds that it will be exciting to see just how far Illing can take her game. Says it is a long way to go in the World Cup. Adds that it’s all about who can hold their nerves the longest. She stresses the importance of fighting back in both innings and notes that the wicket is excellent, with a superb outfield with small boundaries.

4:41 PM IST Australia's Ashleigh Gardner is adjudged as the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her brilliant contribution with the bat. She scored a match-winning 115 off just 83 deliveries. She shares her thoughts on her century, saying it was special to reach the milestone. Says once she got in, she focused on playing to her strengths while knowing that runs were crucial for her team. She emphasizes that scoring over 300 was the bare minimum target, showcasing her understanding of the game's dynamics. Regarding New Zealand's chase, Ash praises Sophie Devine's batting, acknowledging that she made the game competitive and troubled the Australian bowlers. However, Ash believes chasing over 300 runs was always going to be a tough task. Ash also shared her thoughts on the competition, predicting that scoring 300 while batting first might become a trend. She expresses confidence in her team's ability to change the game from any situation, thanks to the talented individuals who can perform under pressure.