Australia sweep New Zealand series due to all-round Wareham

Georgia Wareham has starred with ball and produced a smart cameo with the bat as Australia secured a five-wicket win over New Zealand in the third and final T20I in Brisbane.

Needing 147 to sweep the series, Wareham’s speedy 26 at first drop was backed up by a 61-run stand from Ellyse Perry (36 from 29) and Ashleigh Gardner (33 from 26) as Australia, despite a late stumble, reached to their target with five balls to spare.

Earlier, Wareham claimed 2-21 while Georgia Plimmer (53 off 48) led New Zealand’s best batting performance of the series with her first T20I half-century laying the foundation for the tourists’ 6-146.

Australia sprang a surprise after Beth Mooney (6 from 6) was bowled by Eden Carson in the fourth over, sending out Wareham at No.3.

The leg-spinner had performed the role once before during Australia’s tour of Bangladesh in March, and Australia again opted to try and make the most of her powerful hitting abilities while the field was up. 

It did the trick, with Wareham finding the boundary four times but her speedy 16-ball cameo came to an unlikely end on 26 when she hit a Hannah Rowe full toss down the throat of Kerr at deep midwicket.

Perry likewise arrived in the middle full of intent, getting off the mark with back-to-back fours, while Gardner targeted the bowling of Sophie Devine to get herself going, hitting three boundaries off one of the New Zealand skipper’s overs.

New Zealand’s spinners provided a late twist as Perry perished to Fran Jonas with just 10 runs required, and when Gardner was trapped plumb lbw by Carson balls later, the equation was suddenly 10 from 11 with two fresh batters at the crease.

But Phoebe Litchfield got off the mark punishing a wide delivery for four, before being dropped two balls later. It took the game down to the final over but no further, as Tahlia McGrath sealed victory with a boundary.

The game was the final hit out for both teams before their departure for the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Australia fly out on Wednesday evening, but the Kiwis scarcely had time to pack up their kit bags following the post-match presentations before they were beating a hasty path to Brisbane airport to board a 2am flight to Dubai.

Earlier, Wareham struck twice in crucial moments after Devine won the toss and opted to set Australia a target.

Aided by a somewhat wayward start from Australia’s quicks, Plimmer and Suzie Bates put on 0-45 in the Powerplay, with the former riding her luck as she was gifted lives on 13 and 16 when first Sophie Molineux and then Tayla Vlaeminck put down caught-and-bowled opportunities. 

A shift to spin then brought the immediate breakthrough, as Wareham struck first ball, bowling Bates for 19 off 17.

Plimmer settled with Amelia Kerr (40 from 36) in a 73-run stand that anchored New Zealand’s innings without ever setting it alight.

The 20-year-old struck her first six in international cricket, and just the White Ferns’ second of the series, as she looked to accelerate approaching her maiden fifty.

Plimmer brought up the milestone with a boundary down the ground but perished immediately after, bowled by Wareham.

Her departure saw Devine – New Zealand’s most explosive batter – finally stride to the crease with just 3.4 overs remaining in their innings.

Amid a collapse of 5-14, Kerr chopped on an Ashleigh Gardner delivery and Brooke Halliday holed out, and hopes of a late push from the captain were dashed when Devine (5 from 7) was brilliantly caught by a running Mooney on the boundary.

Instead, that job fell to Maddy Green, who smacked 12 not out from five deliveries to guide New Zealand to their highest total of the series.

CommBank T20I Series v New Zealand   

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

First T20: Australia defeated New Zealand by five wickets

Second T20: Australia defeated New Zealand by 29 runs

Third T20:Australia defeated New Zealand by five wickets