[Watch] Amelia Kerr strikes on consecutive deliveries to dismiss Perry and Harris in AUS vs NZ 2024 Women's T20 World Cup clash
New Zealand leg-spinner Amelia Kerr castled both Ellyse Perry and Grace Harris off successive deliveries in the crucial Group A 2024 Women's T20 World Cup clash at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 8. The double-strike dented Australia's momentum as they seemed to run away with the game after building a solid platform.
Amelia Kerr was brought into the attack in the eighth over, where she made a solid start by conceding only five runs. She broke the partnership for the second wicket by dismissing Beth Mooney in the 12th over. The leg-spinner was hit for two boundaries in her next over, but made a strong comeback.
She outfoxed Perry with a sublime googly off the penultimate ball of the over. The right-handed batter failed to read the delivery and set herself for a drive off the front foot. The ball spun into the gap between the bat and pad, going onto hit the top of off-stump.
Grace Harris, coming into the side in place of Darcie Brown, was also dismissed in a similar fashion as Perry. The right-handed batter also failed to read the googly, and this particular delivery spun a touch extra to hit the middle stump.
Have a look at the double strike right here:
The back-to-back dismissals reduced Australia to 109-4 at the end of the 14th over.
Amelia Kerr finished with figures of 4-26 after four overs
The leg-spinner has been the pick of the New Zealand bowlers so far. After finishing with tight figures of 1-19 in the opening clash against India in Dubai, she has bowled with the same rhythm to rattle the Australians.
Kerr returned to bowl her final over in the final stages. She bowled yet another googly to begin the 18th over in a bid to claim the hat-trick, but Georgia Wareham managed to just about negotiate it. The spinner struck just a delivery later when Wareham was caught at point, and after a set of singles later, she finished with figures of 4-26.
As of writing, Australia are placed at 131/6 after 18 overs, with the pair of Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath at the crease.