'A lot left in the tank': Why Aussies want to go bigger

Australia’s bid for a fourth consecutive T20 World Cup crown will be boosted by batting riches that are undeniably the envy of their rivals.

Maximising their firepower when setting a target, however, remains a work in progress ahead of the looming tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

Australia were bowled out for 142 in the second T20I against New Zealand at Great Barrier Reef Arena on Sunday.

It was a score that proved to be more than enough as a superb bowling effort restricted the White Ferns to just 7-113.

But allrounder Ashleigh Gardner noted afterwards it was below par, with work to be done by the batting group ahead of Tuesday’s final T20I in Brisbane.

"I think the benchmark for cricket at the moment is probably minimum 160, so to not have reached that yet, I know there's still a lot left in the tank," Gardner noted on Sunday night.

"We know that we can go hard at the top of the order, and then we have so many batters to come in after that.

"It's an area that we've that we've spoken about, is making sure that we're taking (them) on early on in the over to put the bowlers under pressure and hopefully creating those small overs into big overs.

"Hopefully in this last game, if we do bat first, we can put a massive total on the board."

In chasing mode, Australia have long been a well-oiled machine in T20Is.

Since February 2020, they have lost only one batting second – and that was by just three runs against England at The Oval during the 2023 Ashes.

They also, notably, set and defended totals in the finals of the 2020 and 2023 World Cups and in the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal match.

Their record batting first since that 2023 World Cup in South Africa is a less definitive at five wins and four losses, however, including defeats to England, West Indies, India and South Africa.

It is worth noting they have won their last three matches when they batted first; twice against Bangladesh in March and most recently against New Zealand on Sunday.

Against Bangladesh, they defended totals of 8-161 and 6-155 on tricky wickets.

The team has previously declared they want to make totals of 200-plus more commonplace and while conditions are a major factor, Australia want to continue pushing the boundaries of what their powerful batting line-up can achieve.

Speaking after Sunday’s game, coach Shelley Nitschke conceded there was rust across the opening two games against New Zealand, but was optimistic her team would hit their stride before their opening World Cup game against Sri Lanka.

"Not this series, no," Nitschke said when asked if Australia’s batting line-up had clicked yet.

"Phoebe (Litchfield) was exceptional in the first game, and (on Sunday) I think we got off to a really good start but we then didn't get to the total that we wanted to.

"We've got the depth there, but we certainly haven't produced an innings that we would like to just yet.

"We're not quite at the top of our game, so to have these games to get that momentum and just start to get back into the swing of it, I think it's critical for us."

Of the 15 players named in the World Cup squad, only the pace trio of Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck and Darcie Brown cannot lay any claim to the tag ‘allrounder’.

Juggling that batting line-up and working out how the pieces slot together to produce consistently high totals is a headache – albeit a welcome one – for Nitschke to have heading into a major tournament.

Australia have the luxury of naming experienced Renegades opener Sophie Molineux at either No.9 or 10 and reigning Hundred player of the tournament Annabel Sutherland at No.8.

That is with Grace Harris currently sidelined with a calf complaint, and with Alana King, also capable of a powerful cameo, outside the best XI.

Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney at the top of the order are the most prolific partnership for any wicket in the history of women’s T20Is, scoring 2609 runs across the 80 times they have batted together.

Most recently, Ellyse Perry has been favoured at No.3, while in the middle order, there’s the firepower of Gardner and the class of Tahlia McGrath, who have both been key to Australia’s success in the shortest format in recent years.

But then there are the young guns pushing for promotion: Litchfield boasts the highest strike rate of any woman to have scored more than 200 runs (in games between the 10 World Cup teams) since the 2023 World Cup, and that is despite the left-hander not becoming a regular in the format for Australia until September last year.

Then there is Sutherland, who struck 212 runs at a strike rate of 137 batting at No. 4 for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, more than any Australian playing in the competition.

The 22-year-old has only batted higher than No.7 once in her 14 T20 International innings.

That's not to forget Georgia Wareham, whose powerful striking in the 18 months since she returned from a knee reconstruction now sees her considered an allrounder in the T20I side, generally sent out to play a pinch-hitting or finisher role.

When given the chance to bat at No.3 against Bangladesh in March, she hit 57 from 30.

"It's really difficult," Nitschke said. "We're just blessed for options.

"We've had some players that have been playing some roles for us over a long period of time and who've done a really good job.

"And there's people like Georgia Wareham who is starting to get some more opportunity, and Annabel, but it is difficult to fit them all in.

"But I think they've all got a role to play and they all play differently. If we can get everyone firing, then we certainly can post some decent totals."

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: September 24, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 7.10pm