New Zealand rocked the defending champions Australia early in the Women’s World Cup 2025 opener. Amelia Kerr was in the thick of the action as she dismissed Phoebe Litchfield on her first ball of the spell.
The seven-time winners Australia are playing the White Ferns in their opening game of the tournament at Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Australia’s young sensation Litchfield was looking in magnificent touch on 45 off 30 deliveries when Amelia Kerr was introduced into the attack. She would not have expected such an excellent googly from the leg-spinner to start the spell.
Litchfield was bamboozled completely as the ball pitched outside the leg stump, took a sharp turn, and clattered her stumps.
This was a crucial wicket for New Zealand as they mounted a comeback in the game. Following that wicket, they kept up the pressure to bring about three more wickets. The Sophie Devine-led side took 4 for 47 to reduce Australia to 128/5.
The world champions did manage to make a recovery with Ashleigh Gardner scoring a quickfire fifty. At the end of 36 overs, Australia were 221 for 6. Amelia Kerr claimed 2 for 45 from her eight overs.
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The star all-rounder became the third New Zealand player to take 100 wickets in Women’s ODIs. Before Amelia, the veteran all-rounder Devine and pace bowler Lea Tahuhu have reached the milestone.
Amelia reached the mark in her 78th ODI, having conceded runs at an economy of 4.59 in her career. Her ability to produce wicket-taking deliveries out of nowhere makes her an extremely valuable asset in this tournament in the subcontinent.
Melie also became only the 18th player in Women’s ODI history to reach a double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets. She is a key part of the NZ batting line-up. She has amassed 2,167 runs in the fifty-over format at an average of 42.49 and strike rate of 82.99. Amelia has registered four centuries and 10 half-centuries in Women’s ODIs.
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