Australia Women and New Zealand Women kicked off their T20I series at North Sydney Oval in Sydney on October 18, with an exciting contest between two strong sides. While the White Ferns eventually posted a competitive total of 162/2 in their 20 overs, an outstanding delivery from Australia’s Kim Garth quickly grabbed attention. The experienced pacer produced a sharp inswinger to bowl Flora Devonshire, leaving the New Zealand batter with little time to react.
Kim Garth bowls a brilliant inswinger to dismiss Flora Devonshire
Australia captain Sophie Molineux won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping to make early inroads into New Zealand’s batting lineup. Garth delivered an important breakthrough in the opening stages, producing a superb delivery that proved too good for Devonshire. The dismissal came on the first ball of the third over. Bowling from over the wicket, Garth landed the ball on a good length and generated significant inward movement. Devonshire stepped forward to meet the delivery, seemingly looking to get closer to the pitch of the ball and play her shot.
However, the movement proved decisive. The ball swung sharply into the batter, passing through the gap between her bat and pad before crashing into the top of middle stump. Devonshire was bowled, with Garth’s accuracy and ability to generate swing making the difference. The delivery was a reminder of how dangerous a quality swing bowler can be in the powerplay. Even when a batter gets into position to play a shot, late movement can make it extremely difficult to establish proper contact.
Here’s the video:
Knocked her over!
The swing from Garth to get Devonshire 🔥#AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/rIvIzXnMd6
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) October 18, 2026
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Georgia Plimmer and Maddy Green lead New Zealand’s recovery
Devonshire’s early departure gave Australia the start they wanted after choosing to bowl. The visitors suffered another setback when captain Amelia Kerr was dismissed for nine runs, leaving New Zealand struggling at 35/2 after 6.4 overs. With two wickets down, the White Ferns needed their remaining batters to rebuild the innings without allowing Australia’s bowlers to dictate the contest. The situation called for composure, particularly with the innings still in its early stages. Georgia Plimmer and Maddy Green responded impressively, combining to turn New Zealand’s innings around and put pressure back on the Australian attack.
Plimmer and Green constructed an unbeaten 127-run partnership for the third wicket, transforming a difficult start into a strong finish. Their stand ensured that New Zealand recovered from 35/2 to reach 162/2 in their allotted 20 overs. Plimmer was the standout performer, finishing unbeaten on 85 from 68 deliveries. Her innings featured 10 fours and one six, as she provided stability while maintaining a steady scoring rate.
At the other end, Green contributed an unbeaten 56 off just 37 balls, striking six fours and one six. Her positive approach complemented Plimmer’s innings and helped the visitors build momentum through the middle and final overs.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
