Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia thrash New Zealand as Megan Schutt takes 3-3 and Beth Mooney hits 40

Australia are the all-conquering defending champions, strongly tipped to win their seventh T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

This was their 13th consecutive victory in World Cup matches – the longest streak of any team in the tournament’s history.

Other teams searching for any signs of weakness during their seemingly inevitable march to the semi-finals will have little to go on with regards to their display in the field.

The Aussies were typically ruthless with the ball as Schutt bowled with pace, aggression and no lack of skill finding movement off the pitch and through the air.

She was simply unplayable at times.

However, there were a few potential chinks in Australia’s armour with regards to their batting.

They had the foundations in place for a huge total at 109-2 in the 14th over, but failed to accelerate and could only add another 39 runs for the loss of six wickets.

New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine squeezed Australia’s middle order with smart bowling changes on a pitch that batters needed time to get themselves in on.

Kerr snaffled two wickets in two balls as she bowled both Ellyse Perry and Grace Harris through the gate with her googly – something England’s Sarah Glenn may have watched with interest.

Equally, Brooke Halliday’s floated right-arm deliveries went unpunished by Australia, who failed to dispatch slow full tosses to the boundary.

Nevertheless, the Australia juggernaut will still take some stopping.