AUS W vs NZ W: Ashleigh Gardner's 84 off 45 gives Australia 40-run win and 2-0 lead

Australia Women beat New Zealand Women by 40 runs in the second T20I at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday 20 October to go 2-0 up, with Ashleigh Gardner hitting 84 off 45 balls and then taking 2 for 17, ESPNcricinfo's scorecard shows. Australia made 167 for 7 and held New Zealand to 127 for 8. "AUS W vs NZ W" was among the cricket searches trending in Pakistan this week.

Gardner's 84 rescues Australia

Australia were in trouble early. Bree Illing had Georgia Voll caught and bowled for a duck in the first over, Jess Kerr removed Phoebe Litchfield (7), and leg-spinner Nensi Patel deceived Ellyse Perry (11) in the flight, so Australia were 41 for 3 in the seventh over.

Gardner turned it around. She and wicketkeeper Beth Mooney (39 off 28) added 60 for the fourth wicket, and Gardner kept going after Mooney fell, hitting 10 fours and 4 sixes before she was run out off the last ball of the innings.

For New Zealand, Jess Kerr took 2 for 34 and Patel 2 for 30.

New Zealand's chase stalls

New Zealand captain Melie Kerr made 32 off 38 and Maddy Green 26, and the visitors were 77 for 2 in the 14th over. Then they lost three wickets for 14 runs: Georgia Wareham took a sharp catch at deep midwicket to remove Kerr off Gardner, Green was run out, and Wareham's leg-spin did the rest. Wareham finished with 3 for 18 from four overs, Gardner 2 for 17 from three, and Kim Garth and Lucy Hamilton took one each.

The series

Australia won the opener on Sunday by a narrower margin, when Perry's innings carried them home after a middle-order collapse, ESPNcricinfo and The Guardian reported. Tuesday's win puts Sophie Molineux's side 2-0 up in the T20I series.

Scores: Australia Women 167 for 7 (20 overs; Gardner 84, Mooney 39; J Kerr 2-34, Patel 2-30) beat New Zealand Women 127 for 8 (20 overs; M Kerr 32, Green 26; Wareham 3-18, Gardner 2-17) by 40 runs.

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