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• Australia move to two from two with comprehensive win over New Zealand

  Australia became the only unbeaten team in Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with an impressive 60-run win over New Zealand on Tuesday.

  The defending champions made an imposing 148 for eight in Sharjah despite Amelia Kerr's four for 26.

  In reply, Megan Schutt took three for three runs from 3.2 overs, dismissing Kerr for 29 before getting the final New Zealand wicket as they crumbled to 88 all out.

  Having chosen to bat first, Australia skipper Alyssa Healy followed successfully overturning an lbw decision, by hitting 11 runs off Fran Jonas to also pass 3000 T20I career runs.

  A fourth boundary for Healy came in the final over of the powerplay before she was caught by Georgia Plimmer for 26.

  From there, Ellyse Perry slowly built the Australian innings alongside Beth Mooney, with the former surviving being dropped on the boundary while on four.

  The partnership ended in the 12th over as Mooney was unable to carry her bat for a third successive T20 World Cup game, departing for 40 with Australia at 86 for two.

  Perry began to motor on as she passed 2,000 T20I runs before she was dismissed for 30 to be Kerr’s second wicket of the day.

  Kerr took her third with the very next ball as she bowled Grace Harris through the gate with a googly, to mark the power-hitter's return from injury with a duck.

  Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu and Brooke Halliday each got the chance to bowl before Kerr could attempt to achieve a hat-trick, with Halliday dismissing Phoebe Litchfield for 18 to continue her fine run of form against Australia.

  Kerr’s googly on the hat-trick ball did not deceive Georgia Wareham but she got another wicket two balls later, as Tahuhu held on to a firm shot from Wareham to leave Australia teetering at 129 for six.

  Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland departed in the final two overs as Australia progressed to a total of 148, comfortably the highest score made at Sharjah in this World Cup.

  The White Ferns’ opening partnership of Plimmer and Suzie Bates impressed in the powerplay of their win over India, but the partnership lasted only 14 balls this time around before Plimmer was out.

  The youngster was bowled by Schutt, who became the outright most successful bowler in ICC Women’s T20 World Cups with 44 wickets.

  Kerr and Bates rotated the strike well without worrying Australia as the required run rate climbed to 8.57 at the end of the powerplay.

  By the halfway stage of the innings, the run rate had grown further before a struggling Bates was bowled by Sophie Molineux for 20 from 27.

  Kerr departed soon after before three wickets fell in five balls as Sutherland took two in two deliveries to see the White Ferns slump to 60 for six.

  Sophie Devine departed for seven from 15 after attempting a big swing against Sophie Molineux. Schutt completed her big day with the final wicket of Eden Carson as New Zealand fell well short in Sharjah, all out for 88 in 19.2 overs.

  Scores in brief

  Australia v New Zealand, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  Australia 148/8 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 40, Ellyse Perry 30; Amelia Kerr 4/26, Brooke Halliday 2/16)

  New Zealand 88 all out in 19.2 overs (Amelia Kerr 29, Suzie Bates 20; Megan Schutt 3/3, Annabel Sutherland 3/21)

  Result: Australia win by 60 runs

   

• England debutant Carse hopeful of closing ground on Pakistan

  Brydon Carse is confident England can catch Pakistan after making a strong start to their chase on day two of the first Test in Multan.

  Test debutant Carse took 2-74 but could not hold Pakistan back as the hosts scored 556 in their first innings.

  It left England, shorn of opener Ben Duckett due to an injury, facing a daunting task. But despite Ollie Pope going for a duck in the second over of their chase, the tourists were steadied by the excellent Zak Crawley and Joe Root.

  Crawley got to 64 from as many deliveries, while Root moved onto 32. He is now on 12,434 Test runs, meaning he is only 39 short of surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as England's all-time leading run scorer in the longest format.

  With the pitch having been kind to batters so far, Carse believes England are well in contention.

  "We spoke last night. To have them 328 for 4, I think if you had that score back home in England you're probably behind the game a bit," he said.

  "We've scored nearly 100 there in 20 overs.

  "If we could come here tomorrow and bat positively and put their score under pressure, let's see where we're at at the end of the day, with two days still to go."

  Reflecting on his first innings as a Test bowler, Carse said: "It's been hard work and hard toil over the last two days. But I've thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and being out there with this group of lads.

  "I've had loads of messages over the last two days, from friends and family, from people that have supported me over the last 10 years since I moved to England.

  "A couple of the guys and Stokesy [Ben Stokes] said to me after we fielded, 'Look Brydon, it's not going to get tougher than these first two days.' They promised!"

  Carse also offered an update on Duckett, who sustained a thumb injury while fielding.

  "Ben’s OK. He's just taken a knock," Carse said via BBC Sport. "He'll be assessed overnight and he'll be back batting tomorrow."

• Jamaica to host New Zealand in Davis Cup Group II Playoffs from January 31-February 2

  Jamaica will host New Zealand in the Davis Cup World Group II Playoffs from January 31-February 2 next year at the Eric Bell National Tennis Centre in Kingston.

  The Jamaicans, who lost to Barbados in the World Group II Playoffs at home in February, have been given a lifeline in the form of an automatic promotion back to the Group II Playoffs.

  This is due to a recent restructuring of the Davis Cup competition giving a fourth qualifying spot to the Americas region.

  As a result of this, Jamaica, who were the highest ranked team who didn’t get promoted, earned the new slot.

  They will now host a New Zealand side led by world number 559 Kiranpal Pannu. Jamaica could be without the services of their top player, Blaise Bicknell, who is currently injured.