Beth Mooney struck 74 before retiring hurt as Australia’s batters impressed in a 98-run ICC Women’s T20 World Cup win over the Netherlands.
Ashleigh Gardner also hit a half-century and Georgia Wareham smashed 41 off 18 balls as Australia tied the highest ICC Women’s T20 World Cup score.
It was their first-ever T20I meeting, and the ICC’s 14th-ranked nation, the Netherlands, were unable to keep up with the required run-rate in their chase, despite impressive knocks from Babette de Leede (56) and Sterre Kalis (44).
MOONEY, GARDNER AND WAREHAM FIRE AUSTRALIA TO JOINT WORLD CUP RECORD TOTAL
Australia’s openers looked in ominous form early on, hitting Iris Zwilling’s first over for 11 after the Netherlands won the toss and chose to field.
Beth Mooney struck three fours in succession off Isabel Van der Woning, cutting, then driving, then flicking behind square as the ICC’s No 1 ranked T20I side started fast.
The opening partnership reached 50 but Georgia Voll, the world’s No 1-ranked batter, was dismissed in the next over for 17, slicing behind square to give Zwilling her first wicket.
Ellyse Perry (1) pulled Heather Siegers straight to Sterre Kalis soon after as her side fell to 51 for two.
Ashleigh Gardner was back in the side after missing the win against Bangladesh and she crashed back-to-back fours off Siegers as Australia totalled 61 for two from the powerplay.
An elegant drive over extra cover saw her pass 1 500 T20I runs, and she followed it with a six over mid-off.
The milestones kept coming in the 10th over, as successive fours took Mooney to a 30-ball half-century, with her team reaching 100 and the partnership passing 50.
Gardner, who was dropped on 25, accessed all areas of the ground as she reached her 50 off only 28 balls in the 14th over.
Mooney pulled Zwilling for six but retired hurt at the drinks break after striking 74 off 42 balls.
Gardner (58) was then caught by Kalis off De Lange to leave two new batters at the crease.
But Georgia Wareham offered no respite, hitting her first delivery for four and then Van der Woning for three boundaries in a row, as they reached 185 for three off 17 overs.
De Lange (2/39) dismissed Nicola Carey but couldn’t prevent Wareham from hitting another pair of fours.
They scored past 200 in the 19th over, before Wareham skied to square-leg off Zwilling (3/52), out for 41 off 18 balls.
Annabel Sutherland (11 not out) and Sophie Molineux (7) helped Australia reach 219 for six off their 20, tying England’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup record score from the first game of the tournament.
NETHERLANDS FALL SHORT DESPITE DE LEEDE AND KALIS STAND
Kim Garth struck early in the Netherlands' chase, tempting Phebe Molkenboer into a drive with a ball that shaped away. The edge was taken by Voll, deputising behind the stumps in the absence of Mooney.
Heather Siegers (9) hit Garth (2/20) for the first boundary of the innings in the fourth over, but was trapped LBW two balls later after missing a pull shot.
The Netherlands reached 28 for two from the powerplay as they settled into their innings.
Captain Babette de Leede, playing her 100th T20I, hit boundaries off Wareham and Molineux, before Kalis struck Alana King for the Netherlands’ first six.
The Netherlands never threatened to chase the target, but De Leede and Kalis ensured that they put up a strong fight by rotating the strike and running hard.
The 100 was brought up in the 16th over, before Sutherland put down another diving chance off Kalis a few balls later.
A single brought up the Dutch skipper’s half-century in the 18th, her second in three World Cup games, but Kalis couldn’t reach the same mark, bowled by Sutherland (1/23) for 44 in the final over.
The partnership was worth 96, with the Netherlands finishing on 121 for three, 98 runs short.
The win takes Australia top of Group A, with Pakistan and India still to face.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, head to Bristol to complete their campaign with fixtures against South Africa and Pakistan.