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Australia and New Zealand face off in the Trans-Tasmanian Group A derby of the ICC Women's T20I World Cup 2024 on Tuesday, October 8, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Both teams won their respective opening fixtures, with Australia easing past Sri Lanka in a comfortable six-wicket win, while New Zealand thumped India by 58 runs to give their NRR a huge boost.
The White Ferns have been one of the few teams that have been able to challenge the might of Australia in the past, with the H2H record between the two teams standing at 28-21 in favor of Australia in 52 T20Is. A win here for New Zealand could see them on the way to topping Group A, but the sternest of challenges awaits Sophie Devine and Co. in the form of Australia.
In what should be a cracking contest, let's examine the top Dream11 captaincy options for this match.
#3 Georgia Wareham (ALL) (AUS)
Leg-spinning all-rounder Georgia Wareham could be a decent Dream11 differential captaincy option in this match. Rather unexpectedly, Wareham received a promotion to No. 3 against Sri Lanka, and it could be attributed to the low and slow nature of the Sharjah wicket.
With the same expected for this encounter as well, Wareham becomes a wonderful captaincy pick, primarily because neither of the Australian openers has a particularly good record against NZ, with Ellyse Perry also slightly losing her appeal when she's not bowling.
Wareham, on the other hand, could score some vital runs batting at No. 3. Most importantly, she has picked up 17 wickets in 13 matches against New Zealand at a solid bowling average of 14.8 and is someone to consider for captaincy.
#2 Amelia Kerr (ALL) (NZ)
New Zealand's talisman Amelia Kerr is a no-brainer for Dream11 captaincy in any match she plays. She's a lock at No. 3 with the bat and is sure to deliver four overs with the ball, and that often includes a few overs at the death.
While Kerr did struggle with the bat, she showed tremendous control with the ball, and was unlucky to finish with only one wicket at the end of her spell against India. The guarantee that she'll send in four overs on very spinner-friendly surfaces is the reason that she's much ahead of Sophie Devine in the pecking order for captaincy, despite the latter's half-century in the last match.
#1 Ashleigh Gardner (ALL) (AUS)
One of the most complete all-rounders in the world, Dream11 players shouldn't think twice before handing Ashleigh Gardner the captain's armband. The off-spinner will likely bowl one or two overs in the powerplay, with the rest spread out in the most crucial parts of the Australian bowling innings, and there's a very good chance that she finishes their highest wicket-taker in the match.
She also looked to be in decent form with the bat as she stroked her way to a 15-ball 12, and she's sure to slot in at No. 4 or 5 for the Aussies. She is one of the best Dream11 captaincy picks in the entire tournament and should produce another haul in this match.
