Australia flogs the Netherlands for a third straight Women's T20 World Cup win

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SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Australia earned a third convincing win at the Women's Twenty20 World Cup when it beat the Netherlands by 98 runs Saturday.

Australia reached 200 in the World Cup for the first time and equaled the highest-ever tournament total, 219-6. The Netherlands was kept to 121-3 at the Rose Bowl.

Opening batter Beth Mooney gave Australia a scare when she retired on 74 off 42 balls with a stiff back. But she said afterward she was fine.

“I'm all good, just precautionary,” Mooney said. “Probably just not used to all the bus travel we've been doing.”

Mooney shared 50 runs off 28 balls for the opening wicket with Georgia Voll (17) and 101 off 55 with Ash Gardner (58), who returned from an ankle sprain.

Georgia Wareham swept Australia past 200 with 41 off 18 including 32 runs from boundaries.

With Mooney sidelined, Australia didn't have a backup wicketkeeper. The usual alternative, Phoebe Litchfield, was out with a quad issue. The gloves were given to Voll and she was tidy, taking a catch in the second over as pacer Kim Garth took 2-10 in her first two overs.

The Netherlands, appearing in its first World Cup, was never going to chase down 220 but captain Babette de Leede and Sterre Kalis combined for 96 from 91 balls from the fourth over to the 19th.

Kalis, dropped on 21 and 40, was bowled for 44 and captain de Leede, 56 not out off 57 balls, finished the match with Robine Rijke, both of whom were playing their 100th T20s.

“This is a massive moment for us,” de Leede said. “Australia are a quality team (so) to learn from them, see how they go about their innings, it's just incredible.”

Later Saturday was Pakistan vs. Bangladesh and England vs. Scotland.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket