(Photo ICC)
A fine all-round showing from Ellyse Perry helped Australia to a 113-run win over Pakistan that further boosted their semi-final hopes at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
This convincing win in Leeds puts the world’s top-ranked side to within touching distance of the last four ahead of a final clash with India in Group A.
Despite good catching from Pakistan, Australia made 199 for seven batting first, Perry the star of the show with 71.
And they then rattled through the number eight ranked team, with the all-rounder taking two wickets in her first over on her way to figures of two for nine, as Pakistan were bowled out for 86.
The victory was the second biggest in the history of the competition, just edged out by England’s 114-run win over Pakistan two years ago.
That makes it four wins from four for Australia, whose net run-rate leaves them in good shape before taking on India at Lord’s.
PERRY SHINES AS PAKISTAN IMPRESS IN THE FIELD
The Australian innings started in the worst possible fashion as Gull Feroza took a brilliant catch at slip to remove Beth Mooney for a duck. The wicket-keeper was a little cramped by Sadia Iqbal’s delivery and edged it to Gull, who got across to her right for a sensational catch.
That brought Ellyse Perry to the crease and she wasted no time getting Australia back on top.
Back-to-back boundaries, one an uppish drive between cover and point, the second a pull through midwicket, showed that she meant business.
Georgia Voll followed her lead and when Perry scooped Diana Baig, into the Pakistan side for this game, over the keeper, Australia were well on their way.
The fifty partnership was reached in the fifth over and Perry continued to motor, including one six off Rameen Shamim, just out of the reach of Aliya Riaz.
Voll brought up the hundred in the 10th over, lofting a drive straight that had too much power for long-on.
But when she tried to repeat the trick, she could only pick out Iram Javed, who held on, the opener departing for 39 as Nashra Sundhu (2/33) took her first wicket.
Pakistan’s catching was outstanding all innings long, and two balls later, it was Ash Gardner who picked out Diana in the deep for the second duck of the innings.
Perry brought up her half-century but the mini collapse continued when Georgia Wareham gave Rameen her first wicket, a tame slice to Gull for five and Australia were 107 for four.
Annabel Sutherland joined Perry and showed intent from the off, smashing 27 off just 18 deliveries in a 44-run stand.
She was the next to go to fine Pakistani catching, Fatima Sana doing brilliantly to race in and haul in a tough catch off the bowling of Rameen (2/34).
Perry’s stay ended after she had made 71, gloving a short ball from Fatima through to Muneeba Ali before the skipper, Sophie Molineux, was bowled by Sadia (2/31) for five.
Nicola Carey ensured that Australia kept some momentum up at the end of the innings with an unbeaten 26 off 13 deliveries as they finished on 199 for seven.
Muneeba Ali got Pakistan off to a positive start with a thumping boundary from a short ball by Kim Garth in the second over.
But a wide next ball sparked confusion when Beth Mooney was unable to gather and with hesitation between the openers, Feroza Gull was run out for one.
Saira Jabeen followed soon after, making a fine connection off Sophie Molineux but only to Ash Gardner at deep midwicket.
Mooney was in the wars behind the stumps, needing treatment on a couple of occasions after doing some damage from a couple of dives before being able to continue.
One period of treatment came after she had put down Muneeba, the opener’s life coming either side of a four and then a booming six off Garth.
That gave Pakistan some momentum and while they lost Ayesha Zafar for a duck from another mix-up and run-out, Iram Javed came in and took an immediate liking to Gardner’s bowling.
She smashed three consecutive fours to start Gardner’s spell and Pakistan were 50 for three at the end of the powerplay.
Georgia Wareham was then introduced and made an immediate impact, Iram (14) chopping on from just her second delivery in a wicket maiden that took the sting out of the innings.
Muneeba kept pushing the pace but fell to Perry’s first delivery, a clean strike on a hook going straight to Gardner as she departed for 32 off 25 balls, leaving Pakistan 65 for five.
That brought Fatima Sana to the crease and she hit successive fours off Perry (2/9) but Pakistan lost Aliya Riaz for seven when she feathered one through to Mooney.
As good as Pakistan’s catching had been, their running between the wickets was a real issue, Rameen Shamim the third batter to be run out, going for a duck after good work from Georgia Voll in the field.
Nashra Sundhu soon followed, bowled by Molineux and Pakistan were in all sorts of trouble at 75 for eight.
Fatima tried to keep attacking, hitting Sutherland for four before skying one the next ball and going for 17. Sutherland (2/12) then finished the job when she had Sadia Iqbal caught behind for a duck to wrap things up.
Athapaththu hundred sees Sri Lanka past Ireland
Chamari Athapaththu’s first World Cup hundred fired Sri Lanka to a nine-wicket victory over Ireland at the Bristol County Ground, as they kept their qualification hopes intact.
The opener, who scored 178 not out against Australia on the same ground at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017, blitzed to the milestone off just 58 balls, after she and Imesha Dulani had put on 98 for the opening wicket to put Sri Lanka on course for victory.
Ireland captain Gaby Lewis had earlier struck a determined 59 as she contended with the extreme heat.
Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu won the toss and opted to bowl, and she could hardly have asked for a better start.
Wicketkeeper Kaushini Nuthyangana ran out Amy Hunter in the first over, collecting and throwing the stumps down as the Irish openers attempted a leg-bye.
Nuthyangana was in the action again soon after, stumping Orla Prendergast off the bowling of Sugandika Kumari (1/26) for a duck as Ireland fell to three for two.
Rebecca Stokell struck three boundaries but Mithali Ayodhya (1/18) dismissed her for 13 in the fifth over, with Ireland 19 for three.
Lewis and Leah Paul steadied the ship, putting on 66 before Paul was caught behind for 20 attempting a scoop off Nilakshika Silva (1/12).
Lewis was clearly struggling to cope with the extreme heat, temperatures reaching nearly 40 degrees Celsius, but she battled through nonetheless, reaching her half-century with a cut for four in the 15th over.
She was bowled by Athapaththu (1/23) for 59 in the 19th over, attempting an advance down the wicket, but back-to-back Alice Tector boundaries took Ireland to 130 for five from their 20 overs.
Athapaththu gave an early indication of things to come, thrashing Aimee Maguire’s opening ball for four as Sri Lanka got their chase underway in the perfect fashion.
She reduced opening partner Dulani to a spectator, striking consecutive boundaries off Lara McBride as the fifty partnership came up off just 33 balls at the end of the fifth over, Athapaththu having contributed 46 of them.
Sri Lanka’s all-time leading run-scorer brought up a 30-ball half-century with a boundary in the seventh over, rapidly taking the game away from Ireland.
Their first chance to break the stand came in the ninth over, but Paul dropped Dulani at midwicket, and the Sri Lankan skipper added insult to injury by launching her 100th T20I six off the following ball.
Athapaththu nailed Cara Murray back over her head, the spinner unable to even get a hand on it, before Prendergast bowled Dulani for 20 in the 12th over, ending Sri Lanka’s highest ICC Women’s T20 World Cup opening stand on 98.
It didn’t stop Athapaththu, though, as she struck three boundaries off a Maguire over costing 16, moving into the 90s in the process.
A single to long-on brought up a 58-ball hundred in the 15th over, her first in T20 World Cups in her 36th game, having played in all 10 editions since 2009.
She finished proceedings with a four, ending 106 not out as Sri Lanka chased down the target with four-and-a-half overs to spare.
They now have to beat Scotland at Old Trafford on Friday, hoping for results elsewhere to go their way, as well as hoping for a big swing in net run-rate.
Scores in brief
Sri Lanka v Ireland – Bristol County Ground, Bristol
Ireland: 130/5 in 20 overs (Gaby Lewis 59, Alice Tector 28 not out; Nilakshika Silva 1/12, Mithali Ayodhya 1/18)
Sri Lanka: 134/1 in 15.3 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 106 not out, Imesha Dulani 25; Orla Prendergast 1/22)
Result: Sri Lanka win by nine wickets
Australia v Pakistan – Headingley, Leeds
Australia 199/7 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 71, Georgia Voll 39; Sadia Iqbal 2/31, Nashra Sundhu 2/33, Rameen Shamim 2/34)
Pakistan 86 all out in 13.4 overs (Muneeba Ali 32, Fatima Sana 17; Sophie Molineux 2/6, Ellyse Perry 2/9, Annabel Sutherland 2/12)
Result: Australia win by 113 runs
