Australia surged to an emphatic 52-run win over Pakistan, thanks to some all-round magic when the CC WWT20I bowled off its opening round at the Providence National Stadium in Guyana on Friday.
Match 2 saw a clinical batting exhibition by Australia, who racked up 165-4 in 20 overs, thanks to fiery knocks of 48 respectively made by openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney. Skipper Meg Lanning stroked a classy 41 off 34, with three fours and a six, as Pakistan spinners Nashara Sandhu and Aliya Riza returned two wickets each.
Pakistan, in reply, folded miserably, thanks to a combined effort in the Aussie bowling department, led by 19-year-old Georgia Wareham, who grabbed 2-18, and medium-pacer Megan Schutt, who snared 2-13. Three other bowlers returned a wicket each to seal off a potent bowling outing. Compared to such opposition, Pakistan’s batting was poor, and they were kept to 113-8 when their 20 overs
Alyssa Healy of Australia bats with Sidra Nawaz, wicket keeper of Pakistan, looking on
expired. They lost their first wicket for 2 runs, and it went downhill until Bismah Mahroof hung around for her top score of 26. Umain Sohail hit 20 up the order, but the rampant Aussie attack proved too much, and Pakistan’s middle order crumbled after Mahroof fell to Gardner.
Sana Mir hit 20 not-out off 21, but the tall task saw the innings expiring with the Australian ladies celebrating. Batting first, match MVP Healey provided the early blitz for Australia with her attacking stroke play, as she and opening partner Mooney shared an ominous 72-run opening stand. The wicket-keeper smashed 8 fours and a maximum during her 29-ball stay at the crease, and had almost scored a half-century when she held out to Nahida Khan off Riza’s bowling.
When that wicket fell, the Aussies had already taken their score comfortably past the 50-mark, and Mooney was beginning to find her groove. She was soon joined by her skipper, the veteran Meg Lanning. Mooney also played a tempered innings, and continued to find the boundary with an array of shots, before hitting Sandhu’s spin down the throat of the long-on fielder. Agonisingly, she also fell two runs short of a well-deserved fifty.
Lanning shrugged off the dismissal, and with her side in a good position, went on to hammer Sandhu for a big inside-out six. The Aussie skipper then survive a scare from Anam Amin, who seemingly had her trapped LBW, only for Pakistan to have their review squandered when replay showed the ball was heading down the leg-side.
The Aussie skipper made the spinner pay, as she smashed back-to-back fours square of the wicket, to apply more pressure on the Pakistanis. Ashleigh Gardner opened her account with a big six, but Sandhu soon added Gardner’s scalp to her collection, as she also was out caught for 13. Lanning carried her score into the 30s, and Australia brought up their 150 in the 19th over.
Riza would then cause some last-minute turmoil, as she bowled Lanning, who joined the list of batters to cross 40 without making a half-century.
Action continues on Sunday with a double-header. (Clifton Ross)
