ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, PAK-W vs AUS-W: Australia beat Pakistan to remain perfect with three in three but suffer injuries

Dubai: Reigning champions Australia romped for their third win in three matches after a big victory over Pakistan in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium here on Friday. Australia rode on an very good effort by their bowlers to bundle out Pakistan for Eighty two after which reached 83/1 with fifty four balls remaining for a 9-wicket triumph that took them to 6 points from three games.

On the opposite hand, injuries to 2 players soured an otherwise dominant day for Australia as they moved to the brink of semifinal qualification. There became an early blow for Australia in the game as they lost % bowler Tayla Vlaeminck to a shoulder injury picked up on the sphere. But the depleted Australian bowling attack alternatively proved not easy for Pakistan to cope, as they took a stranglehold on the Group A contest.

Ashleigh Gardner returned very good figures of four-21, while there were also wickets for Georgia Wareham 2-16, Megan Schutt 1-7, Sophie Molineux 1-19 and Annabel Sutherland 2-15.

Only four Pakistan batters reached double figures, with Aliya Riaz top-scoring with a defiant 26 (off 32 balls) from number six.

And the chase became a cakewalk for Australia, who reached 83/1 to win in only eleven overs. Alyssa Healy top scored with 37 no longer out, though the captain retired hurt after picking up an injury when running for a quick single.

Australia captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and decided to bowl first against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The defending champions picked up two wickets in the Power play to confine Pakistan to 23/2 in the opening six overs.

Muneeba Ali became the first to go, lofting a catch to Phoebe Litchfield off Sophie Molineux for 7, and Sadaf Shamas soon joined her back in the dugout, caught in the back of off Megan Schutt for three. There became a setback for Australia though, with Tayla Vlaeminck forced from the sphere as a consequence of an injury she picked up off just the fourth ball of the innings.

Australia showed their impressive depth in quality as they picked up two in an identical way wickets with their change bowlers. All-rounder Annabel Sutherland had opener Sidra Amin (12) trapped in front, and Georgia Wareham removed Omaima Sohail (three) to depart Pakistan four down and in need of something special to build a competitive score.

Pakistan’s resistance appeared all but over when Nida Dar (10) became stumped by Healy off Wareham, but Aliya Riaz had other ideas, taking the game long. A 3-wicket over from Gardner left Pakistan on the brink, and Sutherland finished the job as Riaz became in some way dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings for 26.

Openers Healy and Beth Mooney got Australia’s chase off to a flier, with a flurry of boundaries eating into the target contained in the powerplay.

The impressive Sadia Iqbal struck to do away with Mooney for a run-a-ball 15, but Australia had reached 46/1 after six overs, already halfway to the winning number. Healy (37* from 23) became given a reprieve when she became dropped in the outfield by Sandhu and looked set to take advantage by steering her team to victory.

But the Australian skipper pulled up in the strategy of running a single off the first ball of the tenth over and became forced to retire hurt, leaving the sphere in clear discomfort.

Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner finished the job, reaching the target with 9 overs to spare, which implies Australia are all-but guaranteed a spot in the semifinals.

Brief scores:

Pakistan Eighty two all out in 19.5 overs (Aliya Riaz 26; Ashleigh Gardner four-21, Annabel Sutherland 2-15, Georgia Wareham 2-16) lost to Australia 83/1 in eleven overs (Alyssa Healy 37 ret hurt, Ellyse Perry 22 no longer out; Sadia Iqbal 1-17) by 9 wickets.