With three victories out of three, Australia is very certainly going to the semi-finals thanks to this victory, but a three-way tie in Group One is still possible.
After Australia’s dominating 10-wicket victory over previously undefeated Sri Lanka in Thursday’s Women’s T20 World Cup match at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha, opening batter Alyssa Healy said her team had adjusted effectively to the “low and sluggish” conditions. With three wins out of three, Australia has probably secured a spot in the semi-finals. Nevertheless, there is still a chance for a three-way tie in Group One, so the result is not yet definitive. Australia plays South Africa in their final group stage encounter on Saturday night, and it’s at the same venue.
A fast, grassy field is being prepped for South Africa’s fast bowlers, according to Healy, so circumstances could be considerably different on Saturday. We do the best we can with what we’re given,” she explained.
The quicks are in for a good fight on Saturday night because “we’ve spotted that green seamer lingering out there.” South Africa can tie the series with a victory and a loss in their remaining two games, while Sri Lanka can tie the series with a win and a loss in their final game if they can bounce back from Thursday’s thrashing and beat New Zealand.
In terms of net run rate, though, the defending champions, Australia, have the upper hand. When Sri Lanka was put into bat on Thursday under cloudy conditions, they were only able to reach 112 for eight.
From the beginning of Australia’s innings, the runs from Healy (54 not out) and Beth Mooney (56 not out) never seemed to slow down.
Classe mondiale
All of Australia’s bowlers were thrifty on a slow pitch, but the only ones to blame for Sri Lanka’s mediocre batting performance were Grace Harris and Megan Schutt. With the total on 30, Australia finally got their first breakthrough when mid-on fielder Harris rushed in and made a diving catch off Ellyse Perry to dismiss Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu (16).
After scoring 50 runs in the first seven overs, Sri Lanka stalled out against Australia’s slow bowlers. With Sri Lanka at 69 for three after seven overs, Harris claimed two wickets in an over with her off-spinners.
Healy, the wicketkeeper, made three stumpings, while Schutt got four wickets in her final two overs. Healy and Mooney faced less pressure as they consistently scored at a rate in excess of what was needed to win.
Healy utilized her feet effectively to counter Sri Lanka’s variety of spin bowlers, scoring six fours and six off 43 balls, while Mooney, batting from the left side, overcame a slow start to her tournament by hitting seven fours and six off 53 balls.
Mooney made zero runs in her first two innings of the competition and was bowled out for zero during a warm-up game against Ireland. Athapaththu assured that despite the loss, Sri Lanka would not be discouraged.
“Australia’s national squad is among the best in the world. We have a somewhat youthful team overall. To go to the semifinals, we need to play our best cricket and beat New Zealand “she insisted on Sri Lanka would be assured of a spot in the semi-finals with a victory against New Zealand on Sunday if Australia were to defeat South Africa.
