Aus enter semis, Pak stay afloat
contenders Australia became the first team to seal a semi-final berth in the Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean, defeating trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand on Tuesday for a third win in a row in Group B, which also includes India.
Alyssa Healy, the keeperopener, struck her second successive half-century, hitting 53 off 38 balls and raising a 71-run opening partnership with Beth Mooney (26), after Australia won the toss and elected to bat at Providence, Guyana. Alyssa won her third Player-of-the-Match award in a row.
Her dismissal in the 13th over, bowled by seamer Hannah Maree Rowe, saw Australia’s scoring rate being pegged back with offspinner Leigh Kasperek claiming three wickets. She became the second fastest to complete 50 T20 wickets. However, Australia still put up 153/7 and then dismissed New Zealand for 120 with 2.3 overs to spare.
New Zealand’s prolific Suzie Bates struck 48, but Megan Schutt, Sophie Molineux and Delissa Kimmince shared seven wickets to steadily chip away at the innings. New Zealand, thumped by India in the opening game, were 94/4 after 13 overs and still with a chance, but the innings lost momentum from there with Suzie once again getting little support. She raised a 66-run fourth-wicket partnership with Katie Martin, but once that was broken, the innings collapsed.
New Zealand’s second loss leaves semi-final chances depending on other results going
NEWDELHI:Strong
their way.
Pakistan bounced back from two defeats to upstage newcomers Ireland by 38 runs in another Group B game in Guyana. Pakistan scored 139/6 but restricted their opponents to 101/9, owing even their modest score to skipper Javeria Khan’s unbeaten 74, the highest T20 score by a Pakistan player. Their bowlers then took over with four of them claiming two wickets each.
Javeria put on useful partnerships to help Pakistan achieve their highest World T20 total. For Ireland, Lucy O’Reilly took three late wickets, but Pakistan spinners then took over to undermine the chase.
Brief scores: Australia 153/7 in 20 overs (Alyssa Healy 53, Leigh Kasperek 3/25, Sophie Devine 2/37) bt New Zealand 120 all out in 17.3 overs (Suzie Bates 48, Megan Schutt 3/12, Sophie Molineux 2/20) by 33 runs; Pakistan 139/6 in 20 overs (Javeria Khan 74*,
Lucy O’Reilly 3/19) bt Ireland 101/9 in 20 overs (Isobel Joyce 30, Nashra Sandhu 2/8, Sana Mir 2/20) by 38 runs.