Mooney, Jonassen power Australia to T20 tri-series crown

WITH the women’s Twenty20 World Cup nine days away, Australia have grinded out an 11-run win against India in their tri-series final.

Never convincing during the entire tournament, Australia did enough in yesterday’s decider to bowl the aggressive

Indian batters out for 144.

The tourists appeared to be on track for their second win against Australia in four days as opener Smriti Mandhana belted 66 from 37 balls at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.

But the turning point came when Nicola Carey hung on to a tough catch near the boundary to dismiss the lethal Mandhana

– one delivery after the Australian fumbled a ball that went past her for four.

Left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen produced career-best figures of 5-12 to run through India’s middle-order, stepping up as superstar Ellyse Perry had a rare quiet day.

Jonassen’s haul was the second-best by an Australian in

W20Is, behind Molly Strano’s 5-10 against New Zealand in 2017.

Three-time Belinda Clark Award winner Perry struggled with the bat as well, out for one as she was dismissed for the fifth time in the series. In 17 previous WT20I innings, the all-rounder had fallen just five times.

It was left to opener Beth Mooney (67no) to anchor Australia’s innings of 6-155 with her third half-century of the series after captain Meg Lanning won the toss and batted.

Mooney again had a cleanup job to do after opening partner Alyssa Healy’s shocking run with the bat continued, as she finished the tri-series with 15 runs at an average of three.

In other highlights, teen allrounder Annabel Sutherland picked up a maiden international wicket playing in her third game for Australia.

Lanning’s team will roll into the World Cup buoyed by the fact they are still winning despite playing well below their best.