Australia's Women's World T20 preparations end on winning note against South Africa
Meg Lanning’s unbeaten 65 and three wickets for Jess Jonassen headlined Australia’s 46-run victory over South Africa in Guyana in their final warmup match before the Women’s World T20 tournament begins this weekend.
Captain Lanning, who won the toss at Providence Stadium and elected to bat first, led from the front after a slow start saw Australia fall to 8-3, losing three wickets in six balls.
Opener Alyssa Healy made just seven before Ashleigh Gardner and Elyse Villani were both dismissed for ducks, Shabnim Ismail taking the key scalps of Healy and Gardner.
Beth Mooney (24) and Lanning steadied the ship before vice-captain Rachael Haynes came to the crease to partner Lanning and guide Australia to a respectable total.
South Africa, ranked sixth in the world in this format of the game, suffered a disastrous start to their chase when Lizelle Lee was sent back to the pavilion after pulling Tayla Vlaeminck to Ellyse Perry at midwicket on the first ball of the innings.
Laura Wolvaardt and Robyn Searle dug in to ensure that early rot didn’t set in, but South African players struggled to make any kind of scores and of the 10 batters to face the Australian attack, just three made double figures.
Jonassen finished with figures of 3-11 from her three overs while Vlaeminck and Nicola Carey picked up two wickets each.
Australia had their first scheduled pre-WWT20 practice match against England abandoned before a ball had been bowled due to heavy rain in Antigua at the weekend.
Lanning’s side, the world No 1ranked T20 team, begin their campaign against Pakistan on Saturday morning AEDT.