After a thriller in the opening day of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, fans were treated to yet another close encounter. Defending 311, Australia managed to hold their nerve with England needing 16 off the last over. Jess Jonassen gave away just three runs as the Aussies put their first points on board in the World Cup standings.
While several Aussie bowlers chipped in with wickets, it was Alana King who turned the game in the middle overs with three wickets, including the important scalp of Tammy Beaumont. LoadureFullscreen
Chasing a daunting target of 311, Australia, through Megan Schutt, dented England early in the innings with the wicket of Lauren Winfield-Hill for a duck. Annabel Sutherland took a brilliant diving catch, plucking the ball inches off the ground to give the Aussies the early breakthrough.
England captain Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont took a couple of overs to get their eye in but made up for it in the Powerplay, finishing on 53/1 at the end of 10 overs.
Beaumont raced to a fifty off 54 deliveries but Knight fell 10 runs short of the milestone – Tahlia McGrath forced a soft dismissal as the skipper was caught at covers, thus ending a brilliant 92-run partnership between the pair.
Nat Sciver and Beaumont had to rebuild the innings again after the dismissal, but the wicket of the England opener pegged them back. With a brilliant leg break that would have made the late Shane Warne proud, Alana King beat Beaumont in the air and off the surface and Alyssa Healy did the rest behind the stumps.
One brought two for King as Amy Jones departed soon without troubling the scorers much. At the other end, Sciver brought up her half-century but kept losing partners, Danni Wyatt this time departing for 7.
Sciver and Sophia Dunkley led England's recovery with a 55-run stand for the sixth wicket. It looked like the partnership could take England home but King once again broke through, bowling Dunkley around the legs.
With Katherine Brunt keeping her company, Sciver put the foot on the accelerator as the required rate climbed to almost 10 and brought up her 100.
With the equation down to 26 off the last two, McGrath and Jess Jonassen held their nerve. The former gave away just 10 from the penultimate over and Jonassen picked two wickets in the final over, including a stunning return grab to dismiss Brunt, as England fell 12 runs short.
Earlier in the day, a 196-run stand for the second wicket between Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning formed the crux of the innings. Haynes went on to make a brilliant 130 – her second ODI century – while Lanning was dismissed for 86 by Katherine Brunt.
Chamari Athapaththu’s half-century set Sri Lanka on their way but two wickets apiece from Nicola Carey, who missed the India game, and Molly Strano, who came in to replace the injured Tayla Vlaeminck in the squad, held them at 122 for six.
Australian hearts were racing when Alyssa Healy, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney all fell within four overs in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Group A match.
But a stunning 60 from Haynes in a solid partnership with captain Meg Lanning ensured their tournament hopes stayed alive with a five-wicket victory at the WACA.
Australia didn’t hesitate in showing their intent as Megan Schutt struck early with her third ball, Mooney with an easy catch at point to remove Hasini Perera for a duck.
It took until the end of the Powerplay for Athapaththu to see her next partner fall as Umesha Thimeshani was removed by Carey for 20, Jess Jonassen with the catch at mid-off.
It was yet another impressive outing for Athapaththu against the Australians, her 38-ball half-century taking Sri Lanka to 91 but the hosts finally took their third wicket when the captain blasted the ball straight to opposite number Lanning.
Anushka Sanjeewani’s 25 helped Sri Lanka edge to three figures but the number four was caught by Delissa Kimmince off Strano’s bowling before Ama Kanchana perished for a duck two balls later.
Two boundaries from Nilakshi de Silva in her late cameo helped Sri Lanka get to 120 but she was stumped by Healy in Jonassen’s final over.
Australia suffered a nightmare start to their chase, Udeshika Prabodani bowling Healy for a duck from the second ball.
And Prabodani’s second over started just as brightly as her first as she produced another stunning in-swing delivery to remove Gardner for two.
The hosts, who knew the importance of a win at the WACA after losing to India in Sydney, soon found themselves in deep trouble when Sanjeewani stumped Mooney to leave them 10 for three after 20 balls.
Australian breaths were held when Kavisha Dilhari thought she’d trapped Haynes lbw, but review showed the number five had got an inside edge.
And Haynes’ survival proved crucial in saving the hosts’ tournament hopes, the left-hander steering a 95-run partnership with Lanning (41) for the fourth wicket to lower the required rate.
Two successive sixes in the 15th over put the hosts firmly back in control and even when Haynes was stumped by Sanjeewani in the 17th, Australia were almost home.
And with Carey bowled by Athapaththu at the death, it was captain Lanning who saw her side home in her 100th T20I appearance with three balls to spare.
Scores in brief
Australia beat Sri Lanka by five wickets, WACA Ground, Perth
Sri Lanka 122-6, 20 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 50; Nicola Carey 2-18, Molly Strano 2-23)
Australia 123-5, 19.3 overs (Rachael Haynes 60, Meg Lanning 41 not out; Udeshika Prabodani 2-17, Shashikala Siriwardena 2-20)
