With a huge 113-run triumph over Pakistan, Ellyse Perry put on one of her best performances of a lengthy T20 World Cup career to help Australia win four straight games.
 |
| Ellyse Perry got off to a fast start in the power play |
Perry scored 71 off 48 balls to lead her team to 199 for 7 on a batting-friendly pitch on a brilliant summer evening at Headingley. She and Georgia Voll shared a century partnership for the second wicket after Pakistan had made an early breakthrough by dismissing Beth Mooney's first delivery.
As Pakistan lost a steady stream of wickets, including two to Perry in her first over to finish with 2 for 9, Mooney bravely continued to keep wicket despite having twice dislocated her finger during Australia's fielding innings.
Pakistan were bowled out for just 86 with 6.2 overs remaining after Sophie Molineux and Annabel Sutherland each claimed two wickets, Mooney and Sutherland combined for the final wicket, and Sadia Iqbal was caught behind for a first-ball duck.
Perry continues to improve
Perry, who participated in all ten T20 World Cups, was at the top of her game, recording her first half-century in any of her fifty-one outings. As she skilfully targeted the holes, punished anything short, and used deft footwork to control the crease, she emanated sophistication. Her six over a leaping long on off Rameen Shamim was the ideal balance of strength, grace, and timing.
Before this innings, Perry's highest score in a T20 World Cup was 42 in a losing match against New Zealand in Nagpur in 2016. However, her 71 was not as high as her career highs of 75 and 72 not out, both of which she struck during Australia's 2022 tour of India. Since October 2023, it has been her first fifty in the format.
When Perry entered the attack in the tenth over, Pakistan was four wickets behind. Muneeba Ali hit a short ball straight to midwicket with the first ball, and she caught Aliya Riaz behind with the final one.
A boost to Pakistan's pace
On the opening ball of the game, Gull Feroza removed Mooney with a spectacular one-handed catch, diving to her right at slip to give Pakistan an advantage. Mooney had recovered from the back pain that caused her to retire hurt on 74 not out against the Netherlands on Saturday. However, her time at the crease was short this time, as she angled in and prodded at a Sadia Iqbal delivery outside off. Feroza plucked the ball from the air and held it firmly as she landed.
Voll and Perry seize control
But after that, Perry and Voll made their opponents' suffering even worse. Diana Baig, a seasoned seamer playing in her maiden tournament encounter, went for 19 off her first over, including three boundaries as Perry found her rhythm and five wides as wicketkeeper Muneeba failed to collect one down the leg side. Fatima Sana conceded 17 runs in the second over. Australia's score at the end of the power play was 64 for 1, which was their best for this tournament during that part of the innings.
Pakistan is lifted by Sandhu
As Pakistan continued their perfect start in the field, Nashra Sandhu's two wickets in three balls in the tenth over gave her team cause for jubilation. Ash Gardner was hit by a second-ball duck chipping to cow corner, while Voll attempted to get down the ground but holed out to long-off. Georgia Wareham and Sutherland were both dismissed by Shamim, the latter following a 44-run partnership with Perry, as Pakistan persisted in holding their catches. The crucial catch occurred as Pakistan reviewed after Perry gloved a Sana bouncer from behind. Muneeba slid forward and got her gloves under the ball as it died on her.
Beth is bulletproof.
The Australian team called Mooney's departure in the last game "precautionary", but on Tuesday night in Leeds, she showed remarkable bravery by keeping wicket despite having a dislocated finger replaced twice.
When Mooney first attempted to stop a wide delivery from Kim Garth to Muneeba, she was smacked in the fingertips of her right hand. Mooney was obviously in pain as team medical personnel adjusted her finger. She then put on the gloves once more, much to her relief. When she was hit again while trying in vain to get an edge from Muneeba, she had to have the same finger wrapped up. However, she persisted once more and was thereafter engaged in five dismissals.
Pakistan's run-outs rack up
Muneeba was engaged in two run outs before she hammered the next ball for six over deep midwicket. In the first, Voll shot the ball back to Garth, who flicked off the bails, and Muneeba reluctantly sent back opening partner Feroza after Mooney mishandled an attempt to gather down the leg side. Similar circumstances occurred when Molineux tossed the ball back to Mooney when Ayesha Zafar was out of her ground after she pushed a Lucy Hamilton delivery towards cover and started for a run, only to be sent back by Muneeba.
In the powerplay, Pakistan was able to reach 50 for 3, but the wickets kept falling, especially after Shamim hit Molineux to mid-on and was more than halfway down the pitch before captain Sana sent her back. Voll's throw to Mooney beat her by a considerable distance.
Muneeba was engaged in two run outs before she hammered the next ball for six over deep midwicket. In the first, Voll shot the ball back to Garth, who flicked off the bails, and Muneeba reluctantly sent back opening partner Feroza after Mooney mishandled an attempt to gather down the leg side. Similar circumstances occurred when Molineux tossed the ball back to Mooney when Ayesha Zafar was out of her ground after she pushed a Lucy Hamilton delivery towards cover and started for a run, only to be sent back by Muneeba.
In the powerplay, Pakistan was able to reach 50 for 3, but the wickets kept falling, especially after Shamim hit Molineux to mid-on and was more than halfway down the pitch before captain Sana sent her back. Voll's throw to Mooney beat her by a considerable distance.
No comments:
Post a Comment