Australia women almost secured their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with a masterclass in aggressive cricket. Their 113-run win against Pakistan at Headingley marked Australia’s fourth consecutive win in the tournament, underlining a gaping gulf in class and ruthlessness between them and the others.
Ellyse Perry rescues Australia women from early setback
Pakistan’s afternoon began with a solitary moment of success. Off the very first ball of the match, left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal induced an edge from Beth Mooney. Gull Feroza brilliantly grabbed it at first slip and for a second, it felt like the Aussies were under pressure.
That early hope quickly disappeared. Batting at number three, Ellyse Perry joined Georgia Voll and led a strong counterattack. They adjusted well to the bouncy Headingley pitch, using cross-bat shots and punishing short deliveries to score 64 runs in the Powerplay—the highest of the tournament.
Perry’s all-round performance helps Australia thrash Pakistan
Perry combined precise placement with powerful hitting, while Voll provided strong support. Their impressive 100-run stand came in just 56 balls. Nashra Sandhu briefly slowed Australia by removing Voll for 39 off 28 and Ashleigh Gardner for a duck in the same over. However, the innings remained firmly in Australia’s control.
Perry was eventually out for a brilliant 71 off 48 balls, including nine fours and a six. Annabel Sutherland added a quick 27 before Nicola Carey finished strongly with an unbeaten 26 off 13. Australia closed on 199/7, leaving Pakistan with an overwhelming chase.
Pakistan crumbled under a daunting target against a clinical Australia bowling
Chasing a daunting 200, Pakistan crumbled spectacularly under the scoreboard pressure. Shambolic running between the wickets saw both Gull Feroza and Ayesha Zafar run out early. Pakistan could never really return from the early blows. Apart from opener Muneeba Ali, who fought valiantly for a 25-ball 32, Pakistan’s batting lineup folded like a pack of cards.
Australia’s bowling unit was just as clinical as their batters. Captain Sophie Molineux led from the front and strangled the scoring rate, registering absurdly dominant figures of 2/6 from her two overs. Perry unleashed her Player of the Match performance with a double strike in the 10th over, dismantling the remaining resistance. Pakistan lost their final five wickets for just 21 runs. Eventually, they were bowled out for a mere 86 runs in 13.4 overs. Molineux let eight Australian bowlers bowl at least one over, and four of them ended with wickets against their names as three Pakistani batters were run out. The clinical 113-run victory stands as a roaring statement of intent from the tournament favourites.
Brief scores: Australia 199/7 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 71, Georgia Voll 39; Sadia Iqbal 2-31, Nashra Sandhu 2-33) beat Pakistan 86 in 13.4 overs (Muneeba Ali 32, Fatima Sana 17; Sophie Molineux 2-6, Ellyse Perry 2-9) by 113 runs.
Player of the Tournament: Ellyse Perry
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