By Ian Chadband
Australia have all but cemented their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals yet their nine-wicket cakewalk triumph against Pakistan has come at a cost with major injury concerns over captain Alyssa Healy and luckless pace ace Tayla Vlaeminck.
Skipper Healy limped out with a calf problem, stricken while taking a second run while guiding her side to what had looked a trouble-free chase after they’d skittled out Pakistan for just 82 in Dubai on Friday.
Australian bowler Ashleigh Gardner (second from right) celebrates taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Tuba Hassan.Credit: AP
After she’d retired hurt on 37, Ellyse Perry (22no) guided the champions to the easiest of victories in just 11 overs as they moved unbeaten on to six points, with a last-four place practically assured.
The captain’s injury concerns compounded earlier worries over Vlaeminck, who dislocated her right shoulder while fielding in the very first over of the match.
“We’ll assess the damage. Heartbroken for those two girls at the moment, but we’ll find out more in the coming days,” said Tahlia McGrath, the vice-captain, afterwards.
Vlaeminck, perhaps the fastest bowler in the world, was playing her first match of the tournament but her injury came just four balls into Pakistan’s innings.
Chasing down the ball to the third-man boundary, the 25-year-old jagged her left knee into the turf while trying to prevent a four and tumbled over onto her shoulder.
The early shock didn’t stop the Australian march as the abundant bowling riches at Healy’s disposal saw them skittle Pakistan for the lowest score of the tournament.
It was another landmark day for Megan Schutt (1-7 off 3 overs), who’d already become the T20 World Cup’s top wicket-taker in the previous match, as she became the all-time leading wicket-taker in all T20 internationals.
The 31-year-old had Sadaf Shamas caught behind sharply by Healy for her 144th scalp in the short-format game, taking Schutt past Pakistan’s own Nidar Dar, who went wicketless as Australia chased down the target.
Ash Gardner was player of the match for her 4-21, while there were two wickets apiece for medium pacer Annabel Sutherland (2-15 off 2.5 overs) and spinner Georgia Wareham (2-16 off 4) as the Australians were suffocatingly accurate.
In reply, Healy, who had also been in fine form behind the stumps with a catch and two smart stumpings, went past 1000 World T20 runs and looked in good nick as she hammered five boundaries – one more than the entire Pakistan team managed between them – in the 23 balls she faced.
Beth Mooney’s was the only wicket to fall after she’d made a run-a-ball 15 and Perry guided them home to a 14th successive T20 World Cup victory against a Pakistan side already dispirited by the absence of their skipper Fatima Sana, who had flown home after the death of her father.
There’s still a slim possibility Australia could be edged out of a semi spot, but India would have to beat them by a huge margin on Sunday and New Zealand win their two matches emphatically for that to occur.
AAP
