Defending champions Australia kicked off their campaign in the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 with a victory. On Saturday, October 5, Australia defeated Asia Cup 2024 champions Sri Lanka, led by Chamari Athapaththu, by six wickets at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. This win propelled Australia to second place in the table, boasting a net run rate of +1.908.
Sri Lanka's struggle continues in Women's T20 World Cup 2024
In contrast, Sri Lanka continues to struggle, having lost both of their matches thus far. After a heavy defeat to Pakistan, their performance against Australia was also underwhelming. Athapaththu's team now finds themselves in a must-win situation for the remainder of their games if they hope to reach the semifinals.
After choosing to bat first on a challenging pitch, Sri Lanka struggled to reach 93 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Following their previous struggles against Pakistan, Athapaththu was dismissed for a low score, with Ash Gardener providing the key breakthrough for Australia in the fourth over.
Harshitha Samarawickrama displayed resilience, scoring 23 runs off 35 deliveries before being dismissed by Sophie Molineux. Nilakshika Silva remained unbeaten on 29 runs off 40 deliveries, but she was unable to put the opposition's bowling attack under significant pressure.
Megan Schutt starred for Australia, delivering a fiery spell that resulted in figures of 4-1-12-3. Molineux, who has kept Jess Jonassen out of the Australian squad, claimed two crucial wickets. Gardner and Georgia Wareham each took one wicket.
Beth Mooney guides Australia home
Beth Mooney played a pivotal role in guiding Australia to victory. Chasing a modest target of 94 runs, Australia lost early wickets, including those of Healy and Wareham. Ellyse Perry and Gardner took their time to settle in, but Sri Lankan bowlers Sugandika Kumari and Inoka Ranaweera managed to claim one wicket each. Despite this, Sri Lanka couldn't capitalize on the situation to mount a comeback.
It was Beth Mooney who steadied the innings with her composed batting. The left-handed batter finished unbeaten on 43 runs from 38 balls, featuring four boundaries. Thanks to her performance, Australia crossed the finish line with 34 balls to spare.
Sri Lanka, who have lost first two matches in the Women's T20 World Cup 2024, will next face India on October 9 while Australia will lock horns with New Zealand on October 8
