Women’s T20 World Cup: Dominant Australia smash Sri Lanka to make it three from three

(ICC) - Australia produced a stunning performance with both bat-and-ball to see off Sri Lanka by ten-wickets in Gqeberha, South Africa and move clear at the top of Group 1.

The defending champions are all-but certain to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup after making it three wins from three, with the margin of their 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka also further boosting their impressive net run rate on Thursday.

Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney starred with the bat, making a chase of 113 look like a walk in the park, with each reaching half-centuries in the chase.

Australia’s experienced opening pair got their side off to a terrific start, accelerating as their partnership went on to wrap up the win with more than four overs remaining and without losing a single wicket.

Healy was the first to reach 50 and in the process became the player with the most half-centuries at Women’s T20 World Cups (7), moving clear of Stafanie Taylor and Suzie Bates.

Mooney is a bit further down the list with four to her name, while the partnership are clear as the best in Women’s T20 World Cup history. This was 113-run stand was their third century partnership at a T20 World Cup, more than any other pairing.

Earlier, Sri Lanka’s top order made a decent start after Meg Lanning won the toss and opted to bowl first, but the brilliance of Grace Harris in the field and with the ball saw Australia take control of the first innings.

Harris’ first major action of the match was to pull off a stunning catch in the deep to remove key opener Chamari Athapaththu for a run-a-ball 16.

Harshitha Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunarathne saw off the remainder of the Powerplay, rattling along at just under 7-an-over.

But Harris, buoyed by her brilliant piece of fielding, stepped up to have Samarawickrama stumped for 34 (from 40 balls) and then remove Oshadhi Ranasinghe for a duck.

Runs dried up through the middle overs, with the spinners stifling Sri Lanka’s middle order, and Harris finishing with outstanding figures of 2/7 from her three overs.

And the pressure to accelerate saw wickets continue to fall, with Georgia Wareham dismissing Anushka Sanjeewani (8) and Megan Schutt getting in on the action to dismiss Vishmi Gunarathne (24) before bagging Ama Kanchana (4), Malsha Shehani (0) and Sugandika Kumari (4) in the final over.

Schutt finished with figures of 4/24 as Sri Lanka reached 112/8.

Chief scores:

Sri Lanka Women: 112/8 (20) (Harshitha Samarawickrama 34, Vishmi Gunaratne 24; Megan Schutt 4/24, Grace Harris 2/7)

Australia Women: 113/0 (15.5) (Beth Mooney 56 not out, Alyssa Healy 54 not out; Sugandika Kumari 0/10, Chamari Athapaththu 0/12)