London - Beth Mooney top scored for Australia as they eased past Pakistan by eight wickets in its final warm-up match ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.
Captain Meg Lanning opted to put Pakistan into bat and the opening pair of Ayesha Zafar and Nahida Khan saw off the first spells of Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt. But teen-aged seamer Belinda Vakarewa did make a breakthrough as she forced Ayesha into misplaying a shot that fell straight into the hands of captain Lanning. That opened the floodgates, Sarah Aley chipping in with four wickets as Pakistan were bowled out for 156. Nahida was top scorer with 51 rns.
In reply, Australia openers Nicole Bolton and Mooney put on 61 runs before Bolton was caught for 31 off the bowling of Diana Baig. That left Mooney to take the role of aggressor as she reached her half-century off 56 balls, before retiring on 63. Lanning and Rachael Haynes saw Australia home as it chased down the target off just 23.2 overs.
In the day’s other warm-up game, South Africa’s Masabata Klaas took four for 14 as her side thrashed West Indies by six wickets at Oakham. Opening batter Hayley Matthews top scored for the West Indies with 19 as it collapsed to 63 all out from 23.5 overs. Moseline Daniels, Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus all chipped in with a wicket each in a dominant bowling display.
In reply, South Africa needed just 19 overs to reach its target as opener Laura Wolvaardt top scored with 26 from 41 balls. West Indies was able to take some positives from the bowling performance of Anisa Mohammed, who took two for six from just two overs. South Africa reached its total for the loss of four wickets, with more than half its allotted overs to spare. The West Indies side faces Australia in Taunton in its opening World Cup game on 26 June, while South Africa plays Pakistan in Leicester.
SCORES IN BRIEF:
AUSTRALIA BEAT PAKISTAN BY EIGHT WICKETS AT LEICESTER:
PAKISTAN: 156 all out in 46.4 overs (Nahida Khan 51, Bismah Maroof 39, Ayesha Zafar 21; Sarah Aley 4-16, Jess Jonassen 3-23).
AUSTRALIA: 159-2, in 23.2 overs (Beth Mooney 63 retired, Meg Lanning 40 not out, Nicole Bolton 31; Diana Baig 1-32).
SOUTH AFRICA BEAT WEST INDIES BY SIX WICKETS AT OAKHAM:
WEST INDIA: 63 all out in 23.5 overs (Hayley Matthews 19, Felicia Walters 14, Reniece Boyce 10; Masabata Klaas 4-14, Sune Luus 1-1).
SOUTH AFRICA: 65-4 in 19 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 26, Lizelle Lee 18, Mignon du Preez 12 not out; Anisa Mohammed 2-6, Deandra Dottin 1-16).
