Kuala Lumpur - Some free-hitting by Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner coupled with a sweet spell of bowling from Sophie Molineux have helped Australia's women cricketers to ease to a 64-run T20 win over Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
Opting to bat, Australia's top order took on the bowlers from the first over, as Beth Mooney (38) and Healy hammered three fours and a six each to put on 57 in the Powerplay. Mooney was soon trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu, but Healy continued smashing boundaries to reach her fifth T20I half-century - following her 97 in the third ODI three days ago - off only 28 balls.
Gardner took over once Healy fell for 59, and struck three consecutive fours against Aliya Riaz in the 16th over. Even though Nida Dar took the big wicket of Meg Lanning for 6 in the next over, Elyse Villani belted an unbeaten 18 off 13 and Gardner's 63 off 37, with nine fours and a six, powered Australia close to the 200-run mark. Gardner had also struck an unbeaten 62 in the third ODI against Pakistan, although at No 7. Sana Mir, who recently became the top-ranked bowler in ODIs, Sandhu and Dar conceded at least 10 runs per over each, and sent down eight wides together.
Molineux struck on her fifth ball by removing left-handed opener Muneeba Ali for a duck, when she paddled the ball fine but Healy completed a quick take and a stumping down the leg side. Javeria Khan showed glimpses of form with a back-foot punch and a slog towards wide long-on for fours against Ellyse Perry in the third over, but Molineux returned in the fifth over and took a straightforward return catch to her left to remove Javeria for a 12-ball 16.
Nahida Khan, the other opener, and debutant Umaima Sohail scored briskly in a stand of 55 for the third wicket to take Pakistan past 80 just after the halfway mark. Molineux broke that stand too, when Nahida tried slog-sweeping but missed, to be bowled for a 32-ball 43. From 82 for 3 in the 11th over, Pakistan never recovered, losing four more wickets for 41 runs and managing only 29 runs in the last five overs.
Megan Schutt was economical once again, with figures of 4-0-14-1 and Molineux's four-for showed good signs for Australia's spin attack ahead of the Women's World T20 next month.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA WOMEN:
BL Mooney lbw b Nashra Sandhu 38
AJ Healy c Muneeba Ali b Aliya Riaz 59
A Gardner not out 63
MM Lanning lbw b Nida Dar 6
EJ Villani not out 18
EXTRAS: (lb 1, w 10) 11
TOTAL: (3 wkts, 20 overs) 195
FOW: 1-75, 2-113, 3-152.
BOWLING: Aiman Anwer 3-0-25-0, Anam Amin 4-0-36-0, Sana Mir 4-0-46-0, Nashra Sandhu 2-0-23-1, Nida Dar 4-0-40-1, Aliya Riaz 3-0-24-1.
PAKISTAN WOMEN:
Nahida Khan b Molineux 43
Muneeba Ali st Healy b Molineux 0
Javeria Khan c & b Molineux 16
Umaima Sohail c Schutt b Kimmince 25
Nida Dar c Healy b Wareham 5
Aliya Riaz st Healy b Molineux 19
Sana Mir not out 6
Aiman Anwer b Schutt 0
Sidra Nawaz not out 0
EXTRAS: (b 9, lb 1, w 7) 17
TOTAL: (7 wkts, 20 overs) 131
FOW: 1-1, 2-27, 3-82, 4-90, 5-108, 6-122, 7-131.
BOWLING: S Molineux 4-0-16-4, M Schutt 4-0-14-1, EA Perry 2-0-18-0, DM Kimmince 3-0-23-1, G Wareham 3-0-21-1, A Gardner 4-0-29-0.
TOSS: Australia Women
UMPIRES: Zameer Haider, Faisal Afridi
TV UMPIRES: Viswanadan Kalidas
RESERVE UMPIRE: Batumalai Ramani
MATCH REFEREE: Mohammed Anees