Alyssa Healy’s 41-ball 67* powered Australia to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in third and final Women’s Twenty20 International in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 29 October, reported ICC.
After opting to field, Australia restricted Pakistan to 97/8 – there were as many as four run-outs – before Healy almost single-handedly propelled the chase.
The target was hunted down in just 10.2 overs, and the 3-0 series victory bodes well for Australia ahead of next month’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2018.
It was Pakistan’s lowest total in the three-match series and was in keeping with the batters troubles throughout the three matches.
Australia had them reduced to 28/3 – Nahida Khan (6), Javeria Khan (6) and Umaima Sohail (4) were all dismissed in quick succession – and Pakistan desperately needed a partnership.
Bismah Maroof and Aliya Riaz then steadied things, adding a 49-run stand for the fourth wicket. There weren’t too many boundaries between them, but they ran hard and for almost ten overs, they ensured Australia toiled.
Unfortunately for Pakistan, the stand was broken when Riaz was run out by Sophie Molineux. Maroof herself was run out a couple of overs later for a 43-ball 34, and that triggered a slide.
Pakistan lost five wickets for just 20 runs, and were kept to a total below 100.
Australia didn’t waste much time in their chase. Healy and Beth Mooney put on a quick 60 for the opening wicket before the latter fell to Natalia Pervaiz for a 16-ball 21.
It was indicative of Healy’s dominance that in the 38-run stand for the second wicket, Ashleigh Gardner contributed just a 6-ball 4.
Healy scored her third half-century in four T20I innings, and by the time the winning runs were scored, she’d hammered ten fours and two sixes.
Her form bodes well for Australia ahead of the ICC WWT20, in which they are pooled with India, New Zealand, Ireland and Pakistan in Group B.
