ZCZC
BSP-02
CRICKET-WOMEN-WT20-WIS-AUS
Australia thrash Windies to reach World T20 final
NORTH SOUND, Antigua and Barbuda, Nov 23, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Australia
dethroned the West Indies and booked a place in Saturday’s Women’s World
Twenty20 final with a crushing 71-run victory in the first semi-final on
Thursday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Thursday.
Stunned by the Caribbean side in the 2016 final in Kolkata, the three-time
champions were at their most ruthless to the dismay of a huge home crowd as
they reached 142 for five batting first on a turgid pitch and then routed the
West Indies for just 71 off 17.3 overs.
Australia will face the winner of the second semi-final between England and
India, being played later on Thursday, in Saturday’s championship match at
the same venue.
Put in to bat on a pitch where the experienced three-time former champions
found free scoring difficult, the Aussies were indebted again to the prolific
Alyssa Healy, the opening batter topscoring with 46 to earn her fourth
‘Player of the Match’ award in five games so far in this tournament.
“It was really tricky out there given the fluffiness of the pitch,” was her
post-match assessment of the conditions. “I felt that once we got past 120
our bowlers would have had a good chance of defending that total.”
She had passed a late fitness test after sustaining a concussion in the
field during their last group match against India in Guyana five days
earlier.
Healy and captain Meg Lanning produced the best partnership of the innings,
putting on 51 for the second wicket.
After Healy fell to leg-spinner Afy Fletcher and Lanning was bowled by all-
rounder Deandra Dottin, Rachael Haynes struck a flurry of boundaries to reach
an unbeaten 25 off 15 balls to give her side a fighting chance against the
title-holders.
She was particularly harsh on Dottin, who despite claiming the important
wicket of Lanning, conceded 23 runs off two overs at the end of the innings.
West Indian hopes of a strong reply evaporated in the early overs of their
innings with openers Hayley Matthews and Dottin dismissed cheaply.
Matthews was run out by wicketkeeper Healy while champion seamer Ellyse
Perry accounted for Dottin, adding the scalp of Shemaine Campbelle to finish
with the outstanding figures of two for two from two overs.
She was not required by Lanning to return to the attack as the rest of the
West Indies batting folded meekly, only captain Stafanie Taylor (16) getting
into double-figures as all the bowlers shared in the rout, with seamer
Delissa Kimmince and spinner Ashleigh Gardner also taking two wickets each.
BSS/AFP/MRI/0832 hrs