Australia Women secured a comfortable six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka Women in Match 5 of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup on Saturday. After restricting Sri Lanka to just 93/7 in their 20 overs, Australia chased down the target with 5.4 overs to spare in their first match of the tournament.
Australia’s bowlers were instrumental in setting up the win. Megan Schutt (3/12) and Sophie Molineux (2/20) led the charge, with Schutt delivering an outstanding performance that included two wickets in two balls. Sri Lanka struggled to gain momentum, losing wickets regularly and managing only a modest total. Vishmi Gunaratne was dismissed for a duck, while star batter Chamari Athapaththu could only muster 3 runs before being trapped lbw by Ashleigh Gardner.
Harshitha Samarawickrama (23 off 25) and Nilakshika Silva (29* off 40) tried to steady the innings, but with a tight bowling display from Australia, runs were hard to come by. Even Anushka Sanjeewani’s 16 off 15 couldn’t lift the total significantly, and Sri Lanka ended their innings at 93/7. Despite an attempt to accelerate in the final overs, Australia’s bowlers held firm, with Georgia Wareham chipping in with a wicket, helped by a sharp catch in the deep that was confirmed after a review.
In response, Australia faced some early setbacks, with opener Alyssa Healy (4) and Georgia Wareham (3) dismissed cheaply. However, Beth Mooney anchored the chase with an unbeaten 43 off 38 balls, ensuring her team remained on track despite the loss of three wickets in the powerplay. Ellyse Perry’s brisk 17 off 13 provided a much-needed boost before she was bowled by Sugandika Kumari.
Although fast scoring proved challenging under the hot conditions, Australia’s deep batting lineup ensured there was no panic. Ashleigh Gardner contributed 12 off 15, and Phoebe Litchfield added a steady 9 off 9 balls. Mooney’s composed innings guided Australia home, with the winning runs coming with six wickets in hand and plenty of overs remaining.
Sri Lanka, who now have zero points after two matches, are in a precarious position in Group A. They face tough fixtures ahead, with matches against India on Wednesday and New Zealand on October 12. Both games are must-wins if Sri Lanka hope to keep their semifinal hopes alive.