Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Australia have cruised to victory over hosts England in their penultimate T20 World Cup warm-up with veteran duo Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney leading the way.
After restricting England to 6-157 in Cardiff Australia knocked off the runs with five wickets and ten balls to spare, the result rarely looking in doubt.
With 12 Australians either batting, bowling, or both, the match was not entirely serious, but the victory was comprehensive, tight bowling being followed by imperious batting.
After Mooney set the platform with a 26-ball 43, Perry hit a ruthless 44-ball 64 to leave England pondering a clear gulf between the sides.
There was a scare before the start when Phoebe Litchfield, listed to bat at 3, was withdrawn as a precaution after feeling “quad awareness”, a reference to the muscles at the front of the thigh.
Kim Garth came into the 12, was handed the new ball, and made the initial breakthrough when Danni Wyatt-Hodge missed one that straightened slightly. The following over Amy Jones was caught spooning a leading edge of Megan Schutt to mid-off and England were 2-6 off 14 balls.
It got worse for the home side as England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, making her return from a calf injury after six weeks out, was bowled by Alana King attempting to pull a ball that stayed low.
That left them 3-19 in the fifth but Heather Knight (25) and Alice Capsey (45) rebuilt, England reaching 5-98 when the latter departed with just over five overs remaining.
Freya Kemp, a finalist with Perth Scorchers in last season’s WBBL, then smacked 41 off 27 and Melbourne Stars’ Dani Gibson 27 no off 16, as England closed on a respectable if not very competitive score.
Sophie Molineux had deployed all seven bowlers within the first nine overs, without bowling herself, underlining Australia’s spin and seam options.
Further confirming their depth of those King was the pick, taking 2-120 in two overs, yet she is unlikely to feature in Australia’s best XI.
Perhaps to confirm this the rest of the bowlers had three overs. Schutt (2-20), Garth (1-19) and Annabel Sutherland (1-15) also bowled well but Tahlia McGrath, Ash Gardner and Georgia Wareham were wicketless and comparatively expensive.
Australia began in a hurry, Mooney and Georgia Voll adding 51 in the six-over powerplay before the latter was caught behind trying to ramp for 17 off 16 balls.
Mooney, one of several batters to escape after offering a half-chance, in her case on six, hit four fours and two sixes before being bowled.
That brought no relief for England as Perry immediately set about the bowling, hitting nine fours.
She perished with two needed, caught on the boundary trying to finish it with a six, but by then the game was all but won.
Australia have one warm-up left, against West Indies, also in the Welsh capital, on Wednesday (midnight AEST).
In their previous warm-ups Australia both won and lost against South Africa, against whom they start their tournament in Manchester on Saturday (23.30 AEST).
