Australia has all however cemented its place within the T20 World Cup semifinals, however their nine-wicket cakewalk previous Pakistan got here at an enormous value with potential tournament-ending accidents to captain Alyssa Healy and luckless tempo ace Tayla Vlaeminck.
Skipper Healy limped out with “an acute right-foot harm” prompted when taking a swift second run whereas guiding her aspect on what had seemed a trouble-free chase after they’d skittled Pakistan for simply 82 in Dubai on Friday.
“As soon as now we have extra data based mostly on her evaluation and scans tomorrow, her availability for the remainder of the match can be clearer,” a workforce official reported.
Vlaeminck, in the meantime, dislocated her shoulder chasing a ball to the boundary within the first over, earlier than bowling a ball of her first match of the match.
Vice-captain Tahlia McGrath mentioned she was “heartbroken for these two ladies for the time being”.
Requested about taking on the captaincy for the ultimate Group A sport towards India on Sunday, McGrath mentioned: “The factor about this Australian aspect is how a lot depth we have got. Captaincy, wicketkeeping, batting, we have got a lot depth … time to make use of it.”
Healy’s opening accomplice, Beth Mooney, will possible take the gloves in Healy’s absence.
After the skipper retired harm on 37, Ellyse Perry (22 not out) guided the champions to victory in simply 11 overs as they moved unbeaten on to 6 factors.
But, whereas their captain’s health is clearly key, there was simply as a lot unhappiness within the camp for injury-plagued Vlaeminck, who missed the well-known 2020 match in Australia with a stress fracture in her foot.
Vlaeminck, maybe the quickest bowler on this planet, had been given an opportunity to showcase it in her first match of the match however by no means received the chance, together with her accident coming after simply 4 balls.
Chasing down the ball to the third-man boundary with full dedication, she jagged her left knee into the turf whereas making an attempt to forestall the 4 and tumbled over onto her proper shoulder.
Tayla Vlaeminck (centre) didn’t get to bowl a ball earlier than her harm within the first over. (AP: Altaf Qadri)
It was the most recent setback to bedevil 25-year-old Vlaeminck after years of issues and surgical procedures, together with three ACL accidents and a dislocated left shoulder.
After being helped from the sector, she had her shoulder later relocated by medics, who’re nonetheless inspecting the extent of the harm.
Healy gathered the workforce round her on the boundary edge after the harm to rally them.
“It was actually essential. We love Tay, and it was fairly arduous to observe to be trustworthy for all of us,” McGrath mentioned.
“So we simply got here collectively as a gaggle to concentrate on the job at hand, and we’ll get round her after the sport. It was actually essential in that second simply to refocus and regroup.”
Australia did simply that, with their considerable bowling riches nonetheless guaranteeing they skittled Pakistan for the bottom rating of the match.
It was one other landmark day for Megan Schutt (1-7 off 3 overs), who had already turn into the T20 World Cup’s prime wicket-taker within the earlier match, as she now grew to become the all-time main wicket-taker in all T20 internationals.
The 31-year-old had Sadaf Shamas caught behind sharply by Healy for her 144th scalp, taking Schutt previous Pakistan’s personal Nidar Dar, who went wicketless.
Ash Gardner was participant of the match for her 4-21, that includes three wickets within the penultimate over, whereas there have been two wickets apiece for Annabel Sutherland (2-15 off 2.5 overs) and Georgia Wareham (2-16 off 4) because the Australian assault proved suffocatingly correct.
In reply, Healy, who made two good stumpings to go together with her catch, went previous 1,000 World T20 runs in blistering vogue, hammering 5 boundaries — yet another than Pakistan managed between them — in 23 balls earlier than her merciless mishap.
Mooney’s was the one wicket to fall after a run-a-ball 15 and Perry guided them house to a 14th successive T20 World Cup victory towards a Pakistan aspect already dispirited by the absence of skipper Fatima Sana, who’d flown house after the loss of life of her father.
Mathematically, there’s nonetheless the slimmest chance Australia might miss a semifinal spot, however India must beat them by an enormous margin and New Zealand win their two matches emphatically for that to occur.
AAP
