Bowlers win Australia in warm-up after failing

Australia have won their first warm-up match for the women’s T20 World Cup, beating India by 44 runs.

Pace bowler Darcie Brown went 4-17 in four overs as the bowlers reversed a disappointing batting performance to sack India with four overs to go with 85 points.

The South Australian took three wickets in her first two overs to falter India 4-22 as they chased Australia’s 8-129 in Cape Town.

Ash Gardner (2-16), Kim Garth (1-12), Ellyse Perry (1-22) and Jess Jonassen (1-2) were also in the wickets while Annabel Sutherland threw two overs for five runs and Meg Lanning one achieved exit

India, who were also alternately 3-12, 6-44 and 9-61, were never in the hunt with only Deepti Sharma (19no) and Harleen Deol (12) making double digits. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur chose not to hit.

Australia’s innings came courtesy of a late flurry from No. 9 batsman Georgia Wareham, who hit best with an undefeated 32 from 17 and No. 10 Jonassen (22 of 14).

Their uninterrupted ninth wicket partnership of 50 from their last 26 balls gave bowlers enough to defend.

With each team having a 15-man squad with 11 batting and 11 fielding, Monday’s game was not an official game but it was a useful practice to gain experience of South Africa conditions and check on form.

That was a test that Australia largely failed with the racquet.

After opting to dig first, Australia got off to a disastrous start, reeling 3-10 after four overs. They also suffered a mid-inning collapse, losing 5–25.

In the second over, Lanning was held up for a third-ball duck, part of a 14-ball spell without a run from the bat.

Two overs later, Tahlia McGrath and Perry were sent back to the sheds within three balls. McGrath was caught and bowled for a seven-ball two, then Perry ran away for one while Mooney attempted a single.

Mooney (28) and Gardner (22) rebuilt the innings while picking up the pace, but in the tenth run their 34-ball 44-run partnership ended when Gardner was caught.

This led to another rattling of wickets as Mooney came on in the next over, followed by Grace Harris (four), Sutherland (four) and Heather Graham (eight) as Australia slipped to 8-79 ahead of the late recovery.

The batters dominated a far higher-scoring warm-up in Stellenbosch, with England and South Africa hitting 476 runs in a 24-six match.

England beat the tournament hosts, scoring 7-247 in their 20 overs.

Opener Sophia Dunkley smashed 59 in 19 balls with Alice Capsey (61 of 33) and Nat Sciver (51 of 25) also making quick half-centuries.

South Africa responded with 9-229 hits, with Chloe Tyron (65 on 23) and Nadine de Klerk (50 on 27) adding 98 on 38 balls mid-innings.

Elsewhere, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets and four overs to go, and Sri Lanka beat Ireland by two runs.

Australia now play Ireland in Stellenbosch on Wednesday, where they are expected to score much better.

The ten-team tournament begins on February 10. In the group stage, Australia meets New Zealand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa.