Warm-Up Wrap: Ireland stun Australia as teams complete World Cup preparation
All ten teams again featured on day two of warm-up action, with Boland Park in Paarl seeing its first trial ahead of a tournament doubleheader on the opening weekend.
Ireland v Australia, Stellenbosch University - Ireland won by 3 wickets
Ireland produced a big upset to give Australia food for thought ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Australia had set Ireland 169 to win at the University Ground, with a trio of players in the runs.
Alyssa Healy (62 off 40) returned to Australia's batting line-up for their final hit-out, though she lost opening partner Beth Mooney first ball, after being cleaned up by Orla Prendergast.
Tahlia McGrath (56 from 47) walked out to meet Healy in the middle at No.3, and the pair put the defending champions back into the ascendancy before the team retired both players.
Ellyse Perry (40* from 20) was also in good touch. Prendergast (2/19 off four) and Arlene Kelly (1/17) led Ireland's bowling effort.
A strong Australian bowling attack was expected to keep Ireland under control. But a combined effort from the Irish batting unit saw them pull off an unexpected run chase.
Seven batters reached double figures, with Amy Hunter (26 from 14), Gaby Lewis (11 from 11) and Orla Prendergast (26 from 15) setting the chase up brilliantly.
Laura Delany top-scored with a crucial 32 through the middle overs, and it all came down to the final over, with Ireland requiring nine to win.
Arlene Nora Kelly’s superb six off the second ball of Tahlia McGrath’s over put Ireland within reach, and they sealed victory with two balls remaining and with three wickets in hand.
H.A.P.P.Y. 😀 pic.twitter.com/zd1I7N3bza
— Ireland Women’s Cricket (@IrishWomensCric) February 8, 2023
England v New Zealand, Western Province Cricket Ground - England won by 5 wickets
A strong bowling and fielding effort from England restricted New Zealand to 114/9 at WPCC, before Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey again impressed as England chased it down with ease.
In good news for the White Ferns, Sophie Devine took the field and opened the batting, hitting two boundaries in a score of 14 from 15 balls after shaking off a foot injury.
It took a fine delivery from Kate Cross to beat Devine's defences, and Cross managed to pick up Bernardine Bezuidenhout (also bowled) with her next delivery.
Sarah Glenn removed Amelia Kerr (24 off 24 balls) with a fine catch behind square on the leg side, and Suzie Bates (36) was thwarted by Glenn, this time with the ball in the leg-spinner's hand.
England's quick-fire batting unit faced a new challenge on a slower surface and a slightly bigger ground, and they passed the test with flying colours.
Dunkley set the tone at the top of the order with a superb and unbeaten 60* from just 38 balls, while Capsey’s explosive 28 came from just 13 deliveries to get England well ahead of the rate.
Wickets did fall, but while Dunkley was out in the middle England looked in complete control, and they reached the target with five wickets and more than six overs to spare.
England’s impressive showing also came in the absence of skipper Heather Knight, who sat out in a squad rotation. Amy Jones took the captaincy for the day.
Ireland register a confidence-boosting victory over Australia while England stroll to a win against New Zealand 🙌
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) February 8, 2023
Follow the #T20WorldCup warm-up matches 👉 https://t.co/TLvKXEyNj4 pic.twitter.com/4wpLiscspa
Pakistan v South Africa, Boland Park - South Africa won by 6 wickets
South Africa cruised to victory over Pakistan, with Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt again looking strong as an opening pair.
The pair barely broke a sweat as they put on 107 for the first wicket, breaking the back of the chase.
A flurry of wickets saw four fall for just nine runs, but Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk steadied the ship and saw their side home with ten balls to spare.
Earlier, a flurry from Ayesha Naseem and an outstanding counter-attack from Aliya Riaz lifted their side to a defendable score after a slow start.
Kept under a run a ball in first 11 overs, Nonkululeko Mlaba removed Sidra Amin at the end of the Powerplay, before Ayabonga Khaka claimed Muneeba Ali in the over after drinks.
Sune Luus used six bowlers across the first 11 overs, before the skipper bowled herself (1/18) towards the backend.
West Indies v Sri Lanka, Western Province Cricket Ground - West Indies won by 4 wickets
A confidence-building effort has come at the perfect time for the West Indies, holding Sri Lanka inside 110 before a solid effort with the bat in reply.
It was the brilliance of Hayley Matthews that did much of the work in the run-chase, with the skipper’s 46 anchoring the reply.
The West Indies looked on course for a comfortable margin of victory, only to steadily eat up deliveries as wickets started to fall at regular intervals.
But Chinelle Henry and Afy Fletcher saw their side across the line.
Earlier, three wickets in the first eight overs put Sri Lanka in a hole, and Matthews' side tightened the screws with their seven-strong bowling rotation.
Six bowlers delivered two overs apiece in the first six overs, with Karishma Ramharack again enjoying the conditions of WPCC.
The spinner claimed opener Harshitha Samarawickrama for 16 and another later on to finish with 2/13 (3), with Aaliyah Alleyne claiming the big wicket of Chamari Athapaththu. Matthews herself finished with three wickets.
Nilakshi de Silva's 29 (26) was Sri Lanka's best with the bat.
Bangladesh v India, Stellenbosch University - India won by 52 runs
After a brilliant 92-run partnership between Richa Ghosh and Jemimah Rodrigues led their recovery, India’s bowlers tightened the screw to pick up a confidence-boosting win in Stellenbosch.
Nigar Sultana Joty and Murshida Khatun spent some decent time out in the middle, but a lack of support meant the chase faded away.
Six Indian bowlers took wickets in an encouraging display with the ball.
Harmanpreet Kaur again sat out for India, and watched her teammates drop three early wickets before a rebuild.
Marufa Akter (1/36) and Nahida Akter (2/24 off 3) kept India in check through the powerplay, as both teams looked for positive time in the middle and rhythm through the bowling crease after sub-par performances on Monday.
But India responded well to the Powerplay wickets, with Ghosh the star with a superb and unbeaten 91* from just 56 balls.
The youngster, fresh from her involvement in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, accelerated as her innings went on, and was aided by a late flurry from Pooja Vastrakar, who smashed 13* from just 4 balls.
