Perry’s all-round show floors Pakistan as Australia close on the semis

Australia’s grip on the Women’s T20 World Cup tightened at Headingley, where Ellyse Perry produced an evening with bat and ball that left Pakistan chasing shadows. A 71 off 48 set up a total of 199 for 7, and Perry then helped reduce the reply to rubble as Australia cruised home by 113 runs to make it four wins from four.

Perry sets the tone

Pakistan struck early, removing Beth Mooney first ball, but that was as good as the evening got for them. Perry walked in and treated a true Leeds pitch the way a batter of her standing should, finding the boundary nine times and clearing the rope once on the way to 71. Her second-wicket stand with Georgia Voll was worth a hundred and effectively decided the contest before the innings was halfway through.

By the time Australia closed on 199 for 7, the total already looked a long way out of Pakistan’s reach. On a ground where the ball came on nicely, it was less a target than a sentence.

Pakistan fold for 86

The chase never threatened to become one. Three wickets disappeared inside the powerplay, and once the platform was gone there was little fight to follow. Muneeba Ali’s 32 was the only innings of any substance, and a clutch of run-outs underlined how flustered Pakistan became as the asking rate climbed out of sight. They were dismissed for 86 in 13.4 overs.

Perry returned to take 2 for 9 and rounded off an all-round display that earned her the player-of-the-match award. She had plenty of help from the rest of the attack, which kept the pressure relentless and never let Pakistan settle into the kind of partnership that might have made the scoreline respectable.

Semis in sight for Australia

The win moved Australia to eight points from their four matches and kept them clear at the top of Group 1. Another performance this complete will worry every side still in the draw, with the holders showing no sign of easing off as the group stage runs down.

For Pakistan, the defeat confirmed their exit from the semi-final race. They close their campaign against the Netherlands with pride, and little else, to play for.

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