Australia Crush Sri Lanka To Reach World Cup Final

Australia Crush Sri Lanka To Reach World Cup Final

Rachael Haynes raises her bat to celebrate her half-century which helped put Australia into the World Cup final for the seventh time

©International Cricket Council

Australia Women 132-1 (Haynes 71no) beat
Sri Lanka Women 131 by nine wickets
Women's World Cup Super Six, Mumbai
Scorecard
Report by John Pennington

Australia Women's seemingly inexorable march towards a sixth Women's World Cup title advanced one step further as they comfortably beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets in their penultimate Super Six game.

They made it five tournament wins out of five by dismissing the competition's surprise package for 131 and then racing to their target in just 22.2 overs.

Rachael Haynes was unbeaten on 71 and Erin Osborne's earlier haul of three for nine was a career-best.

Batting first, Sri Lanka were simply unable to string partnerships together as they had done during their victories against England and India.

Regular wickets from Australia, first from quick bowlers Julie Hunter (1-6), Holly Ferling (1-23) and Megan Schutt (2-34) quickly reduced the Sri Lankans to 28 for three.

Deepika Rasangika resisted by making 43 but that was as good as it got for the underdogs, and after the new ball burst had left them reeling, spinners Lisa Sthalekar (2-26), Sarah Coyte (1-31) and Osborne finished off the remaining players.

Dilani Manodara (21) and Chamani Seneviratne (17) were the best of the rest.

Australia then showed exactly how to approach a low target, Haynes and Meg Lanning (37 in 36 balls) put on a belligerent partnership of 55 for the first wicket in 9.4 overs.

Sri Lanka had something to celebrate when Lanning was caught by Chamara Atapattu off Sripali Weerakkody but Haynes was in supreme form, hitting nine fours and two sixes in her 61-ball innings.

Jess Cameron was unbeaten on 22 in 37 balls as Australia booked their place in the final for the seventh time even before they have completed their Super Six fixtures. They take on the West Indies in their last game on Wednesday (13th February) ahead of meeting England, New Zealand or the West Indies in next Sunday's final (17th February).

Ellyse Perry missed this match having aggravated an ankle injury but Cricket Australia expect her to be fit to play the West Indies. Such has been Australia's dominance at times, they have hardly missed her.

© Cricket World 2013