Sutherland stars as Australia secure second warm-up win | cricket.com.au

by Admin
October 1, 2024

Australia make it two from two in their T20 World Cup practice games, but they were forced to scrap with bat and ball against West Indies

Annabel Sutherland has made another case for a promotion up Australia’s T20I order, steering her side out of trouble in their second T20 World Cup warm-up against West Indies.

Sutherland’s 38 from 28 deliveries combined with a late cameo from spinner Alana King (21no from 13) helped Australia recover from 5-59 to post a more challenging 8-144 after being sent in by Hayley Matthews at The Sevens Stadium.

The allrounder then picked up two wickets in two balls, including the key scalp of Deandra Dottin, from the sole over she bowled.

Her double strike triggered a dramatic collapse of 9-17 as the Windies were bowled out for 109 in 17.5 overs, sealing a 35-run win for Australia.

“It was nice to get some time out in the middle personally,” Sutherland said after the match.

“I think it was one of the grittier performances for the team to hang in there, and for the lower order to get a chance out in the middle, I think that’s pretty vital in a praccy match.

“The bowlers were put under the pump at different stages but I thought we adapted really well and then got a run of momentum and capitalised.”

Sutherland top-scored for Australia // cricket.com.au

It was not all smooth sailing, with the Australian attack put under pressure by West Indies opener Qiana Joseph, who took on Tayla Vlaeminck in the Powerplay, hitting 16 runs off the quick’s first over.

Her charge was finally halted in the 10th over when Ellyse Perry, bowling for the first time since Australia came together in Mackay last month, had her caught at long off for a 29-ball 36, ending a 68-run first-wicket stand.

The Windies remained poised at 1-92 in the 14th over when the introduction of Sutherland flipped the game on its head, as she bowled Shemaine Campell (9) and trapped Dottin lbw a ball later.

From there it was a procession; King (4-30) and Vlaeminck (3-33) also found themselves on hat-tricks after claiming wickets with consecutive deliveries.

From 1-92 the Windies crumbled to 109 all out, with Vlaeminck impressing in her return spell which included the key wicket of Matthews caught behind for 42 and a superb toe-crushing yorker that bowled Nerissa Crafton for a first-ball duck.

Vlaeminck picked up three wickets // cricket.com.au

“I think credit to our bowlers, they adapted based on the conditions,” Sutherland said.

“(West Indies) came pretty hard at us and put us on the back foot a little bit so it was good by the girls to react and try some different things.”

Earlier, the Australian top-order were put under pressure in conditions that proved trickier than in their first warm-up at the ICC Academy against England.

Phoebe Litchfield (groin soreness) and Grace Harris (calf) remained on the sidelines with their availability for Saturday’s opening game still uncertain, and Beth Mooney (8), Georgia Wareham (7), Ellyse Perry (4) and Tahlia McGrath (4) all departed for single-digit scores, while Alyssa Healy (20 off 18) could not make the most of her start.

Gardner dug in for a run-a-ball 31 before Sutherland injected momentum into the innings, striking two enormous sixes – curiously, the first sixes scored by any Australian since the start of the New Zealand series.

“Any time in the middle is valuable and I try and take my opportunity where I can,” Sutherland said.

“It was really nice to bat with Ash and put a partnership together in a crucial little moment, and then to see the lower order dig in and scrap to a bit of a total that we thought we could defend was nice.”

Australia will now turn their attention to Saturday’s opening game against Sri Lanka in Sharjah.

They will not get their first look at the venue until they arrive for the match around lunchtime on Saturday, but Sutherland said she hoped the two warm-ups would have them prepared for what is ahead.

“(Experiencing) the conditions was a big one, and that sharing of information, and learning to adapt – we’re in new conditions that we haven’t really played in as a group before,” Sutherland said.

“We’re the third game on that (Sharjah) wicket, so we’ll adapt based on what we see (from those earlier games) and then on the day we can assess.”