ICC Women's T20 World Cup: Beth Mooney leads Australia to victory with composed chase against Sri Lanka

Australia secured a comfortable six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their first match of the Women's T20 World Cup on Saturday at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, thanks to a strong bowling performance and a composed chase led by opener Beth Mooney. Megan Schutt and Sophie Molineux were instrumental in restricting Sri Lanka to a modest 93/7. Schutt's impressive figures of 3/12 and Molineux's 2/20 kept the Sri Lankan batters under constant pressure.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Sri Lanka faced early setbacks. Both openers were dismissed cheaply, and the run rate was stifled during the powerplay. Megan Schutt struck first, trapping Vishmi Gunaratne lbw for a duck. Captain Chamari Athapaththu soon followed, falling lbw to Ashleigh Gardner for just 3.

Sri Lanka's innings struggled to gain momentum, finishing the powerplay at 23/2. Kavisha Dilhari was the next to go, dismissed lbw by Sophie Molineux. Harshitha Samarawickrama provided some resistance with a gritty 23 off 25 balls before being caught and bowled by Molineux.

Nilakshika Silva (29* off 40) and Anushka Sanjeewani (16 off 15) managed to put some runs on the board, but Australia's bowlers continued to keep things tight. Georgia Wareham took a wicket with a full toss, caught brilliantly in the deep, and Schutt returned to take two more wickets in quick succession. Sri Lanka ended their innings at 93/7.

In response, Australia's chase was anchored by Beth Mooney, who remained unbeaten on 43 off 38 balls. Despite losing Alyssa Healy (4) and Georgia Wareham (3) early, Ellyse Perry's quickfire 17 provided some momentum before she was bowled by Sugandika Kumari, leaving Australia at 35/3.

Ashleigh Gardner contributed 12 off 15 balls before departing, but Mooney's steady innings ensured there were no further hiccups. Phoebe Litchfield chipped in with a run-a-ball 9, helping Mooney guide Australia to victory with 5.4 overs to spare.

The win leaves Sri Lanka in a precarious position in Group A, with zero points from two matches. They will need to win their remaining fixtures against India and New Zealand to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages. Sri Lanka's next match is against India on Wednesday in Dubai, followed by their final group stage game against New Zealand on October 12. (ANI)