\u201cThis is an epic recovery from Pakistan,\u201d writes Dean Kinsella, \u201cI thought Australia might be aiming for close to 250 at one stage. Now, 200 looks good.\u201d<\/p>\n
I agree, they really hauled it back well. Lots of chat on comms about how these two sides compete in different worlds \u2013 the Australians professionalised over ten years ago and have a thriving WBBL. Pakistan don\u2019t yet have a women\u2019s competition. It\u2019s chalk and cheese.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Time to grab a quick drink of water, back shortly.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20th over: Australia 199-7 (Carey 26, King 5 ) Fatima with the last over, and she restricts Australia to five off the first three balls, but then King tucks into something loose down the leg side and hauls it for four. King then misses a hurled bouncer but unforunately so does the keeper and the ball trundles down for four byes. The last ball is another short ball in fury, which King also misses, and this time the keeper takes. Pakistan restrict the Aussies to under 200 and that\u2019s a pretty decent fightback \u2013 albeit an imposing total.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19th over: Australia 186-7 (Carey 21, King 1 ) A terrible bit of fielding as the ball shimmies through fine leg\u2019s legs, is followed by the wicket of Molineaux. Carey wants to finish with a flourish and charges Sadia, nicking behind for four.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Molineux b Sadia 5 (178-7)<\/p>\n Sadia gets the captain! Greedy for more boundaries, Molineux misses a pull and loses her middle stump.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 18th over: Australia 174-6 (Carey 14, Molineaux 1 ) Fatima Sana\u2019s first ball is ramped by Perry like a pro, but she gets her revenge and sends her hero \u2013 and soon to be Birmingham Phoenix teammate – back to the dugout. Carey keeps the boundaries flowing though, dishing four through the covers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Perry c Muneeba Ali b Fatima Sana 71 (Australia 167-6)<\/p>\n A bouncer from Fatima Sana,, Perry pulls, misses, but it looks like Perry has an edge. Sue Redfern isn\u2019t interested, but Pakistan are and review. Snicko says yes and the catch passes the test too.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.48 EDT<\/p>\n 17th over: Australia 163-5 (Perry 67, Carey 8 ) Much better catching from Pakistan today who haven\u2019t dropped a chance despite the pressure of an Australia constantly on the charge. Carey is no exception. Cuts four to get off the mark.Misses a reverse-sweep but does the keeper \u2013 four byes . Then Carey heels backwards, showing all her stumps and cuts handsomely for four more.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Sutherland c Fatima b Shamim 27 (Australia 151-5)<\/p>\n Another cracking catch, running from long on and scooping off the grass.<\/p>\n Fatima Sana of Pakistan takes the catch of Annabel Sutherland of Australia. Photograph: George Wood\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.07 EDT<\/p>\n 16th over: Australia 151-4 (Perry 67, Sutherland 27 ) Nashra\u2019s second over. In ski-glasses she redirects her field. A hint of a run out chance as Sutherland dashed to the danger end \u2013 if Fatima had hit, she might have been in trouble. Just four from the over<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 15th over: Australia 147-4 (Perry 65, Sutherland 25 ) Ayesha. Carefully. Just one boundary, Perry pearling one through point.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.34 EDT<\/p>\n 14th over: Australia 138-4 (Perry 56, Sutherland 25 ) Perry has temporarily been relatively becalmed, but unfortunately for Pakistan, Sutherland is bustling like a mystery shopper – back to back boundaries off Nashra Sandhu \u2013 driving through the covers, picking out the gap at deep midwicket. They pause for more drinks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.31 EDT<\/p>\n 13th over: Australia 126-4 (Perry 54, Sutherland 15 ) Ayesha Zafar gets her first bowl, but Australia just keep on coming. Sutherland, twinkle toed, spanks four over cover.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12th over: Australia 119-4 (Perry 53, Sutherland 9) Sutherland not hanging around \u2013 fires four of Nashra Sandhu towards midwicket and then she and Perry keep the singles coming.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 11th over: Australia 110-4 (Perry 52, Sutherland 1) Perry\u2019s highest scores in the T20 world cup comes and goes almost without mention as Australia suffer a succession of mishaps the other end.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Wareham c Feroza b Rameen Shamim 5 (107-4)<\/p>\n On the juggle but Feroza holds on at point! What a fightback by Pakistan.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 10th over: Australia 104-3 (Perry 48, Wareham 4) Two in the over for Nashra Sandhu and another duck for Australia!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Gardner c Diana Baig b Nashra Sandhu 0 (Pakistan 100-3)<\/p>\n An groggy old swipe from Gardner gives deep midwicket an easy catch!<\/p>\n Diana Baig of Pakistan takes the catch of Ashleigh Gardner of Australia. Photograph: Alex Davidson\/ICC\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.08 EDT<\/p>\n WICKET! Voll c Iram Javed b Nashra Sandhu 40 (Australia 100-1)<\/p>\n The breakthrough! Voll pitchforks four straight to long on and Javed makes no mistake.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 9th over: Australia 96-1 (Perry 48, Voll 36) Oh for a finger tip \u2013 Aliya leaps at long-on as Perry fires Shamim down the ground, but it just passes by for six. Voll adds to her boundary count with a strong-woman four.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8th over: Australia 81-1 (Perry 41, Voll 30) Lots of little girls in the ground bounce up and down happily with their four signs as Diana gets pasted for two four \u2013 Voll dusting her past the keeper, Perry with another powerful pull. Great fact from the radio \u2013 Diana is named after Princess Diana because her dad was a big fan.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.12 EDT<\/p>\n 7th over: Australia 71-1 (Perry 32, Voll 20) Shamim, the offspinner, bowling in a cap and specs. She dries her hands in the Leeds dust. Just seven from it as Australia pick out the fielders.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 6th over: Australia 64-1 (Perry 32, Voll 20) Oh Sue, very strict with her legside wides, calls two in a row from Fatima. But apart from Voll\u2019s wristy four to start the over, that\u2019s the only boundary. The end of the power play is signalled with a flagon of orange squash \u2013 the most expensive power play of the competition.<\/p>\n But \u2013 that was the first time Australia lost a wicket with the first ball in a T20 World Cup.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 5th over: Australia 56-1 (Perry 31, Voll 15) This is looking like a bit of shellacking already I\u2019m afraid. Two more boundaries in the over \u2013 Voll goes legside, Perry off side. Sadia Iqbal trudges through the mire.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.53 EDT<\/p>\n 4th over: Australia 45-1 (Perry 26, Voll 10) Diana Baig now, short hair bouncing behind her. An outside edge from Perry flies fo four then more running for the Pakistan fielders as Perry pans another through midwicket. A third four from an athletic-looking ramp \u2013 no messing about with fripperies \u2013 and five wides to finish. Nineteen from the over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3rd over: Australia 26-1 (Perry 12, Voll 10) Voll fancies this and pancakes Sadia down the ground for four. But that\u2019s the only boundary from the over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2nd over: Australia 19-1 (Perry 10, Voll 5) Fatima Sana with the next over. The second ball threatens to go for four wides, but that woman Feroza again stops it just before the rope. The third is square driven by Perry for four. And the next pulled upwards and wristily and gloriously for four more. Hmmm. Now Voll joins in, pinging Fatima down the ground. A nasty 17 from the over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1st over: Australia 2-1 (Perry 1, Voll 1) Not the start anyone was expecting! Unbelievable worldie from Feroza off a Mooney outside edge.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Mooney c Feroza b Sadia 0 (Austrlaia 0-1)<\/p>\n What a blinder from Feroza who clutches the egg almost before it has left the chicken, diving to her right at slip. Mooney out first ball of the match!<\/p>\n Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal and Muneeba Ali celebrate the wicket of Australia’s Beth Mooney. Photograph: Nigel French\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.10 EDT<\/p>\n The cameras have found some fans now, mostly hiding in the shaded end Here come the players and the mascots. The Pakistan team, to a woman, place hand on heart. The Aussies link arms and look formidable<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Two results already today \u2013 New Zealand knocked Scotland out of the competition, winning by six wickets with an over and a bit to spare at Bristol; while Sri Lanka thrashed Ireland by nine wickets thanks to an unbeaten century from Chamari Athapaththu to keep their hopes alive. If they can defeat Scotland on Friday and the other results fall their way, they\u2019re through!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s hot, hot, hot at Headingley \u2013 30 degrees at 6 o\u2019clock and the stands look pretty empty \u2013 but it might be that people are hiding in the shade behind the until the action starts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Pakistan XI<\/p>\n Pakistan: Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Ayesha Zafar, Iram Javed, Saira Jabeen, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (c), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.<\/p>\n Fatima Sana announces two changes from the last match \u2013 Diana Baig and Rameen Shamim are in, Tuba Hassan and Tasmia Rubab benched.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Australia XI<\/p>\n Australia: Beth Mooney, (wk) Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Ash Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux (c), Alana King, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton.<\/p>\n An unchanged XI.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Australia win the toss and will bat<\/p>\n Sophie Molineaux says, \u201cWe hope to put a big total. We\u2019ve tried to stay in the moment. We are unchanged today.\u201d<\/p>\n Phoebe Litchfield is training well and nearly there.<\/p>\n Pakistan would have batted too.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Aussies need to win two games to be sure of reaching the semi-finals, but one would probably be enough because of their tip-top run-rate -4.39. Pakistan are already done and dusted.<\/p>\n
![\"Tanya](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782241930_289_Tanya_Aldred.png\")
Tanya Aldred<\/p>\n