Wareham seizes shock promotion as Aussies seal T20 series

Georgia Wareham has made the most of a surprise promotion to hit her first international half-century, setting up an emphatic 58-run win for Australia in the second T20I against Bangladesh.

Australia got funky with their batting order at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, and freshly minted No.3 Wareham (57 from 30) joined new opener Grace Harris (47 from 34) in a 91-run second-wicket stand.

At 1-94 midway through the innings a total above 200 beckoned, but a collapse of 7-55 from the switched-up order saw Australia finish on 8-161, with left-arm quick Fariha Trisna (4-19) picking up her second T20I hat-trick from the final three balls of the 20th over.

Australia’s spinners then produced another standout display, as Ashleigh Gardner (3-17), Sophie Molineux (3-10) and Wareham (1-24) took seven wickets between them as the Tigresses were restricted to 9-103.

With a T20 World Cup in Bangladesh on the horizon, captain Alyssa Healy and opener Beth Mooney opted to stay on the sidelines – the latter eventually coming out at No.9 to face the final ball – having both struck unbeaten fifties in Australia’s 10-wicket win on Sunday.

Harris relished the chance to perform the role she plays for the Brisbane Heat, hitting 41 runs from the first 26 balls she faced.

Phoebe Litchfield joined Harris at the top of the order, however her lean recent run continued when she was caught for two off the bowling of Fariha, continuing a trend that has seen the prodigiously talented young batter average 9.3 in 18 innings across all cricket since the end of Australia’s tour of India in early January.

Even more surprising than the opening combo was the elevation of Wareham to No.3, but the Victorian seized her first opportunity in the top-order with a swashbuckling 30-ball innings.

Wareham had never batted higher than No.7 in T20Is, and had only batted 14 times in 53 matches across her career to date, but the 24-year-old looked perfectly at home alongside Harris as she hammered 10 boundaries on her way to a 26-ball half-century.

With Australia flying at 1-94 at the 10-over mark, a total above 200 looked on the cards.

But Wareham’s onslaught finally ended when she was caught off the bowling of Nahida Akter, breaking a 91-run second-wicket stand, and her dismissal triggered a collapse from the Australians, who lost 7-55 in 8.3 overs.

Gardner (5) was pushed up to No.4 but her stay lasted just four balls, before Harris, who had become bogged down after her aggressive start, followed in the same over as Australia fell to 4-114.

Ellyse Perry (29 from 22) and Tahlia McGrath (19 off 19) steadied the innings with a 39-run fifth wicket stand, but could not score with the fluency Wareham and Harris displayed earlier.

Fariha ended the Bangladesh bowling innings with a bang, removing Perry, Molineux and Mooney with the final three balls of the innings to claim her second T20I hat-trick.

In reply, Bangladesh opener Dilara Akter (27 from 25) got off to a flying start, hitting five boundaries as the hosts raced to 0-27 from three overs.

But Australia’s trio of spinners came together to turn the screws, with Molineux capturing the key wicket of Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty for one before Wareham bowled the dangerous Dilara.

Just four Bangladesh batters made it into double figures as they were restricted to 9-103.

The third and final T20I will be played at the same venue on Thursday.

Australia XI: Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Alyssa Healy (c) (wk), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt

 

Bangladesh XI: Dilara Akter, Murshida Khatun, Sobhana Mostary, Nigar Sultana Joty (c) (wk), Fahima Khatun, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, Marufa Akter, Shorifa Khatun, Fariha Islam Trisna

CommBank Tour of Bangladesh

First ODI: Australia won by 118 runs

Second ODI: Australia won by six wickets

Third ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

First T20I: Australia won by 10 wickets

Second T20I: Australia won by 58 runs

April 4: Third T20I, Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (5:00pm AEDT)

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck

Bangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana (c), Nahida Akter (vc), Fargana Hoque, Murshida Khatun, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Disha Biswas, Sumaiya Akter, Nishita Akter Nishi, Farzana Akter, Rabeya Khan