Australia Women vs Ireland Women 4th Match Highlights:
In the tri-series match in Bready, Australia totaled 182, which they comfortably scored against Ireland because of quickfire 70s from Meg Lanning and Tahlia McGrath. With Alana King, Megan Schutt, and Jess Jonassen each taking two wickets, the hosts could only muster 119/7 in response, losing the match by 63 runs.
The start-to-finish dominance that has come to characterize Australian cricket wasn’t quite there. When put in to bat, the defending T20 champions were reduced to 31/2 as openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney lost for low single-digit totals. Then, Lanning and McGrath teamed up to oversee Australia’s recovery.
Australia only had 39 on the board after six overs, but between overs 8 and 10, the pair scored 40 runs, with Lanning scoring 36 off just 21 balls while McGrath’s innings began more slowly. Interestingly, McGrath had won Player of the Match in each of the three T20I games in which she had previously batted. And today was the same. To complete a 30-ball half-century, she hit four boundaries against Cara Murray and two more off Rachel Delaney.
Only one ball separated Lanning from the target. When Lanning was dismissed for 74 off of 49 balls in the 19th over, the 135-run partnership came to an end. After facing 45 balls, McGrath was out in the following over. With three fours each, Rachel Haynes and Ash Gardner put the finishing touches on the innings, which came to a dominant 182/4.
Ireland, who ran Pakistan close the previous night, found it difficult to stand out in the face of a tenacious bowling assault. Despite Laura Delany and Orla Prendergast’s stronghold for the third wicket and the loss of Rebecca Stokell and Gaby Lewis early in the PowerPlay, the chase fizzled out relatively quickly. Ireland fell 63 runs short of the target despite Australia‘s slightly subpar bowling performance (15 wides and two no-balls).
Player Of The Match: Tahlia McGrath
