Manchester, June 14: Australia kicked off its campaign in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a commanding victory. The team defeated South Africa by 65 runs in a Group A match held at Emirates Old Trafford on Saturday.
Winning the toss and opting to bat, Australia scored 172 runs, losing 8 wickets in the process. They lost their first wicket early, with Georgia Voll dismissed for a duck on the fifth ball. Beth Mooney then partnered with Phoebe Litchfield, adding 23 runs for the second wicket in just 18 balls, bringing the score to 24.
Mooney managed only 7 runs off 9 balls before returning to the pavilion. Litchfield, however, stabilized the innings alongside Ellyse Perry, contributing 50 runs off 24 balls, including 10 boundaries. Shortly after, Ashley Gardner was dismissed for just 1 run.
At one point, Australia found itself struggling at 62 runs with 4 wickets down. Perry then formed a crucial partnership of 58 runs for the fifth wicket with Georgia Wareham, off 38 balls. Perry scored 36 runs off 26 balls, while Wareham added 32 runs. Annabel Sutherland also chipped in with 21 runs.
From the South African side, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba, and Nadine de Klerk each took 2 wickets, while Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail claimed 1 wicket each.
In response, South Africa was bowled out for just 107 runs in 16.4 overs. The team lost 2 wickets for only 7 runs. Nadine de Klerk attempted to stabilize the innings, forming a partnership of 41 runs for the third wicket with Laura Wolvaardt off 31 balls.
De Klerk scored 25 runs from 22 balls, hitting 3 boundaries. Wolvaardt managed to score 44 runs off 39 balls, including 1 six and 2 fours, but the team crumbled after reaching 96 runs, losing their fifth wicket and ultimately getting all out for 107.
Georgia Wareham was the standout bowler for Australia, taking 3 wickets for just 13 runs in 2.4 overs. Sophie Molineux and Alana King each took 2 wickets, while Kim Garth and Ashley Gardner claimed 1 wicket each.
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RSG
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