Aussies Chase 141 at the World Cup After Cummins’ Hat-Trick In a thrilling encounter at the Women’s Cricket World Cup, Australia’s bowlers led by Pat Cummins decimated England’s batting lineup with a remarkable hat-trick, leaving the Aussies with a modest target of 141 to chase. Cummins, renowned for his blazing pace, unleashed an unstoppable spell that shattered the stumps of Tammy Beaumont, Nat Sciver, and Sophia Dunkley in successive deliveries. The hat-trick reduced England to 6 for 3, sending shockwaves through the opposition camp. Australia’s bowlers continued their dominant display, with Megan Schutt and Sophie Molineux also claiming multiple wickets. England’s innings eventually folded for a meager 140, thanks to Cummins’ heroics. In pursuit of the modest target, Australia’s openers, Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes, played with poise and elegance. Healy’s attacking intent saw her score a quickfire 29, while Haynes provided solidity at the other end. However, England’s bowlers fought back with some disciplined bowling, removing both openers within a short period. Skipper Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney then took charge, steering Australia towards victory with an unbroken partnership of 87 runs. Lanning’s classy innings of 64 not out included seven fours, while Mooney remained unbeaten on 51, guiding Australia to a comfortable eight-wicket win. The victory keeps Australia’s unbeaten run in the tournament intact and propels them to the top of the standings. Pat Cummins’ remarkable hat-trick, which is the first by an Australian woman at a World Cup, was the catalyst for Australia’s success. Her devastating bowling performance set the tone for the match and paved the way for the Aussies to chase down England’s total with relative ease.Pat Cummins became only the second Australian to score a T20 World Cup hat-trick – after Brett Lee in 2007 – to slow Bangladesh down late and restrict the underdogs to 8-140 in Antigua.
Pat Cummins became only the second Australian to score a T20 World Cup hat-trick – after Brett Lee in 2007 – to slow Bangladesh down late and restrict the underdogs to 8-140 in Antigua. Winning the toss, Australia had Bangladesh’s out-of-form batting order on the back foot when a classic full Mitch Starc (1-21) delivery sent Tanzid Hasan (0) back three balls in Friday’s innings. But then it was veteran tweaker Zampa (2-24) who did the heavy lifting, breaking through twice as Bangladesh lost 3-26 either side of the drinks. Zampa, player of the match in two of the four group stage matches, ended the 58-run partnership that had helped slow-starting Bangladesh recover from Hasan’s early loss. Litton Das (16 off 25 balls) misplayed a sweep shot, with Zampa’s ball bouncing off his knee onto the stumps, before the leg-spinner also snared Najmul Hossain Shanto (41 off 36). Litton Das of Bangladesh loses his wicket to Adam Zampa in Antigua. (AP PHOTO) The anchor of the innings came early, captain Shanto not even thinking about a review when Zampa struck his path on the last ball of the 13th over. With that dismissal, Zampa moved into second place for most wickets at the tournament (11), behind only Afghan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi (15). The tournament’s all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (1-24) returned to the bowling attack after pain prevented him from taking the ball against Scotland in Australia’s final group match. He caught and bowled Shakib Al Hasan (eight) when the veteran skied his delivery, but took some punishment when Towhid Hridoy (40 off 28) breathed life into Bangladesh’s innings. However, Cummins (3-29) ensured Bangladesh never really clicked into gear, bowling Mahmudullah for two and then tempting Mahedi Hasan to find Zampa as third man with the first ball he faced. When his opening throw of the 20th was over, Cummins had his hat-trick when Hridoy latched him to a stretching Josh Hazlewood in the cordon. Cummins became only the fourth Australian to score a T20I hat-trick, after Lee, Ashton Agar and Nathan Ellis, and the seventh player from any country to achieve the feat in a T20 World Cup.
Cummins Hat-trick Gives Australia 141-Run Target Pat Cummins’ sensational hat-trick set the stage for Australia to chase a modest 141-run target in their World Cup clash against Afghanistan. The Australian skipper dismissed Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Asghar Afghan in consecutive deliveries to cripple Afghanistan’s innings in the 18th over. After losing their top order cheaply, Afghanistan struggled to rebuild their innings. Najibullah Zadran (43) and Gulbadin Naib (29) provided some resistance, but Australia’s bowlers maintained control throughout. Mitchell Starc opened the bowling with a tight spell, claiming two wickets in his first four overs. Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell also chipped in with two wickets each, while Adam Zampa managed one. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 140 in the 38th over, leaving Australia with a relatively straightforward task. Australia will be confident of chasing down the target, especially after their impressive performance with the ball. David Warner and Aaron Finch will lead the batting charge, while Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne provide stability in the middle order. The match is crucial for both teams, with Australia aiming to maintain their unbeaten start to the tournament and Afghanistan desperate for a win to boost their qualification hopes.
