Australia chose to bat first after winning the toss in the 2024 U19 Women’s Tri-Nations T20 Series match against England, which is currently taking place at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota. The series is being hosted by Sri Lanka.
Australia started their inning, setting a target of 125 runs for England. Despite a slow start, losing early wickets, Amy Smith’s captain’s knock of 50 runs off 45 balls anchored the innings. Lucy Finn contributed a valuable 36 runs, building a formidable partnership of 81 runs off 55 balls, strengthening the total. Josie Groves’s 2 wickets and Tilly Corteen Coleman’s 3-fer turned out to be crucial breakthroughs for England in restricting Australia to 124/9 in 20 overs.
Chasing a target of 125 runs, England got off to a solid start with Erin Thomas and Davina Perrin’s partnership of 50 runs. Davina Perrin starred with the bat, scoring a brisk 56 runs off 38 deliveries, setting the pace for the chase. Despite losing a couple of quick wickets of Erin Thomas in the fifth over and Jodi Grewcock in the seventh over, Abi Norgrove’s unbeaten 30 runs guided England to victory with ease in just 13.3 overs. Maggie Clark and Tegan Williamson claimed 1 wicket each for Australia, but their efforts couldn’t restrict England from securing the win.
England comfortably chased down the target set by Australia, winning the match by 7 wickets and 39 balls to spare. This victory marks the second consecutive win for the same opponent.
The Women’s U19 Tri-Nation Series encompasses both T20 and One-Day formats. The six-match T20I series commenced on March 28th and is set to culminate on April 3rd. Powerhouse teams Australia and England, alongside the hosts Sri Lanka, have fiercely contended against one another throughout. The forthcoming match serves as the decider, determining which team will clinch the series with Sri Lanka and England each securing two victories in three matches. They will compete against each other in the final encounter.