So, thanks for reading; bye!
So Australia consolidate their position as favourites for the competition; they were far too good for a timid Pakistan, even if they let this match go on for longer than seemed likely. The bowling of Ellyse Perry will be a concern too, but when all’s said and done, they’re still 4-0. Next up: England.
Australia beat Pakistan by 159 runs
That could scarcely have been easier.
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WICKET! Diana run out (Beams) (Pakistan 131 all out)
Diana pushes to long off and sets off, Beams seizes the ball and throws down the stumps, much to her delight.
WICKET! Mir b Gardner 45 (Pakistan 131-9)
Seeking her fifty, Mir comes down the track and looks to hoik off her legs. But the ball is wider than ideal, so she misses and has to go.
50th over: Pakistan 131-8 ( Mir 45, Sadia 3) Gardner will send down the final over; 160 needed from it.
49th over: Pakistan 131-8 ( Mir 45, Sadia 3) Australia might look at their bowling performance and wonder how they’ve taken so long to not dismiss a side so timid. Of course, if there are no risks taken it can be hard, but there’ve been too few seriously testing balls. Perry, desperate for a wicket, tries a slower-ball bouncer that flummoxes Mir; Mir then strokes into the covers for one, the only run from the over. Perry finishes with 0-24 from her 10.
WICKET! Nashra lbw b Gardner 6 (Pakistan 131-8)
Nashra goes back and Gardner’s ball hurries on; she can’t find it with her bat, and is hit dead.
48th over: Pakistan 130-7 ( Mir 44, Nashra 6) Nashra gets a leading edge to Gardner’s fourth ball and Haynes dashes in from mid off but even with a dive, can’t quite get to the ball in time.
47th over: Pakistan 127-7 ( Mir 42, Nashra 5) Perry is putting her back into this, attacking the diminutive Nashra with a bouncer; she finds it hilarious, then edges a humungous swing to third man for four. A wide follows, Nashra then guides a single to long on, except they can’t be arsed to take it.
46th over: Pakistan 121-7 ( Mir 41, Nashra 1) This is very gentle now; I daresay Australia’s next game against England - who are in the process of clumping South Africa - might be slightly more intense.
45th over: Pakistan 120-7 ( Mir 40, Nashra 1) Perry returns and doesn’t look any more at ease than in her two previous spells. One from the over.
44th over: Pakistan 119-7 ( Mir 39, Nashra 1) Mir reverse-sweeps Gardner’s first two balls for four; lovely stuff, but why wait until now to try it? A single follows, so just the 172 from 36 deliveries needed.
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43rd over: Pakistan 110-7 ( Mir 30, Nashra 1) I’m really not sure what Pakistan are up to here. Sure, Australia’s total is imposing, but at least attack it with conviction. This is miserable stuff; they’re even declining singles now, because Mir is needed for the final push.
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42nd over: Pakistan 109-7 ( Mir 30, Nashra 1) Mir ruins Jonassen’s figures, reverse-sweeping her for four. Jonassen responds with two dots, but then cedes a single to long on, the definition of profligacy.
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41st over: Pakistan 104-7 ( Mir 24, Nashra 1) Mir gets forward to Arey and with no short mid-on they snaffle a single. A wide follows, then four dots and one to fine leg.
40th over: Pakistan 102-7 ( Mir 23, Nashra 1) Jonassen might just end up with some of the most economical figures of all-time. Another maiden means she now has 17 off nine; not bad.
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39th over: Pakistan 102-7 ( Mir 23, Nashra 1) I’m not sure I’ve ever seen overs rattled through which quite such prejudice. Nashra scrapes a single, after which Mir arranges four to cow corner and drinks come on.
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38th over: Pakistan 97-7 ( Mir 19, Nashra 0) Jonassen, back for a third spell, decides to come around to Mir. Naturally, she serves up yet another maiden, after which the umpires signal for drinks, after which the drinks do not come.
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37th over: Pakistan 97-7 ( Mir 19, Nashra 0) Pakistan just can’t get a partnership going, and consequently have never had Australia under even a modicum of pressure.
WICKET! Sidra c Healy b Aley 4 (Pakistan 97-7)
Aley fires down a wide one; it does nothing, so Sidra swipes, imparting a thick edge which is very well taken behind the stumps.
37th over: Pakistan 97-6 ( Mir 19, Sidra 4) Sidra cops a return throw on the back which bends her over but she has a chuckle afterwards.
36th over: Pakistan 97-6 ( Mir 19, Sidra 4) Aaaarrrghh. My system crashed, but it appears that Mir helped herself to two fours. It’s on!
35th over: Pakistan 89-6 ( Mir 11, Sidra 4) Sidra takes one to third man and then Mir almost drags on, ambling one instead. Aley responds with four leg-side wides.
34th over: Pakistan 82-6 ( Mir 10, Sidra 3) Sidra crumps to wide long on and they dash a single. That’s it from the over, as we wait patiently for this match to expire.
33rd over: Pakistan 81-6 ( Mir 10, Sidra 2) Aley is back, and Mir helps her around to the leg side for one; Sidra then does likewise when she strays straight.
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32nd over: Pakistan 79-6 ( Mir 9, Sidra 1) Sidra gets off the mark with a swipe to square-leg, then Mir turns one towards the same area. Two from the over, plus a wicket.
WICKET! Asmavia b Beams 10 (Pakistan 77-6)
Asmavia backs away to make room for the cut, except she misses and her leg-stump is hammered from its moorings. That’s the fourth time today that a bowler has taken a wicket with the first ball of a spell.
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31st over: Pakistan 77-5 ( Asmavia 10, Mir 8) Perry begins her over with a bouncer; it’s a long way over Asmavia’s head and a clear wide. Asmavia then takes a single, before Perry tries a bouncer ... Mir hooks unconvincingly for four, good for her.
30th over: Pakistan 71-5 ( Asmavia 9, Mir 4) Mir sweeps Jonassen, who appeals for lb; there was definitely bat on that, and they run two. Five dots follow.
29th over: Pakistan 69-5 ( Asmavia 9, Mir 2) Pakistan need more than 10 an over now, and Perry celebrates by drawing an edge from Mir. She celebrates, bouncing and prancing, but still no finger goes up. Er, ok. That was obvious. Mir then tries a square cut and gets most of it, but Blackwell, at point, leaps into a tremendous stop; next ball, Mir deflects a decent short one over the top and they run one.
28th over: Pakistan 68-5 ( Asmavia 9, Mir 1) Jonassen, whose figures so far read 5-3-5-1, returns. And she’s another maiden to add to that, a leg-bye from the final delivery the only run ceded. from the over.
27th over: Pakistan 67-5 ( Asmavia 9, Mir 1) Perry returns, and after two dots, an awful delivery pitches about two feet in front of her and swings away for an obvious wide. A bye then completes the scoring for the over.
26th over: Pakistan 65-5 ( Asmavia 9, Mir 1) Villani’s wicket-to-wicketers put the strangle on, a wide aside ... and another. Mir then glances her way off the mark, diverting the ball to square-leg.
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25th over: Pakistan 62-5 ( Asmavia 9, Mir 0) Asmavia has a huge hoik at Gardner’s final ball, getting about a sixteenth of it. Women and girls, this.
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WICKET! Iram c Bolton b Gardner 21 (Pakistan 62-5)
After taking four from the first ball of the over, Iram goes again, swiping towards cow corner. But Bolton is alive to it, haring in off the fence and sliding underneath a fine catch.
24th over: Pakistan 58-4 ( Iram 17, Asmavia 9) The charge is on! Villani into the attack and she loosens with a half-tracker, whacked through backward point for four by Asmvia. A bye and a single follow.
A stunning catch by Pakistan captain @mir_sana05 was voted as Sunday's #WWC17 @Nissan Play of the Day! Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/xUdJ3DP6pl
— ICC (@ICC) July 5, 2017
23rd over: Pakistan 52-4 ( Iram 16, Asmavia 5) Well whaddaya know? Iram takes four from Gardner’s first ball, looking towards leg and squirting into the off; five dots follow.
22nd over: Pakistan 48-4 ( Iram 12, Asmavia 5) A maiden for Beams and the PA plays a tune that isn’t this.
21st over: Pakistan 48-4 ( Iram 12, Asmavia 5) After another single to Iram, Gardner befuddles Asmavia with a topspinner that passes her edge by very little indeed. Perry then does really well to save a boundary, diving on the point fence, but when she shies to the bowler’s end, Gardner can’t collect and the ball runs over the rope at cover.
20th over: Pakistan 41-4 ( Iram 10, Asmavia 0) Iram flips a single down to square-leg, with three dots and two dots either side. The only question now is whether Pakistan will bat their overs.
19th over: Pakistan 41-4 ( Iram 10, Asmavia 0) Gardner rushes through another frugal over, one off it. Drinks.
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18th over: Pakistan 40-4 ( Iram 9, Asmavia 0) After three dots and a W, Beams allows a leg-side wide; Asmavia sends Iram back when she fancies a single to backward point.
WICKET! Nain c Mooney b Beams 7 (Pakistan 39-4)
This is not a good shot at all. Needing runs and with mid on and mid off up, Nain swings at a low full-toss. But she doesn’t strike through it, handing the former an easy catch. This is over, I’m afraid.
17th over: Pakistan 39-3 (Nain 7, Iram 9) Gardner into the attack, and a fine one it is too, a maiden that has Iram in strife all the way through. She plays and misses twice and generally looks scooby-deficient.
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16th over: Pakistan 39-3 (Nain 7, Iram 9) Beams begins with a wide, and then when she drops short, Iram is quickly down the track once more to deposit the ball back over her head for a one-bounce four. A single follows, and that’s six off the over, the most profitable of the innings.
15th over: Pakistan 33-3 (Nain 7, Iram 4) And there’s another wide one, and there’s another Nain square drive. But she doesn’t get all of this so, though the ball runs to the fence, it’s stopped thereafter and they run two, all they muster from the over.
14th over: Pakistan 31-3 (Nain 5, Iram 4) Beams ties a flatter, faster wrongun - it skids on, and Iram just manages to dig it out. Another three dots follow, but then she trots down the pitch to welly four straight over the top.
13th over: Pakistan 27-3 (Nain 5, Iram 0) Aley is absolutely loving life, bowling full and straight. Nain doesn’t seem to have the footwork to manufacture space, resigned to wait for the loose one. And there it is, wide and overpitched so sent rushing to the fence at deep point.
12th over: Pakistan 23-3 (Nain 1, Iram 0) Wicket-maiden for Beams, and Pakistan are not long for this match.
WICKET! Marina c Aley b Beams 9 (Pakistan 23-3)
Oh dear, dear me; Marina gets down on one knee to have a shy at a straight one, clumping straight to square leg. Whatever was she thinking?
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12th over: Pakistan 23-2 (Marina 9, Nain 1) Theoretical respite: Beams replaces Jonassen. Nain takes a top-spinner on the pad and there’s an appeal, but that one was clearly going down and they run a bye.
11th over: Pakistan 22-2 (Marina 9, Nain 1) There we go. Therrrrrre we go! Aley allows Marina some width, and she spanks a square drive for four; what they need, though, is to score off good balls, because hammering the bad ones won’t get them anywhere near.
10th over: Pakistan 18-2 (Marina 5, Nain 1) It doesn’t matter who’s facing; none of the Pakistani batters have looked remotely comfortable against Jonassen - they can’t even ro-tate the strike. She fires in six more darts, none of them scored off, and already Pakistan are big, big trouble.
9th over: Pakistan 18-2 (Marina 5, Nain 1) It’s a good over this, Nain forced to jab down on one which keeps low. But with a wicket-maiden in sight, a wide ruins it and a single follows.
WICKET! Ayesha c Villani b Aley 8 (Pakistan 16-2)
This is what she can do with the ball! She bangs in a full one, and it actually finds itself meeting Ayesha’s swing. But she doesn’t connect properly, skying a drive to mid on, where Villani takes a smart catch over her shoulder, running towards the boundary. Slice of urine, this Test cricket.
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9th over: Pakistan 16-1 (Ayesha 8, Marina 5) Sarah Aley has the ball; she’s already had a great debut thanks to her efforts with the bat, but what can she do with the ball?
8th over: Pakistan 15-1 (Ayesha 8, Marina 5) Ayesha turns a single around the corner to backward square-leg, but they don’t chance one to mid-off next ball. So one off the over and the required rate is already almost 6.5.
7th over: Pakistan 15-1 (Ayesha 7, Marina 5) Ayesha squirts Perry’s first ball to midwicket for one; it’s the only run from the over. I wonder what Pakistan’s plan is here, because they really can’t afford too many more low-scoring overs.
6th over: Pakistan 14-1 (Ayesha 6, Marina 5) Jonassen is fair rattling through these overs, racking up the dots before the batters have even noticed them. She hits Marina on the pad and there’s another strangulated appeal; again the ball was going down. And then when she’s donated width, she doesn’t miss out, throwing hands into a flowing cover-drive that gets her four.
5th over: Pakistan 10-1 (Ayesha 6, Marina 1) Perry continues; I know I speculated as to whether she’s injured, but her workload suggests to the contrary. Seems more likely she’s trying to bowl herself into form ... and could that have been the moment? After three dots, Ayesha spanks a half-volley down the ground ... Perry’s in her follow-through but throws up both hands towards her face and the ball sticks ... then bursts! Aaaaarggh. Then, off the final ball of the over, Ayesha swings at a short one, top-edges, and gets herself a one-bounce four. It never rains....
4th over: Pakistan 6-1 (Ayesha 2, Marina 1) After four dots, Marina plays and misses, taking one on the pad; there’s an appeal, but on principle; the ball looked to be going well down. Maiden.
3rd over: Pakistan 6-1 (Ayesha 2, Marina 1) It’s not fun watching a champion like Perry bowl like this; perhaps she’s not fit. She gives Ayesha some width, and she drives nicely, but Jonassen stops well at cover point.
2nd over: Pakistan 4-1 (Ayesha 2, Marina 0) Wicket-maiden for Jonassen, who may end up being one of the crucial players in this tournament. Australia have great batsmen, but there are teams who can compare, and anyway, as we saw in the Champions Trophy, great bowling settles things because it’s so rare.
WICKET! Nahida b Jonassen 0 (Pakistan 4-1)
This well bowled and all that - and decent captaincy too - but really, Nahida. She goes down on one knee to sweep an almighty hoik at a ball that’s full on off, misses, and back goes her peg.
1st over: Pakistan 4-0 (Ayesha 2, Nahida 0) Perry starts with a friendly half-volley, driven square on the off side; her pace - so really her rhythm - isn’t quite there at the moment.
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Afternoon all. Due to the vagaries of telly coverage, this be your Daniel Harrises filling in for your Tim de Lisles; they players are in the middle...
Innings break
That was a very good comeback from Australia, who scored 230 from the last 30 overs and 102 from the last 10. The consequence is that Pakistan need 291 to win. Tim de Lisle will be with you for their innings. Thanks for your company, bye!
50th over: Australia 290-8 (Healy 63, Aley 12) The last over of the innings, from Diana Baig, is bashed for 22! Healy clobbers four to long off to reach a 37-ball fifty, pings a spectacular six over square leg and squeezes the next ball to the third-man boundary. She finishes with 63 from 40 balls, and Aley has 15 from eight on debut.
49th over: Australia 268-8 (Healy 48, Aley 8) Ten more from Mir’s final over; she ends a really good spell with figures of 10-1-49-3.
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48th over: Australia 259-8 (Healy 40, Aley 6) Diana Baig’s eighth over disappears for 10. The debutant Aley whips a full toss for four, and then Healy drags another boundary over midwicket. She has played with impressive intent, hurtling to 41 from 32 balls.
47th over: Australia 249-8 (Healy 36, Aley 1) Healy takes consecutive boundaries off Mir with a strong drive and a big edge, before missing the most premeditated switch hit you will ever see. She was in position before Mir had finished her run-up.
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WICKET! Australia 239-8 (Gardner c Asmavia b Mir 22)
Gardner lifts Mir high towards deep square leg, where Asmavia takes the catch.
46th over: Australia 239-7 (Healy 27, Gardner 22) Gardner continues her impressive innings by smacking Sadia over wide long on for six. Two balls later she miscues towards the extra-cover boundary, where Ayesha misjudges the catch and gives away four runs as well. Fourteen from the over; Gardner has 22 from 12 balls.
Since you asked, England are batting tremendously against South Africa, with the little genius, Sarah Taylor, in full flow. She is racing towards the highest ODI score by an England player, Charlotte Edwards’ 173 not out.
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45th over: Australia 225-7 (Healy 24, Gardner 11) Gardner rocks back to force Marina through cover point for four. That was a very classy stroke for a No9.
44th over: Australia 216-7 (Healy 22, Gardner 5) Gardner scrunches her second ball through the covers for four to get off the mark. Pakistan will be justifiably proud of their performance with the ball, though Australia should have enough runs to avoid a shock defeat.
WICKET! Australia 211-7 (Jonassen c Mia b Sadia 2)
Sadia has recovered well after a desperate start to the match, both with the ball and in the field. And now she has her second wicket, with Jonassen chipping tamely to Mia at midwicket.
43rd over: Australia 211-6 (Healy 22, Jonassen 2) Healy runs down the track to splatter Nashra over wide mid off for four. Terrific batting, and it moves her to 22 from 21 balls.
42nd over: Australia 203-6 (Healy 16, Jonassen 0) Perry is sitting with her pads still on, hands over her face in disappointment. That’s a really interesting insight into the mindset of a great cricketer.
WICKET! Australia 203-6 (Perry c Mir b Sadia 66)
Ellyse Perry is out! She played another handsome inside-out drive but didn’t get the elevation and Sana Mir took a smart catch at extra cover. Perry, who played almost flawlessly, will be annoyed that she has missed out on a first international hundred.
41st over: Australia 198-5 (Perry 63, Healy 14) Perry gets his first boundary for 17 overs with a stunning drive over extra cover off Nashra. She drives with such upright elegance. Later in the over Healy swaggers down the pitch to slap another boundary over extra cover. Great shot.
40th over: Australia 188-5 (Perry 58, Healy 9) Healy gets her first boundary with a lovely shot, driving Sadia inside out over extra cover. That was one of the shots of the innings.
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39th over: Australia 179-5 (Perry 55, Healy 3) Perry will surely go big at some stage. She hasn’t hit a boundary since the 24th over, content to tick along with singles.
38th over: Australia 178-5 (Perry 54, Healy 3) Good stuff from the returning Sadia, who bowls five dot balls to the new batsman Alyssa Healy before a double misfield costs her a maiden.
37th over: Australia 176-5 (Perry 54, Healy 1) Meanwhile, if you’re into the men’s game, here’s some essential reading.
WICKET! Australia 175-5 (Blackwell b Mir 23)
Blackwell’s cameo comes to an end. She fell to a fine delivery from Sana Mir, tossed up from around the wicket before straightening sharply. Blackwell pushed tentatively and inside edged it onto the stumps.
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36th over: Australia 170-4 (Perry 53, Blackwell 19) The impressive Diana Baig returns to the attack. Blackwell flashes a back cut for four, continuing a breezy start to her innings. The security of Perry - who is now averaging 166 in this tournament, allows everyone at the other end to tee off with impunity.
35th over: Australia 162-4 (Perry 51, Blackwell 13) Blackwell hoicks a full toss from Marina round the corner for her first boundary. Pakistan started superbly but have lost control of the match now.
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34th over: Australia 156-4 (Perry 50, Blackwell 8) Perry steals a single to reach the usual half-century, her 19th in the last 30 ODIs. Before that she made one fifty in her first 57 matches. She has batted beautifully; in fact I can’t remember a false stroke in the whole innings.
33rd over: Australia 151-4 (Perry 49, Blackwell 4) Four from Marina’s over, all singles. There was a direct hit but Blackwell was comfortably home.
32nd over: Australia 147-4 (Perry 47, Blackwell 2) While Villani was smashing it to all parts I was looking at some fast-scoring innings on Statsguru. Look at Miriam Grealey’s knock here. Nine from one ball! The mind boggles. Anyone know what happened?
31st over: Australia 143-4 (Perry 45, Blackwell 0) “Ellyse Perry,” says Phil Withall. “What a magnificent cricketer, nay athlete. The way she goes about her business, plays to her strengths and the conditions is pure cricketing perfection. I will forgive her for the fact she bats, bowls, fields, plays football and retains her hair better than me purely because I love to watch her play sport.”
Yeah, at the moment she looks like she has almost perfected batting.
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WICKET! Australia 143-4 (Villani b Marina 59)
Villani’s cracking innings comes to an end when she tries to cut a ball from Marina that skids on to hit the stumps. It was the wrong choice of stroke, with the ball far too close to cut. She played a superb initiative-seizing innings, however: 59 from 40 balls with four sixes.
30th over: Australia 137-3 (Perry 45, Villani 53) Villani drives Sana Mir for her fourth straight six, which brings up a raucous 34-ball half-century. It’s been a brilliant performance.
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29th over: Australia 129-3 (Perry 44, Villani 46) Marina Iqbal’s first ball of the innings is slashed through backward point for by Villani, who has now overtaken Perry despite facing 40 fewer deliveries. She’s a little fortunate to survive when Marina skids an excellent delivery this far wide of the off stump.
28th over: Australia 121-3 (Perry 42, Villani 41) Villani drives Sadia for two emphatic straight sixes in three deliveries. This is brilliant batting; she now has 41 from 29 balls, and the dangerous Sadia has gone for 31 from four overs.
27th over: Australia 107-3 (Perry 42, Villani 28) Perry and Villani take six low-risk singles off the returning Sana Mir. Excellent batting, and you can feel Pakistan’s early optimism starting to evaporate.
26th over: Australia 102-3 (Perry 39, Villani 25) A decent over from Sadia, which she needed after a difficult 10 minutes.
25th over: Australia 98-3 (Perry 37, Villani 24) Villani sweeps Nashra for another four. She has been like a triple espresso in the Australian innings, hurtling to 24 from 18 balls.
24th over: Australia 91-3 (Perry 35, Villani 19) Villani survives a run-out chance, with the throw from extra cover whistling wide of the stumps. Perry then cuts the nervous Sadia for four.
23rd over: Australia 85-3 (Perry 30, Villani 17) Villani sweeps Nashra in the air towards deep backward square leg, where Sadia backpedals away from the ball instead of going for the catch. Then, when it bounces up, she pushes it over the boundary for four. That wasn’t the best bit of fielding - and she compounds it later in the over by helping another sweep from Villaini go for four more. Villani has started with considerable intent and has 18 from 21 balls.
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22nd over: Australia 74-3 (Perry 30, Villani 7) The left-arm spinner Sadia Yousaf comes into the attack - and Villani gets off the mark with a majestic straight six! Oof.
21st over: Australia 66-3 (Perry 29, Villani 0) Perry cuts Nashra for four, another excellent stroke. Pakistan need to get rid of her quicksmart if they are to have any chance of a famous victory.
20th over: Australia 60-3 (Perry 24, Villani 0) The new batsman is Elyse Villani.
WICKET! Australia 60-3 (Haynes c Sidra b Mir 28)
One captain dismisses another. Haynes pushed forward defensively to a nicely flighted delivery from Mir and was given out caught behind. Her reaction suggested there was no edge, as did the replays.
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19th over: Australia 60-2 (Perry 24, Haynes 28) That’s the shot of the innings from Haynes, who charges Nashra and drives for four with perfect placement between mid-off and extra cover.
18th over: Australia 55-2 (Perry 24, Haynes 23) Six singles from Mir’s over. Perry in particular has constructed her innings with intimidating certainty. She is so difficult to dismiss; in the last ten ODIs her average (112.75) exceeds her highest score (95)
17th over: Australia 49-2 (Perry 21, Haynes 20) The teenager spinner Nashra Sandhu, who bowled superbly against India on Sunday, replaces Asmavia. Perry punches an elegant drive to long off for a single, the first of three in the over.
16th over: Australia 46-2 (Perry 19, Haynes 19) The offspinner Mir pops a good delivery past Perry’s attempted cut. Another good over from here, just two from it. It’s time for drinks.
15th over: Australia 44-2 (Perry 18, Haynes 18) Perry drives Asmavia through the covers for her first boundary, and then punches her second through mid-off. Australia are looking good now.
14th over: Australia 36-2 (Perry 10, Haynes 18) The captain Sana Mir comes on to replace Diana Baig (6-0-16-1), and starts with an accurate over that goes for just a single.
13th over: Australia 35-2 (Perry 9, Haynes 18) Still no bowling changes from Pakistan. Haynes is playing fluently now, and gets her third boundary in as many overs with a nice cover drive off Asmavia.
12th over: Australia 30-2 (Perry 8, Haynes 14) Haynes fetches a short ball from Diana, launching it over midwicket for four more - and then she’s dropped by the keeper Sidra Nawaz. Haynes chased a wide yorker and squeezed it to the left of Sidra, who put down another pretty straightforward chance.
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11th over: Australia 23-2 (Perry 7, Haynes 9) Haynes hits the first boundary of the innings, thrashing Asmavia through the covers to prompt a blast of popular darts anthem ‘Freed From Desire’ over the tannoy.
10th over: Australia 17-2 (Perry 6, Haynes 4) Australia won’t be worried yet, despite this slow start; you’d expect them to target one or two of the change bowlers. In other news, England have started really well against South Africa, a match you can follow right here.
9th over: Australia 15-2 (Perry 6, Haynes 3) Perry guides Asmavia to third man for a couple. Diana then saves a boundary with an excellent stop at extra cover. A much better over for Australia, with six from it.
8th over: Australia 9-2 (Perry 2, Haynes 1) An errant delivery from Diana makes wides the joint top-scorer with three. Australia are playing very cautiously, content to see of the new-ball pair. Perry has two from 18 balls, Haynes one from eight.
7th over: Australia 8-2 (Perry 2, Haynes 1) A maiden from Asmavia to Haynes. It’s fair to say that, half an hour ago, nobody in the world thought Australia would be eight for two after seven overs. Pakistan have been terrific. Asmavia’s figures double up as a football formation: 4-2-3-1.
6th over: Australia 8-2 (Perry 2, Haynes 1) The stand-in captain Rachael Haynes is the new batsman, and she might now be wishing she’d bowled first upon winning the toss.
WICKET! Australia 7-2 (Bolton LBW b Diana 3)
Oh my! Australia are two down. Bolton tries to pull a short ball from Diana that straightens and creeps under the bat to hit the pad. The umpire took a while to give her out but replays suggested it was the right decision.
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5th over: Australia 7-1 (Bolton 3, Perry 2) Perry’s drive is well fielded at extra cover. Here off-driving is a thing of classical beauty, even when she doesn’t pierce the field.
4th over: Australia 5-1 (Bolton 2, Perry 1) What’s the opposite of a flyer? Whatever it is, Australia are off to one, with just five from the first four overs. That’s mainly down to some respect-demanding Pakistan bowling.
3rd over: Australia 3-1 (Bolton 2, Perry 0) Bolton is dropped! She top-edged a cut at a lifting delivery from Asmavia, and the keeper Sidra Nawaz put down a simple chance. It burst through the gloves and hit her on the shoulder. Pakistan have started superbly with the ball.
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2nd over: Australia 3-1 (Bolton 2, Perry 0) The young swing bowler Diana Baig will share the new ball. She starts with a wide but gets her line right thereafter, with some encouraging inswing to the left-handed Bolton. That was an excellent over, just two from it.
1st over: Australia 1-1 (Bolton 1, Perry 0) Ellyse Perry has moved up to No3, with Meg Lanning absent. She has batted beautifully in this tournament, averaging 115, and might fancy her chances of a maiden ODI century.
WICKET! Australia 1-1 (Mooney c Sidra b Asmavia 0)
Got her! Beth Mooney has gone for a duck, chasing a wide delivery angled across her by Asmavia Iqbal. That’s some start for Pakistan.
Anyone out there? The floor is yours, senator. We can talk about anything you like (when I’m not describing Australia boundaries and Pakistan wickets).
The teams
Pakistan Nahida, Zafar, Iqbal, Abidi, Javed, Khokar, Mir (c), Nawaz (wk), Sandhu, Yousuf, Baig.
Australia Mooney, Bolton, Haynes (c), Perry, Villani, Blackwell, Healy (wk), Jonassen, Gardner, Aley, Beams.
Australia have won the toss and will bat first
Rachael Haynes replaces Meg Lanning both as batsman and captain.
Preamble
Hello folks. There are some darn good teams at this World Cup, yet Australia still stand out from the crowd. They have won their first three matches with varying degrees of ease, and should thrash Pakistan today even without their captain Meg Lanning. Her chronic shoulder injury could become a bigger problem as the tournament progresses, as she is the most important part of a formidable batting line-up. Today, not so much. All due respect.
It’s another big day in the tournament: India, the only other team to have won all their games, play Sri Lanka, and England take on South Africa’s formidable pace attack. That is a seriously big game, because if England lose they will be in the malodorous stuff. Not that I’m saying you should follow that match instead. I’m not saying that.
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