Southern Stars captain Meg Lanning defies chronic stomach bug to lead Australia to victory

SHE was violently ill before the coin toss and had to be woken up just minutes before going out to bat but that didn’t stop Meg Lanning inspiring Australia to victory.

A SERIOUSLY ill Meg Lanning had to be woken up in the change room just minutes before going out to bat, with her match-winning innings against South Africa to go down as one of the most courageous performances ever by an Australian cricket captain.

Lanning is expected to continue soldiering through a stomach bug to lead Australia into battle in their crunch World Twenty20 pool match against New Zealand in Nagpur on Monday.

Alyssa Healy has claimed underdog status for the grudge match and surprisingly declared the Black Caps favourites to beat the Southern Stars, who are vying for four-straight World T20 titles. However, Healy said Lanning’s knock against South Africa last Friday will

inspire Australia to go to another level for the rest of the tournament.

Meg Lanning played one of Australia’s most courageous ever innings at the World Twenty20. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Violently sick, Lanning vomited on the field and had to send teammate Alex Blackwell out to the coin toss instead.

She was forced off halfway through Australia’s bowling innings, and passed out on a massage table until woken in a haze by Healy after the Southern Stars had lurched into crisis point at 3-9 chasing 102 for victory.

Lanning – proving yet again why she is one of the biggest stars in all of women’s sport – smashed an unbeaten 30 off 19 balls to see Australia home with nine balls to spare.

“She was asleep in the change room when I got out,” Healy told News Corp.

“I went upstairs and chucked my stuff in my bag and she was still asleep. By the time I’d finished un-padding we were three for and I saw her stir a little bit on the table and I said; ‘How are you feeling Meg?’

“She was like, ‘oh … OK’ and I had a look at the scoreboard and said, ‘you might need to pad up’.

“It was really gutsy from her to go out there and she showed her class to go out there and change the game for us. A fantastic effort.”

New Zealand’s women beat the Southern Stars 2-1 in last month’s T20 series across the Tasman, and Healy said the kiwis were favourites.

“I think they have a right to be confident and probably have the right to go in as favourites as well,” said Healy.

“But that doesn’t worry us too much, World Cups seem to be completely different. It seems to be when we play our best cricket.”