Australia v Sri Lanka: Rachael Haynes half century gets Aussies out of tough spot in Perth

Having set Australia just 123 to win, Sri Lanka took a flurry of top order wickets to put the hosts under immense pressure. However, a Rachael Haynes half century and Meg Lanning making the most of several lives got Australia home.

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There were many questions hanging over Australia coming into their second T20 World Cup game: is the pressure and expectation taking its toll? Is there a confidence issue brewing with the world’s No. 1 ranked women’s cricket team?

Now, surely, in their slightly shaky, five-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the WACA, one question has been answered: Yes, there seems to be an issue with Australia’s top order batters.

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Chasing 123 for victory at the WACA against Sri Lanka, the Aussies lost three of their most dangerous batters – openers Alyssa Healy (0), Beth Mooney, (6) and Ash Gardner (2) – inside the first four overs.

It was as if they couldn’t read any movement off the wicket: medium-pacer Udeshika Prabodani bowled both Healy and Gardner, while Mooney was stumped, enticed out of her crease by Shashikala Siriwardena.

In the blink of an eye, Australia had crumbled to 3/10 and a distinct sense of shock had settled over the Perth crowd.

What’s going on? This was meant to be a veritable walk in the park.

Alyssa Healy was dismissed without scoring a single run.

With the Aussies in all sorts, captain Meg Lanning was joined at the crease by her vice-captain Rachael Haynes.

Playing her 100th T20 game in the green and gold, Lanning needed to call on all her level-headedness to steady a rapidly sinking ship.

The pair calmly, slowly, deliberately and with conservative shot choices compiled a 95-run match-winning partnership.

Rachael Haynes' half century was the bedrock of Australia's innings.

Haynes was lucky when she was dropped on 26 and brought up a brilliant half-century with a six. She was dropped again on 59, and in a third-time-lucky for Sri Lanka, she was stumped by Siriwardena and finished with 60 (47 balls).

Needing four runs from the final over, it was left to Ellyse Perry to deliver, which she did.

Lanning’s unbeaten 41 (44 balls) was a fitting way for one of the country’s best ever cricketers to celebrate her milestone.

Haynes said she hoped the win would prove not only that Australia's batting depth could carry it through the tournament, but that there was a real steel and resolve to the team.

"I hope today showed a little bit of our character, to be honest," she said. "World Cups are never easy and playing at home, we're actually really enjoying that opportunity to do it, but you can't escape from the fact, it's different from a normal series, where perhaps you can drop a game here or there but know you can get back in the contest. 

"It's World Cup cricket. You have to keep winning, that's the nature of the beast.

Meg Lanning became the third Australian to reach 100 T20 international appearances.

"I'm sure there were a couple of nerves, but I hope today showed a lot of the character that's in the group, to get over the line right at the end there, it will create some wonderful momentum heading into the rest of the tournament."

Earlier, there had been no better a start for Australia when inswinger Megan Schutt had a wicket maiden first over.

The Sri Lankans were on their knees at 1-0, but from here, the visitors were in no mood to run and from captain Chamari Athapaththu and Usasha Thimeshani came a flurry of boundaries and by the end of the sixth over, their 1-32 had been compiled with seven fours.

Medium-pacer Nicola Carey, who returned to the Aussie XI at the expense of Annabel Sutherland, came in with immediate effect, having Thimeshani caught at mid-off for 20, including.

Athapaththu continued on her merry way, with beautiful sweep shots and strong drives, at one point hitting the stands with a high, hard slog.

She brought up her half century when she drove a Carey full toss to the boundary rope, but five balls later and a mis-hit half-volley had her caught at extra cover by Lanning.

This dismissal slowed Sri Lanka’s run scoring ability to a relative crawl and despite some brave stroke play from Anushka Sanjeewani and a flurry from Nilakshika Silva, they scored only 29 runs from their final six overs, finishing with 6-122.

Originally published as Australia v Sri Lanka: Rachael Haynes half century gets Aussies out of tough spot in Perth