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Come on Melbourne and Sydney cricket lovers, turn up to watch the Aussie girls

6th November, 2014
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Australia's women's cricket team goes from strength to strength. (Photo via Cricket Australia)
Expert
6th November, 2014
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Meg Lanning’s Australian women’s Twenty20 side is deserving of far more support.

They thumped the West Indies by 86 runs in the curtain-raiser at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday in front of two men and a dog.

The men’s team played that night but were whupped by South Africa by seven wickets in front of a 25,370 crowd.

The girls played far better and far more entertaining cricket than Aaron Finch’s side.

Lanning’s only 22, but is already a seasoned international of 32 ODIs, 47 T20s, and a couple of Tests.

Batting three on Wednesday, after a swift opening stand of 93 off 11.2 overs between Elyse Villani (50 off 34), and all-rounder Jess Jonassen (47 off 39), Lanning increased the pressure with 45 off just 26. That launched the Australians to post 3-160 off their 20 overs.

The Windies struggled to finish with 9-74, aided by excellent Australian fielding.

Lanning has enormous depth in her side, led by 24-year-old all-rounder Ellyse Perry who has been a dual international cricketer and footballer for the last eight years.

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No other Australian, man or woman, has been a dual international at 16, and no other man or woman has played in both cricket and football World Cups. Watching Perry in action is worth the price of admission alone, but there’s a new talent on the international block – 30-year-old leggie Kristen Beams.

Despite the lack of international experience, she has superb control of line and length with a perfect loop that tantalises opposition batswomen. Last Wednesday she returned the best figures of 3-16 off her four overs.

Beams’ combination with keeper Alyssa Healy, a niece of former Test keeper Ian Healy, was outstanding with two stumpings, the loop doing the trick.

Healy is a class act with the gloves, obviously in the genes, as an integral part of a very professional cricket team.

Melbourne is the greatest sporting spectator city in the world, so prove it all again tonight by turning up to the MCG in droves to support this top team.

Then it’s Sydney’s turn on Sunday, and the same invitation goes out to you. Being Sunday there’s no excuse not to make an afternoon and night of it.

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