Tonight at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Meg Lanning’s Australian T20 team will be after their fourth world championship on the trot when they take on the West Indies in the final.
There have only been five women’s world tournaments, with Australia finishing third in 2009 – the inaugural year.
Since then Australia has reigned supreme, putting heir male counterparts to shame. The Australian men have reached just one final in six attempts, losing to England by seven wickets.
The Australian team that day was Shane Watson, David Warner, Michael Clarke, David Hussey, Cameron White, Mike Hussey, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes.
Did they learn anything from that game to improve?
Not a dot, and still haven’t.
It’s a combination of selection bungles, irresponsible batting and embarrassing line and length.
The girls obviously haven’t got the power with the bat, but they have the placement while they nag away with far more accurate bowling. The match results prove the point.
So far in the history of world T20 championships, the Australian men have played 29 games and won 16 for 55.17 per cent.
By comparison, the Australian women have played 24 games and won 18 for 77.08 per cent.
Have they been given their rightful recognition?
Most definitely not.
Last night on Sky’s Sportsline, an hour-long show, the panel managed to talk about the Australian team and the final for the very last 55 seconds.
That’s par for the course throughout the media.
But the girls deserve a whole lot more than that.
Tonight there’s a genuine danger in West Indian all-rounder Stafanie Taylor who is second among the run-getters with 187 at 37.40, and third among the wicket-takers with her offies, with eight wickets at 12.
And there’s another West Indian bowler who could be hard to handle in Deandra Doffin, a medium pacer, with seven wickets at 12.71.
Lanning will be Australia’s mainstay with the bat. So far in the tournament the skipper has scored 149 at 49.66 to be fourth among the leading run-getters.
But she will be looking to Alex Blackwell, averaging 32, and Elyse Villani with 29.75 to bolster the Australian total.
A lot will be expected of dual international Ellyse Perry who has had a relatively quiet tournament by her lofty standards, averaging 27 with both bat and ball. But she has always been a big-game player.
Australia will also look to bowlers Megan Schutt and Kristen Beams who have taken seven wickets at 12.14, and five at 21 respectively.
If the Australians win tonight as expected, it’s up to Sportsline and every other media outlet to give the girls their rightful due.
It’s long overdue.
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