Healy blitz leads Aussies to sweep

Brilliant batting from Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner and another superb display from left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux helped Australia seal an 89-run victory and an ODI series whitewash against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur.

Healy (97) gave the Australian innings an explosive start to the third and final ODI before falling agonisingly short of a second ODI century, while a powerful maiden international fifty from Gardner (62no from 37) propelled the Australian total to 7-324.

Pakistan made a spirited reply led by opener Nahida Khan before a half-century from Aliya Riaz added late excitement, but the pressure applied by Molineux, who finished with 1-16 off 10, meant the mammoth target was always far out of reach as Pakistan ended their 50 overs on 7-235.

Batting first, Healy made her intentions clear when she struck three consecutive boundaries to begin the match.

It was a different story at the other end, when opening partner Nicole Bolton was dismissed for a golden duck as Sana Mir trapped her plumb lbw in the second over, and while skipper Meg Lanning looked in fine touch with two early boundaries she couldn't repeat her heroics from the second ODI, out for 14 (25).

But Healy looked at home, swapping her helmet for a green and gold ODI cap and feasting on the Pakistan bowling attack.

A big six, followed by a single, brought up her half-century from 54 balls and from there the wicketkeeper-batter escalated, striking 38 runs from the next 19 deliveries she faced.

Healy was hooking, cutting, sweeping and driving anything the Pakistan bowlers served up, with a second big six taking her into the nineties.

But she fell heartbreakingly short of a second one-day century, bowled by a delivery from medium-pacer Diana Baig that kept low, ending an entertaining knock featuring 14 fours and two maximums.

Ellyse Perry – hoping to go big in her 100th ODI – looked to be finding her feet after another circumspect start when she struck a big six over deep extra cover, only to become Mir's second victim in the 29th over, out for a 64-ball 32.

Beth Mooney (38 off 36) and Rachael Haynes (30 off 37) came together to add 74 runs for the fifth wicket, before falling in quick succession, but Ashleigh Gardner and Sophie Molineux picked up where they left off.

Given license to attack at No.7, Gardner pounced, bringing up her first ODI half-century in her 12th innings, clearing the ropes three times on her way to 62no from 37.

Molineux also impressed with a 25-ball 26, leaving Pakistan needing to produce their highest ever score against Australia in reply.

Mir again finished the best of the Pakistan bowlers with 3-53, while Anam Amin was the other multiple wicket-taker.

The hosts reached 0-49 in reply before off-spinner Gardner drew first blood, Molineux completing the easy catch at short mid-on to remove Muneeba Ali (15 off 24).

Nahida's defiant 37 (57) came to an end in the 18th over as Nicola Carey claimed her first, while debutante Tayla Vlaeminck captured the big wicket of Pakistan captain Javeria Khan for her maiden international scalp, trapping the veteran lbw for six.

A dogged effort from Sidra Ameen (41 off 74), Nida Dar (30 off 37) and Aliya Riaz (51 off 69) caused plenty of frustration for the tourists but Pakistan simply couldn't score at the rate required, their target of 325 ultimately out of reach.

Gardner led the wicket-taking for the Australians with 3-43, while Molineux's brilliant figures means she now has figures of 6-39 from her first 26 ODI overs.

Earlier, teenage fast bowler Vlaeminck was presented with Australia ODI cap No.140 by star allrounder and childhood hero Perry, who made her 100th one-day appearance for the Southern Stars.

Australia XI: Nicole Bolton, Alyssa Healy (wk), Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Rachael Haynes, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Nicola Carey, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck

Pakistan XI: Nahida Khan, Muneeba Ali, Javeria Khan (c), Sidra Ameen, Nida Dar, Sana Mir, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Diana Baig, Anam Amin, Aliya Riaz

CommBank Tour of Malaysia

Australia ODI squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Australia T20 & World T20 squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen (subject to fitness), Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Pakistan ODI/T20 squad: Javeria Khan (c), Bibi Nahida, Ayesha Zafar, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Sidra Amin, Omaima Sohail, Nida Rashid, Sidra Nawaz, Sana Mir, Nashra Sundhu, Anum Amin, Natalia Parvaiz, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Aiman Anwar

October 18: Australia won the first ODI by five wickets

October 20: Australia won the second ODI by 150 runs

October 22: Third ODI v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

October 25: First T20I v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

October 27: Second T20I v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

October 29: Third T20I v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

2018 ICC Women's World T20  

November 9: Australia v Pakistan, Province Stadium, Guyana

November 11: Australia v Ireland, Province Stadium

November 13: Australia v New Zealand, Province Stadium

November 17: Australia v India, Province Stadium

November 22: Semi-finals, Sir Vivian Richards Ground, Antigua

November 24: Final, Sir Vivian Richards Ground