It was only inevitable in retrospect that the final would be England vs Australia. The only two unbeaten teams. The only teams with eleven potential matchwinners. But a curious leitmotiv has become evident. Despite encouraging performances from emerging young cricketers, the actual matchwinners have been the veterans. Faced with the threat of losing their positions to the young and hungry, many of the tried and true have been inspired to hitherto unscaled heights. In no match was this more evident than in Thursday’s semi-final. South Africa’s bowling power play was entrusted to Marizanne Kapp (aged 36) and Shabnim Ismail (37) alone. Three overs each. And England’s top three had already been sent back. (Ismail has lost a little pace these days, but not a lot. And she is the fastest female bowler in history, having once exceeded 130 ks in the IPL.)

Thereafter? Why, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight restored order with patience, and a final flourish. England’s eventual total of 169/5 was too much for the South Africans. England’s spin trio of Smith, Dean and Ecclestone combined for 4/77 from their 12 overs. Only Tazmin Brits with a gallant 51 managed any sort of innings; and the one batsman who might have threatened England with a furious counter-attack was left with too much to do. Nadine de Klerk finished unbeaten and thoroughly frustrated on 14, and the Proteas fell 40 runs short.

Australia won the toss and elected to chase on a pitch which looks slow and low. Wyatt-Hodge and Jones began nervously against Garth. Hamilton’s left-arm pace induced an edge from Jones and was taken low down in the gully by Voll. England’s plan was to play with circumspection and cash in on the chaff. They had to wait until the fifth over for some of that. Sutherland sprayed the ball in all directions. But she has the knack of picking up wickets. When Wyatt-Hodge fanned at a leg-side wide Australia reviewed after Mooney’s acrobatic catch, and the evidence was in her favour. A faint glove it was indeed, and the veteran champion was sent on her way.

At the first refreshment break England was 2/39. It could have been three down had Gardner’s throw to Hamilton been more accurate. Alice Capsey was fortunate to survive her excessive exuberance in calling such a doubtful run. It took until the ninth over for the fireworks to begin, when Gardner was gored and savaged by Capsey. Her adventurism was ended by Molineux. Perhaps a reverse sweep against left-arm orthodox gazunders was a poor choice, and her off-stump was duly inclined. But the plan was sound enough. Let Capsey take the risks, and allow Sciver-Brunt to cruise until the time comes for a thundering exclamation mark towards the end.

By the 14-over break matters had reached a crisis for the home side at 4/93. Sciver-Brunt could no longer afford to trundle along as she had been. A run-a-ball 35 was a solid platform, but more would be needed. Par looked to be around 160, and that was currently many leagues distant. At the other end however was the tall, angular all-rounder Freya Kemp, and she it was who saluted. From an unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership of 80 from 55 Kemp smote her way to 44 from 28. And this against formidable opponents who gave little away, and who fielded like demons. With one exception, however: three times run-outs were missed which would ordinarily have been taken.

For Australia, the bowling stars were the openers Garth and Hamilton, whose seven overs combined for 2/39. Gardner was expensive, and Wareham must have wondered why she was only granted two overs of leg-spin, which yielded a mere nine runs. Nevertheless Australia must have been quietly confident. But this would be nothing like a cakewalk. The pitch is slow and low, and England will have learned useful lessons on where and how to bowl.

England sprang a surprise by opening with Dean’s off-spin. Voll clubbed the first ball straight for four, and was adjudged lbw to the second. It looked to be a poor decision, and on review it was indeed, having pitched outside leg. Lauren’s Bell’s first over was filled with incident, containing a no-ball, four byes, a wide, a pulled boundary, and Voll playing on to her stumps. The over concluded with Litchfield hitting her first delivery to the fence. Honours roughly even? Arguably, with a wicket and fifteen runs. With Australia’s prodigiously long batting lineup the plan was evident. Get the required rate down to a run a ball as soon as possible, and coast to victory.

After six overs Australia was 1/62. Only 89 required from 14 overs, and with Mooney and Litchfield in full cry England looked lost. But there was still four overs of Ecclestone to come. And perchance Kemp, fresh from her brilliant innings, might find something with her brisk mediums. As it happened, no, not really. Did I mention coasting? It appears that the word is not in these women’s lexicon. What Litchfield and Mooney unleashed upon the hapless English was more like a brutal massacre. When Linsey Smith went around the wicket Litchfield uncorked her favourite reverse sweep and clobbered the ball for six. Smith’s rueful smile spoke volumes. There were a few moments of unintended comedy when she tried to repeat the stroke against Ecclestone, who does not permit such extravagances. Litchfield whacked her pad with her bat in annoyance at having missed out, but it did not signify.

By the time Litchfield finally overreached and lost her stumps to Dean the game was done and dusted. Her 48 from 35 had been decisive. A good five minutes were wasted in determining whether or not Perry had been dismissed for a diamond duck. She hadn’t, since it was clear that Kemp had not touched the ball in her follow-through. But justice must be seen to be done and so forth. Although it did not seem to be a little later on. The English spin trio prolonged the contest with some tight overs. Then Perry spooned the ball low to Ecclestone, who apparently took the catch just above the turf. The third umpire disagreed. Unable to believe her eyes, the pony-tailed spinner advanced upon the umpires with smoke pouring out of her ears like the Flying Scotsman pulling in to Kings Cross station.

Fortunately for all concerned Charlie Dean – England’s deputy skipper – interposed her body and prevented a perilous incident. The match was over anyway, and this curious decision changed nothing. The contest ended in farce with five wides from the still incandescent Ecclestone. The truth was that England played according to the manual of past decades. If you bat first against Australia – whatever the pitch and conditions – you need a minimum of 170 to give yourself a chance. The two power plays told the story. England 2/39, Australia 1/62. Australia used their feet: either down the pitch or across the crease. England were mostly anchored as though chained to the turf. The visitors were simply too good, right throughout the tourney. Only India had made them improvise. This is Australia’s seventh T20 World Cup. None would deny that they were the champion team. Alana King – the premier bowler in World cricket – could not even make the eleven. Neither could Tahlia McGrath. One can scarcely recall Nicola Carey either batting or bowling. But there: as the poet Milton would have it, some also serve who only stand and wait.

The crowd? Lords was packed with almost 30,000 fans. They would for the most part have departed unsatisfied, but that’s sport for you. The final word belongs to Beth Mooney.  She had kept wickets superbly despite her injuries, standing up to the stumps and denying their enemy the chance to leave the crease. And she opened the batting and made 64 from 49 with ten boundaries. She assessed the English bowling and outwitted them repeatedly. She was adjudged leg before to Ecclestone at the end of the 16th over, but by then the game was over. She is still only 32. Australia may give thanks that she is married to a physiotherapist, who doubtless helps keep her on the park. She still has much to give our Invincibles. Hurrah!

That Australia went south of the Thames as red-hot favourites meant precisely nothing. The slate is wiped clean, and the race begins anew. There was consternation in the Caribbean camp as Deandra Dottin was seen being carried off by her team-mates in obvious distress just before the commencement. Lucy Hamilton meanwhile faced the menace of Matthews. Everyone knows what carnage might strike from her bat. She whacked the first ball to the off-boundary. Thereafter she rode her luck: several lofted strokes just avoiding the clutching hands of the fielders. Qiana Joseph meanwhile was in the horrors. She is in the team for her power hitting, but it looked as though some malevolent genie had transformed her bat into a stick of celery. After the power-play she was on 6 from 16, and nothing was going right for her.

Matthews’ good fortune ran dry on Wareham’s first delivery, which snaked past her wandering feet and took the middle stump. Leg-spinners don’t have to bowl Warneish freaks of nature. Just a little drift in and straighten is enough for most purposes. Joseph meanwhile finally connected with a straight drive for six, but this was the most mendacious of false dawns. She slog-swept Molineux to Gardner at cow corner and was safely taken. Worse followed when Gardner cleaned up Taylor and Claxton. At 4/59 after 11 the innings was coming apart at the seams. Worse was to follow when Henry perished to Molineux, and Shemaine Campbelle holed out to Perry from Wareham.

At this point West Indies were 6/83 halfway through the 16th over, and facing an embarrassing disaster. Lo and behold! the new batsman was the patched-up Dottin. We still do not know what happened to her just prior to the start of play. She looked to be limping, but eager for the fray. She and Jannillea Glasgow then put on 42: the latter perishing to Sutherland from the final delivery. Dottin’s unbeaten 26 from 16 was but an echo of her past glories; but it was a brave intervention from a much-decorated cricketer. 7/125 was no sort of score on this friendly wicket. But it could have been so much worse. Australia might have missed a trick through not including King to make up a spin quartet. Gardner (2/13), Wareham (2/17) and Molineux (2/30) combined for 6/60 from their eleven overs. The only wicket to fall to seam was the final one. The women in maroon are proverbially more comfortable facing seam than spin.

Beth Mooney, we are informed, has a pair of broken fingers. She allowed Voll to take the gloves just once before returning to the side. Surprisingly, she opened the innings. After six overs she had stroked her way to 41, losing Voll and Litchfield on the way. There was no brutality here. It was more a case of surgical strikes. She watches the field rearrange itself and pierces the gaps as if spot-welding her way to a new apartment block. There was a flutter in the rooms as Perry sent herself off with an unexplained niggle. Safety first, we assume. We need not have troubled ourselves, as Mooney and Gardner picked off the runs with seven overs to spare. It was a crushing win by a side apparently in cruise control. And Lords awaits on Sunday.

Australia vs India had not on the face of it much depending on it save as a preliminary skirmish before the finals. For the women in green, at any rate. Australia could not realistically be toppled from top spot even with a calamitous defeat. India by contrast must win. This for them is a quarter-final since South Africa’s defeat of Bangla Desh. In the other group New Zealand were gifted a last-minute reprieve and had the chance to seize a semi-final spot. This would have meant defeating England, which they could not do; despite playing arguably their best game of the tournament. Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday propelled them to a respectable 163. Alas, England brushed aside their bowlers and strolled to a nine-wicket victory with 16 deliveries in hand.

This opportunity had only turned up after the Irish women stunned the West Indies at Bristol. The Irish had frequently threatened during the tourney – notably against New Zealand – but had been unable to finish the job. Possibly inspired by the victory of their men’s team over the all-powerful visiting Indians, Ireland seized the initiative and refused to let it drop. The Maguire sisters, Prendergast and Kelly pinned their opponents down and refused to allow them any liberties, while Cara Murray’s leg-breaks bamboozled the hapless. Even the mighty Hayley Matthews could do nothing against her, and holed out to Stokell. Murray’s four overs of bewitching flight, turn and deadly accuracy yielded her 2/13.

Chasing a mere 129 to win, Ireland lost their captain early to the teasing spin of Munisar. But Prendergast and Hunter had not the slightest intention of letting slip the prize. Even a late flurry of wickets did not divert them from their objective, achieved by six wickets with a couple of overs in hand. The garlands belonged to many, although Orla Prendergast’s contribution (1/29 from her four overs, and a masterful 63 from 44) was pre-eminent. The Caribbean women were caught napping, and paid the price for their inattention. Bha bhua iontach é sin! As it transpired West Indies were reprieved, and will play Australia in the semi-final.

India won the toss and immediately decided to bat. Soon it became apparent that that there would be neither swing, seam movement, nor spin for the fielding side. Mandhana and Shafali were untroubled raising a stand of 66 until the latter attempted an inside-out cover-drive from Molineux and lost her stumps. Then Rodrigues was caught ball-watching while Mandhana completed two-thirds of a run towards her. The journey back was doomed, thanks to a swift and accurate throw from Hamilton. Thereafter the innings meandered. After 18 overs the home side ( so-called, given that the vast crowd was overwhelmingly pro-India) had reached 2/134, and Australia would have been well-satisfied with their work thus far.

Out of nowhere the fielding fell apart. That three catches went down in a few minutes was bad enough. That they all went for six from the blazing bat of Harmanpreet was considerably worse. Only when the Indian captain holed out to Perry at deepish mid-off did the insanity cease. Perry would no sooner drop that than her trousers. But 36 from the last two overs was a wholly avoidable disaster. Would 170 be enough? It looked if anything slightly over par; since the wicket, though docile enough, looks a little tired.

Voll hit the first ball from Renuka for four, and was trapped in front by the second. Litchfield meanwhile experienced a curious stop-motion innings, hitting two fours and a six, but finding herself frequently becalmed. She looked out of sorts, and it was no surprise when she holed out to Mandhana from the ever-impressive Sree Charani. When Mooney found Yadav from Deepti Australia found themselves in a sizeable chasm at 3/68 in the tenth over.

Australian hearts  must have sunk; but they need not have worried. A masterclass of strokeplay from Perry and Gardner saw Australia home with an over to spare. A stand of 100 from 57 speaks volumes by itself; but what the figures do not show is the command of the situation exerted by these two. No, get your eye in first. Required rate up to eleven? No problem. We will choose whom to target and club them insensible. Perry’s weary lofted drive at the death – safely taken by Shafali at long-off – happened far too late to affect proceedings. It was a vital experience for the Australians. They had cantered through the previous games unchallenged and untroubled. But it is another matter entirely to dig yourself a substantial hole and then climb out of it.  They will play West Indies, while England will play the suddenly-reprieved South Africans.

Headingley – so long the setting for dour contests beneath lowering skies  – is sharing in England’s summer heatwave. Long queues at ice-cream vans, bare legs and crop-tops, umbrellas in bright colours, and wide grins in the stands tell their own tale. This was Australia’s final hit-out before the serious business begins, and they made it count. The match began with a first-ball duck for Mooney, who edged Sadia Iqbal to slip. Gull Feroza dived to her right and pulled off a miraculous catch as if producing a startled rabbit from a green-and-white cap. Would Australia reset and consolidate? To ask the question is to answer it. Perry and Voll uncorked a glorious vintage of strokes in a century stand from 58 balls. Voll was all brute power. But Perry’s delectable strokeplay was a joy to behold. At one point she was beaten in flight. She opened the face of her bat somewhat and guided the ball to the offside boundary. Really, what can a bowler do under these circumstances? And Diana Baig’s return to the side was an unhappy one. She has lost her swing and control; and was badly mauled, especially by Perry.

It is greatly to Pakistan’s credit that they persisted. What might have been well in excess of 200 became 7/199. And Australia only got that far thanks to an imaginative cameo from Carey, who backed away to leg and smote the ball to the off boundary. An unbeaten 26 from 13 was her hat in the ring to keep her place in this team. It seemed unlikely that Pakistan could chase 200, and … they didn’t. A sympathetic chronicler would prefer to pass lightly over the viridian-clad women’s innings. Muneeba had experienced a dreadful time with the keeping gloves, but opened the batting and managed 32 from 25 before falling victim to Perry, who once again took two wickets in her opening over. Perry’s bowling duties have been largely curtailed in recent years; but the new administration deems that she will be called upon when needed. Eight bowlers were used, and shared the wickets democratically. Australia has qualified, almost certainly top of the table (unbeaten; net run rate a staggering 4.7). India, South Africa and Bangla Desh still contend for the other position.

In the other matches last night New Zealand kept the faint flicker of hope alive with a tight win over Scotland. They are out of form, but managed the run chase professionally enough after losing three early wickets to the exuberant Scots. The batting star of the tournament thus far has been Darcey Carter, whose marvellous unbeaten 72 sustained the Caledonian innings single-handed. And Sri Lanka likewise kept their campaign alive with a crushing win over Ireland, who are visibly wilting in the heat. A scorching century from Chamari Athapaththu was an ominous warning from a sleeping giant of the game. But unless England or West Indies experience a calamitous collapse they are both through to the semi-finals. And Australia’s contest with India awaits on Sunday.

Australia found themselves unexpectedly inserted, having lost the toss on a pitch which is generally full of runs and offers little to the bowling side. They did as they pleased for most of their innings, despite losing Voll and Perry early to Zwilling and Heather Siegers. The Dutch specialise in leg-spin, fielding three of them. All very different. Heather is a more orthodox leggie for the most part. Her sister Silver has the most extraordinary action yet seen in world cricket. Some leggies bowl a bit round-arm. It’s the best way to obtain spin from the leg, after all. Silver twists her body the other way in a manic contortion, delivering from around mid-off. It is as if she is auditioning for Cirque du Soleil on the high rings. Caroline de Lange however bowls in a manner last seen in the days of Paul Adams: curling in on herself while staring at the popping crease at her feet; and somehow delivering the ball to the other end, possibly using braille. It works, too. She took two wickets in each of the first two matches and dismissed Gardner and Carey today.

For the women in green Beth Mooney smacked her way to a brisk 74 before retiring with back spasms. Gardner made a belligerent 58 in her usual style, alternating between thunderous drives over the bowler’s head, and savage pulls and cuts. The cherry on top was delivered by Wareham, whose 41 took just 18 balls. 6/219 more or less put the contest to bed. And when Kim Garth’s speed and outswing removed the two openers a dire calamity loomed as an unpleasing possibility. But Babette de Leede and Sterre Kalis had other ideas. Without attempting batting suicide they cantered along at a run a ball, defying all eight bowlers in the process. A 98 run victory was not unexpected, but the Orange Army in the stands had plenty to cheer about. This is their first taste of T20 World Cups and they are here to make an impression.

I may have mentioned that New Zealand are probably already out of the running. Last night they all but succumbed to a spirited Irish team led by their star all-rounder Orla Prendergast (4 overs, 2/26); another subtle spell from their teenage left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire; and a brilliant spell from Cara Murray, whose analysis of 2/26 from four did not flatter her. Only a last-minute scramble late in the innings from Halliday and Sharp produced a passable tally of 140, and for much of the Irish innings the target looked gettable. Prendergast and Murray both made excellent fifties. The all-round excellence of Amelia Kerr ultimately proved the difference. She made 30 and took two cheap wickets: her final over proving decisive.

The following contest between Pakistan vs Bangla Desh was a rum business. For much of their innings the Bengalis remained becalmed, unable to get beyond second gear. Fatima Sana took two wickets in her first over and kept the Bangla side in a straitjacket. With six overs to go the story was a dismal 4/72, with Ritu Moni on seven from 15, unable to urge the ball off the square or indeed anywhere productive. Then her wicket fell, and teenage sensation Shorna Akter strode to the middle, utterly unfazed by the dire situation. Why she does not bat at four or five is an insoluble conundrum. Shorna smote the ball all over Southampton and raced to an unbeaten 39 from 22. Suddenly it looked a different game. Halfway through the eighth over Pakistan’s openers had reached 49 and looked to be cruising. But the Bengali left-arm orthodox spinners Nahida and Meghra brought the innings to a standstill. Wickets crashed, and no-one was able to replicate Shorna’s lower-order belligerence. It was an astonishing comeback, and a thrilling victory.

In the evening at Headingley England beat Scotland as expected. But they did not have things all their own way. Halfway through the 17th over the home side had subsided to 5/139, thanks to enegetic bowling and fielding. But 61 came from the final 21 balls as Gibson and Kemp swung their bats with might and main. 200 always looked out of reach, but the Scots fought to the very end. The final margin of 38 runs was a credit to the intrepid visitors. Without veteran Sophie Ecclestone (2/23 from her four) there would have been a deal more trepidation for the English.

Australia’s next match is on Wednesday against the winless Pakistanis. The big showdown against India has been saved until last. For Australia, the tourney then begins in earnest.

Or so it seemed. And yet. Bangla Desh arrived having seen off the Netherlands in their opening round. And the balance of power in women’s cricket is tilting sharply. The defending champions New Zealand (yes really!) are all but out of the tournament, having been ambushed first by the resurgent West Indies, and then by Sri Lanka, led by Nilakshika Silva’s blazing half-century. The Kiwis have not improved, while others have. Even England – fresh from their demolition of Sri Lanka – were made to work hard by the Irish, who defended a very modest total with such vigour that they came moderately close to embarrassment, thanks to superb spells from Orla Prendergast and Aimee Maguire.

And yet some things remain the same. And Australia looks better than ever. The new administration – coach Shelley Nitschke and captain Sophie Molineux – looks determined to stay ahead of the field. Ash Gardner – after an amnesiac performance in round 1 – was rested. Nicola Carey was included, but did not get a chance to bowl, although seven others did. Molineux won the toss, took one look at the pitch, and elected to bowl. Why would you not? It wasn’t a green mamba. Rather it was the sort of wicket under lowering skies where Brian Close would approach his captain Ronnie Burnet and beg to be allowed the new ball and the chance to roll the opposition for a hundred-odd. (He did. Several times.)

Not much need be told of the Bangla innings, which rarely progressed out of first gear. Kim Garth took the advantage of the downhill slope to overwhelm the openers with pace and late movement. In a surprise move Ellyse Perry was offered the ball, and took two wickets in her first over. And all through this Nigar Sultana Joty watched in dismay. The uncharitable might point out that she chewed up 47 deliveries for her painstaking 27. Had she thrown her hand away early her team might have been bowled out for 50-odd. But. She has carried her team’s batting for a decade. And it is not as if anyone else was doing any better. Ritu Moni managed 16 from 26. No blame attaches to her either. Not when you come in at 5/27.

What went wrong for them? They need to learn how to hit with power down the ground, between mid-off and mid-on. Aside from that they did their best. Was Australia really that good? Yes they were. The final total read 8/77. You might expect Australia to knock off the runs in ten overs and they did. A brilliant catch by Ritu Moni despatched Mooney; but Georgia Voll, having missed out against the Proteas, filled her boots with a brisk, unbeaten 45. Perry hit the winning runs on her way to 19. Australia means business this time round. They have won this trophy six times already, but their thirst for glory remains undiminished.

In the following match India pillaged the Dutch attack and scored as they pleased, making their way to 5/209. In reply the Netherlands were bowled out for 114. Another mismatch, yes. But the Dutch women played with vim and vigour, seemingly undaunted by their mighty opponents. It wasn’t as one-sided as it eventually appeared. But the game of the day took place in the Birmingham twilight. Pakistan faced the South Africans, and looked completely overawed. They lost five wickets in the power play. In the 11th over they had collapsed to 8/50. The innings contained four run-outs, which bears witness to the complete demoralisation of a side playing well out of its league.

Those expecting a melancholy early finish to proceedings reckoned without Fatima Sana. Small of stature, but mighty of heart is the Pakistan captain. Why she sent herself in at number eight is indeed a mystery. No, there will be no early finish, she vowed. With some unlikely help from Tuba Hassan she managed a record stand of 71 for the ninth wicket. A target of 127 looked inadequate, especially when Annerie Dercksen smashed her way to a quick fifty. But wickets kept falling. The Pakistan spinners persisted. And just when it seemed de Klerk had put the game to bed, Fatima struck again. She had bowled Fatima Luus early on with her brisk medium-fast swing bowling, and she returned to wreak more havoc, firing out de Klerk and Jafta. The match ended in anticlimax when Fatima bowled a wide. But with an unbeaten 55, and three cheap wickets, the honours were all with the dauntless Pakistan skipper. Had her side fielded better they may well have won. But no-one could have done more.

One is not concerned with the soccer-related shenanigans occurring in Canada, Mexico and the Hermit Kingdom. Rather it is T20 World Cup time again. Australia kicks off against South Africa at Old Trafford in the group of, if not death, then perhaps imminent peril. Group 1 also contains India, and at most two of these teams can progress to the finals. Two matches have already been decided in the other group, where the home side blasted Sri Lanka off the park at Edgbaston; and Scotland easily accounted for Ireland in the curtain-raiser here. Sure as Rain at Old Trafford has been an aphorism since the days of John Wisden; but brief glimpses of azure sky and cotton-wool cumulus clouds bespoke a pleasing clemency from on high.

Newly annointed skipper Sophie Molineux won the toss and decided to bat, deducing that the pitch – which resembled a strip of sandpaper laid over a concrete block – would play lower and slower later in the day. Georgia Voll’s inauspicious Cup debut ended with a miscued pull shot for a duck; and Beth Mooney was not herself, defending grimly before chasing a wide one. Wolvaardt elected to bowl her two veteran quicks for the entire power play. Kapp and Ismail bowled with fire and venom, and batting looked difficult against the new ball.

But not for Phoebe Litchfield. Utterly untroubled by the chaos around her, she drove, swept, cut and pillaged her way to fifty. From 23 deliveries, if you please. But she miscued Khaka to Wolvaardt and marched off in fast-medium dudgeon. Of course Wolvaardt caught it. Would she drop anything at all, up to and including her car keys? You might as well expect the entrance of a unicorn in a gingham dress from the pavilion. She took three catches: two of them blinders. Gardner came and went, to a spooned catch from Mlaba, who was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 2/22 from her four overs, including two at the death. She varied her flight and pace skilfully: sometimes firing in with the spear-gun, and otherwise offering up deliciously-tempting poisoned floaters.

With four down you might expect Australia to consolidate, but the appearance of Wareham at six put paid to that idea. And Perry, who had experienced little of the bowling, decreed that full steam ahead was the best and only possible strategy. They put on 58 off 38 before Wareham fell to Wolvaardt’s final catch. Wickets kept falling, which bothered Australia not a bit. All of these women can bat. There is less tail to this batting order than in a squadron of Manx cats. The innings finished at 8/172, which will be a challenging target. But there is always Wolvaardt. And Kapp. And de Klerk.

Molineux opened the bowling herself with her left-arm spin, and trapped Luus in front. Next over Kim Garth beat Dercksen for pace and took her off-stump via the pads. Surprisingly de Klerk was promoted to four and at once set to work. When King came in with her leg-breaks de Klerk should have been caught on the boundary at bovine corner. Inexplicably, Gardner fumbled it over the boundary for six. By the end of the power play South Africa had reached 43, with de Klerk on a belligerent 22.

The appearance of Wareham in the seventh over made a momentous change as the tall leggie pegged back de Klerk’s off stump. Then Marizanne Kapp was caught loafing on a second run by Wareham’s rocket arm and sent on her way. Meanwhile Wolvaardt was looking anything but content with her lot. Trying to force the pace when your bat feels as though it is made from rubber is always frustrating. She managed a superb inside-out extra cover six from Molineux, but perished to Wareham’s acrobatic catch next ball. Thereafter the Australian spin quartet overwhelmed the rest. Wareham was adjudged Player of the Match for her all-round efforts. A sprightly 22-ball 32, 3/13, a catch and a run-out: really, what more could anyone ask of her? The truth was that Australia had far more contributors than the Proteas, who rely far too much on their gallant captain.

These multi-format series are becoming quite the thing in women’s cricket. Our visiting Indians took the T20 series 2-1, but Australia won the 50-over contests with maximal comfort. And the final event on the card was a day-night pink-ball Test match in Perth: a prospect likely to chill the blood of most visitors. In her farewell to arms Healy won the toss and inserted the Indians. It was a largely flawless performance, indicating a deep knowledge of the game and excellent execution of the plan. In Perth you need four seamers, including at least one left-armer, so Lucy Hamilton was brought in for her debut. She did not have to wait long for success, when in her third over she swung the ball late in towards Mandhana and castled her.

The trick hereabouts is that you pitch the ball up and attack the stumps with a multitude of slips and gullies. You will get hit for a lot of boundaries and you ignore that entirely and keep on pressing. Despite a splendid 52 from Jemmy Rodrigues the innings subsided for 198. There was little or no respite from the assault, and aside from Shafali Verma’s belligerent 35 and a spirited unbeaten 34 from Kashvee, nobody else could manage to stay in for long. Sutherland took four, Hamilton three and Brown two, with Gardner picking up the remainder.

This early success however meant that Australia were obliged to bat under lights. Voll, Litchfield and Healy succumbed early, but the tide turned when Perry was joined by Sutherland. If Perry’s elbow was any higher she might have tipped off her helmet. She played straight, waited for half-volleys and put them all away. Sutherland meanwhile reminded us all how much she loves Test matches. Her last two innings have been centuries in this format, and she set about the business of adding a third. By stumps the home side were 3/96, with far easier conditions to come on the morrow. By the time Perry was unexpectedly trapped leg before by Deepti (for a crucial 76) Sutherland had already overtaken her.

To India’s credit their bowlers persisted. Sayale Satghare is a new face to this writer, but her four wickets were hard-earned and well-merited. Deepti finally removed Sutherland to an agricultural hoick for 129, and India could dream of batting in the comparative calm of the late afternoon. But it was not to be. King and Hamilton each made useful 20s, and lasted until the final session. As the long evening wore on, a blood-red gibbous moon arose in the east, seemingly a portent of doom of some description. Hamilton and Sutherland tore the Indian top order to shreds with some hostile late movement and aggressive catching. By stumps India had collapsed to 6/105, and the contest was all but over. Only a defiant stand by Pratika Rawal prolonged the match into a third day.

Australia began with King, whose first four deliveries on day one had been despatched to the boundary by Rodrigues. By now however there was turn available, and the diminutive leggie was in her element. Her figures of 2/23 from ten overs do scant justice to the brilliance of her bowling. There were the Shane Warne balls swinging down leg and turning past the bat and off-stump. There were top-spinners which exploded like hand grenades. And at the other end Gardner finished the innings. Last to fall was Pratika for a brilliant 63. She fell to a wild swipe, but cannot be blamed for that. She had come in first wicket down and held the fort while the team collapsed around her. With only 25 to make Voll and Litchfield concluded matters in short order. It was a crushing victory by an all-round champion side constantly in search of self-improvement. Hurrah for the green and gold!

For reasons best known to themselves, Australia chose a curious team for their must-win against Sri Lanka. Despite repeated scenes of frustration as a parade of tall, muscular, big-hitting batsmen find themselves swiping madly on pitches that do not suit that sort of thing, it was decreed that the same men would be tried yet again. Except for Renshaw – the one man who mastered the conditions in the Zimbabwe debacle – who found himself resting in the stands in an orange jersey. The pitch in Kandy looked to be a slow turner, which suggested that getting on with it against the new ball might be a fine idea. So well did Marsh – back from his indisposition – and Head play the first six that the score was 0/70. Both went on to complete brilliant fifties before succumbing to an outfield catch (Head) and a top-spinner, both to Hemantha. The home side’s woes had also included a fetlock strain to Pathirana in his first over, which brought the Sri Lankan captain to the bowling crease. Something of an error of judgement on his part, since Shanaka rarely bowls these days.

But thereafter the innings took a depressingly familiar turn. Yes, the pitch slowed up, and scoring became more arduous. Inglis and Maxwell did their best, and at least tried finesse rather than reaching continually for the bludgeon. The less said about the rest of the batting the better. If the only tool in your kit is a hammer, then truly everything looks like a nail. Even when it’s actually a bouquet of flowers, or a bear-trap. After ten overs Australia was 2/100, having just lost Green to an absurd sarabande down the pitch to Wellalage. They were bowled out for 181. Sri Lanka fielded and caught like demons, with just two blemishes: a missed stumping and a dollied outfield catch. Yet Nissanka redeemed his miss the previous over by a brilliant catch to remove Maxwell. The capacity crowd cheered and stamped as the hosts fought their way back into a contest which looked done and dusted an hour before.

Sri Lanka’s innings was punctuated, eventually, by two wickets to Marcus Stoinis, who picked up Kusal Perera in the second over and Kusal Mendis in the thirteenth. For the rest, it was a massacre. Mendis managed 51 from 38. Pathum Nissanka meanwhile blasted his way to a century, from 52 balls, with five sixes and ten fours. It was a spectacle reminiscent of the old Yorkshire pro who said, of JT Tyldesley: ‘I bowls it where I likes, and he hits ’em where he likes.’ At the other end Ratnayake picked off a half-dozen boundaries. In the end it was a crushing victory for the home side. Australia might well be thinking how on earth did we lose this after being so far on top? It was as though the Australians had put their boots on their wrong feet. Truth to tell, this was a poorly-chosen side for the subcontinent. Where was Smith when he was needed? Or Renshaw? Or even Murphy?

It is certainly true that Australia are not necessarily heading home early. An absurd concatenation of results might still favour them. Or a meteorite might strike the team hotel. But that is by the by. This side has been outperformed by the likes of the USA, who have managed two good wins. Even Italy have done better. Thanks to some scorching strokeplay from Ben Manenti, Italy gave England another fright earlier in the day. The surprise packet of the tourney thus far has been the West Indies, who have already qualified with three straight wins in their group. But Australia is going home early, unless there is an unexpected stroke of lightning somewhere.

To this moment we really do not know what went through Travis Head’s mind when he won the toss and elected to field. Common wisdom would have it that you bat first by day, and field first by night. The pitch is slow, and will get slower. Why you would want to field in the heat of the day is, verily, a mystery. As if to underline this point Zimbabwe’s openers Marumani and Bennett hopped joyfully into some wayward offerings and raced to 61 in seven and a half overs. Dwarshuis and Maxwell were hammered. Stoinis alone kept his head, removing Marumani caught behind for a thunderous 35. Burl and Bennett pressed on with a degree of circumspection, knowing the pitch was a 150 one, and hoping for more. In dropping a sharp return catch Stoinis injured his hand and had to limp off. Replacing him for the last ball of his over, Green caused a wayward skier from Burl which was safely pouched by Bartlett.

This brought the super-veteran Sikandar Raza to the crease. He wasted no time and whacked a cheerfully brutal unbeaten 25. Brian Bennett’s unbeaten 64 – carrying his bat through the innings – looked sedate, but his job was to rotate the strike and let the hitters plunder the bowling. Set 170 to win, Australia looked up against it from the first over. You would think that the pitch would not have suited Blessing Muzarabani. Yet it was probably tailor-made for the giant Mashona. Batsmen do not expect the ball to fly off a length on these wickets. Because he delivers from a truly enormous height, the ball can fly from anywhere. He was too much for Inglis and David, while Brad Evans chipped in with the wickets of Head and Green. At 4/29 halfway through the fifth over the contest was more or less done.

Glenn Maxwell’s struggles were piteous to behold. He was dropped twice right on the boundary fence. He did his very best to stay in the contest. Yet the truth is probably that his time has come and gone. After a run-a-ball 31 he fell to Burl’s occasional leg-spin. Yet Matt Renshaw was master of the occasion. His stroke selection was peerless, and while he was still there, perhaps Australia might pull off a miracle. This rather depended on Zimbabwe dropping their bundle, and maybe falling apart in the field under pressure. There was no sign of that whatever. The bowlers stuck to their guns, and the fielding was of the highest quality. Munyonga’s outfield catch to dismiss Dwarshuis was one of the best you will ever see. Finally Renshaw departed, for a brilliant 65 from 44, and the end came suddenly. Australia must now win their remaining two games to stay alive. And with Sri Lanka in white-hot form, you would hesitate to put money on it.