Alyssa Healy blasts Pakistan away to complete series sweep

Australia completed their tour whitewash of Pakistan by winning the third and final Twenty-20 by nine wickets. With the Twenty-20 clean sweep, Australia retain their number one ranking as well.

Australia won the toss and sent in Pakistan to bat first. Pakistan's struggle with the bat continued. First Javeria Khan was run out, in the third over for six runs. Megan Schutt then claimed Nahida Khan's wicket, for the same score. Shortly afterwards, Pakistan's in-form batter Omaima Sohail was caught and bowled by Ellyse Perry. By the end of the Powerplay, Pakistan had been reduced to 3-28.

Bismah Maroof and Aliya Riaz then re-built the innings. The two put on 49-run stand; Maroof top-scoring with a 43-ball-34, while Riaz scored a patient 17 off 29 balls. Their partnership was eventually broken when Sophie Molinuex executed a run-out to send Maroof back. Australia did well in the field, while there were some breakdowns in communication. Out of the eight wickets that fell, half of them were run-outs. Pakistan finished their innings on a low total of 97-8.

Jess Jonassen's return to the side will please Australia. She bowled well after sitting out the series against New Zealand and the ODI series against Pakistan. Though she did not take any wickets, she bowled economically, giving 16 runs from her four overs. Schutt took two wickets for 15 runs. Delissa Kimmince and Ellyse Perry claimed a scalp each too.

After a disciplined bowling performance, Australia's clinical performance with the bat in the second innings helped them gun down the total in the 11th over. Player-of-the-Match Alyssa Healy blasted an unbeaten 67 off 41 balls. She scored more than half of her sides' runs. Beth Mooney scored 21 off 16 and Ashleigh Gardner smashed a boundary to finish off the chase.

Natalia Pervaiz was the only Pakistani bowler to take a wicket. She finished with figures of 1-17. In general though, the bowlers were expensive. Nida Dar was the most economical of them, with her two overs going for 11 runs.

With the series clean sweep, Australia retain their number one Twenty-20 ranking. They go into the World Twenty-20 in ominous form. They have whitewashed their previous two Twenty-20 series'. Pakistan, on the other hand, need to work on their consistency with the bat. They will be pleased with their performance with the ball. That will no doubt be their stronger suit in the World Twenty-20.