Mackay, Aug 10 (IANS) Sianna Ginger claimed 4-16 as Australia A edged India A by four runs to complete a 3-0 T20 series clean sweep at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on Sunday.
Just a day after India A received a 114-run drubbing in the second T20, the visitors put in a much-improved showing with the ball to restrict Australia A to 144/8, with Prema Rawat and Radha Yadav taking three-fers each.
Opener Shafali Verma set the tone for the chase through a brisk 41 off 25 balls, laced with six fours and a maximum. But Sianna, the 20-year-old all-rounder from Queensland Ginger, turned the contest in favour of Australia A by removing Shafali in the eighth over before having Raghvi Bist stumped in the 15th over.
Sianna then picked out Radha and Sajana Sajeevan in the 19th over, conceding just three runs and leaving the visitors 15 short of victory with the tail at the crease, which Tess Flintoff defended well in the final over to give Australia A a tight win, as India A made 140/8.
Earlier, Alyssa Healy hit 27 off 21 balls, including three fours and a six, just a day after hitting a blistering 70. Tahlia Wilson (14) and Anika Learoyd (22) made starts, before Madeline Penna top-scored with 39 off 32 balls.
Sianna then hit an unbeaten 17 from seven balls to lift Australia A to a competitive 144/8, before she made a difference with the ball in the end to give the hosts’ their third straight win. Both sides will now head to Brisbane for the first one-dayer happening on Wednesday.
Brief scores: Australia A 144/8 (Madeline Penna 39, Alyssa Healy 27; Prema Rawat 3-24, Radha Yadav 3-31) beat India A 140/8 (Shafali Verma 41, Minnu Mani 30; Sianna Ginger 4-16, Lucy Hamilton 1-22) by four runs.
–IANS
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