AUSTRALIA’S Women’s A side wrapped up their series with their Indian counterparts with a 45-run win in the sole four day match of the series. Australia batted first and initially made 212 in their first innings.

Much of Australia’s score in the first innings came off the bat of Georgia Voll, whose 71 at the top of the order was a really stabilising force as others crumbled around her. Voll’s innings was the best for Australia for much of the innings as much of the middle order. The tail did have a little bit of wag in it, which saved Australia’s bacon a little. Grace Parsons was the best of those in the tail, making 35.

Meanwhile for the Indians Minnu Mani continued her excellent tour with a five wicket haul, while Priya Mishra picked up four wickets.

Meanwhile in reply, India made a pretty good start to their chase, finding themselves at 3/101, but then things fell apart. They then lost their next seven wickets for 83 runs to be all out for 184 and 18 runs behind their hosts.

The two best scores from Indian batters came in their top four, with Shweta Sehrawat making 40 and Tejal Hasabnis making 32. Meanwhile for the Australians, Kate Peterson tore through the Indian line up, picking up five wickets and being the only Australian bowler to pick up multiple wickets in that innings.

In Australia’s second innings, the Aussies got off to a bit of a disastrous star, falling to 2/0 inside four overs. Things did improve though, with a 54 run sixth wicket partnership and a 75 run ninth wicket partnership among the highlights. Eventually the Australians were bowled out for 260, leaving India with a target of 279 for victory.

Maddy Darke was the star of Australia’s second batting innings, smashing 105 not out in the middle order. Emma De Broughe also had a strong innings with the bat, making 58. Meanwhile Mani had another stellar innings with the ball for India, this time taking six wickets, while Mishra and Sayali Sathare took two each.

 In India’s final chase, the visitors found themselves at 6/131, but a 79-run seventh wicket partnership got them back on track.

However, Tess Flintoff had other ideas, and after she stepped up and took two wickets in the space of an over really put a halt on India’s momentum. That lean spell for India ultimately brought it undone, as the Indians ultimately found themselves with too much to do with not enough wickets left in the shed.

Those wickets were Flintoff’s second and third of her three wickets for the innings, and she shared top wicket taker honours for the innings with Charli Knott. Parsons also picked up two wickets. Meanwhile for India it was Uma Chetry who top scored with 47, while Shuba Satheesh was not too far behind on 45.