Australia cruises to five-wicket win over England in T20 World Cup warm-up

Australia has cruised to a five-wicket victory over England in its penultimate Women's T20 World Cup warm-up match in Cardiff. After restricting England to 6-157, Australia reached the victory target with 10 balls to spare. Beth Mooney set the platform with a 26-ball innings of 43, while Ellyse Perry hit a ruthless 64 (44 balls) to leave England pondering a clear gulf between the sides. There was a scare before the start when Australia's Phoebe Litchfield, listed to bat at number three, was withdrawn as a precaution after feeling "quad awareness", a reference to the muscles at the front of the thigh. In England's innings, Kim Garth made the initial breakthrough when Danni Wyatt-Hodge (4) missed a delivery that straightened slightly. Amy Jones (2) was caught spooning a leading edge of Megan Schutt to mid-off in the following over and England was 2-6 off 14 balls. It got worse for England as captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (3), making her return from a calf injury after six weeks out, was bowled by Alana King attempting to pull a ball that stayed low. That left England 3-19 in the fifth over but Heather Knight (25) and Alice Capsey (45) rebuilt the innings. England reached 5-98 when Capsey departed with just over five overs remaining. Freya Kemp smacked 41 off 27 balls and Dani Gibson made 27 not out (16 balls), as England closed on a respectable score. King (2-10) and Schutt (2-20) were the most productive of the Australian bowlers. Australia began its run chase in a hurry, with Mooney and Georgia Voll adding 51 in the six-over powerplay before the latter was caught behind trying to ramp for 17. Mooney, one of several batters to escape after offering a half-chance, hit four fours and two sixes before being bowled. That brought no relief for England as Perry immediately set about the bowling, hitting nine fours. She was dismissed with two runs needed for victory, caught by Gibson on the boundary trying to finish the match with a six off Lauren Bell's bowling. Australia has one warm-up match left, against West Indies, in Cardiff on Thursday AEST. The Women's T20 World Cup begins in England on the weekend, with Australia facing South Africa in its first match at Old Trafford on Saturday night AEST.