Beth Mooney got her batting back on track thanks to a mammoth partnership with Alyssa Healy that steered Australia to a 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka.
The five-time champions suffocated Sri Lanka with spin to stop them from capitalizing on a fast start by Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama.
Megan Schutt then took three wickets in the final over as Sri Lanka ended on 112 for eight before Healy (54 not out) and Mooney (56 not out) saw Australia home without losing a wicket.
Having been put into bat, Sri Lanka raced to 29 runs off the first four overs, Athapaththu playing the pick of the shots to drive Ashleigh Gardner over cow corner for six.
The skipper did not last much longer as Grace Harris morphed into Superwoman to take a flying catch at mid-on and dismiss Athapaththu for a run-a-ball 16.
Her opening partner Samarawickrama, looked unperturbed as she continued Sri Lanka’s strong scoring intent, with Vishmi Gunaratne joining in.
But as Meg Lanning turned to back-to-back spin, Sri Lanka lost any impetus – Georgia Wareham, Harris and Alana King coughing up only six runs in three overs as Sri Lanka reached the halfway stage at 56 for one.
Gunaratne survived a leg before wicket call in King’s second over, but it was not long before Samarawickrama departed.
Scores in brief: Sri Lanka 112/8 in 20 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 34, Vishmi Gunaratne 24; Megan Schutt 4/24, Grace Harris 2/7)
Australia 113/0 in 15.5 overs (Beth Mooney 56 not out, Alyssa Healy 54 not out; Sugandika Kumari 0/10, Chamari Athapaththu 0/12)
