GROS ISLET (ST LUCIA), May 14 (IANS): After the exit of the Indian men�s team from the World Twenty20 tournament, the women�s team was also ousted as they lost to Australia by 7 wickets in the semi-final here.
Chasing India�s 119 for 5, Australia cruised home with seven balls to spare, skipper Alex Blackwell scoring a career-best 61 on Thursday. Australia, who went down in the semi-finals to England last year, will face the winner of the second semi-final between New Zealand and West Indies, who play in St Lucia Friday.
Deciding to bat, India made a slow start and could add only 37 runs in the first eight overs, losing two wickets.
Poonam Raut was the top-scorer with a 51-ball 44 that included three fours.
Raut added a crucial 57 runs with Harmanpreet Kaur, who made 24 off 27 balls.
But India lost three wickets in the 17th over bowled by medium-fast Ellyse Perry and the batters could not give the late charge to the innings.
Kaur was the first of the two run-outs in the over as Perry smartly flicked the ball on her follow through and caught the batter short of her crease.
Indian captain Jhulan Goswami was also run out in the same over (17th) through Blackwell�s direct hit.
Raut was dismissed on the next ball as she went for a big heave but found the fielder at long on.
Amita Sharma then struck 17 off 11 balls including the innings� lone six in the final over while Rumeli Dhar chipped in with 12 from nine.
India were off to a good start while chasing as Elyse Villani was bowled in the first over by Goswami.
But Blackwell and Shelley Nitschke (22) added 74 runs for the second wicket in quick time to crush Indian hopes.
Nitschke fell on 22 off leg spinner Priyanka Roy (2-27), but Blackwell stood solid at the other end. She hit eight fours in her 49-ball stay before Roy got her wicket.
Leah Poulton then scored an unbeaten 30 off 26 balls to see her team through to the last four.
