There was a touching moment in Australia’s World Cup win over England when leg-spinner Alana King paid tribute to the great Shane Warne, who died yesterday at the age of 52, after taking the important wicket of Tammy Beaumont.
King took three wickets as Australia secured a 12-run victory after posting 310-3 from their 50 overs with Rachael Haynes scoring the second ODI hundred of her career. England recovered well in the run chase after losing Lauren Winfield-Hill in the opening over of their innings. Beaumont and skipper Heather Knight put on 92 for the second wicket with the latter falling for 40.
At 149-2, England were very much in the game even if they were slightly behind the required run rate. King then struck with a beautiful, dipping leg-break that turned sharply to pass the outside edge of the advancing Beaumont to gift Alyssa Healy with straightforward stumping chance that she dealt with cleanly.
Not only was the delivery befitting of Warne, that Healy completed the stumping was poignant, too. Healy is the niece of Ian Healy who kept wicket in 74 of Warne’s 145 Tests and affected 15 stumpings off him in Test cricket and further 21 in ODIs.
After taking the wicket, King roared in celebration before pointing to the pair of armbands she was wearing to remember both Warne and Rodney Marsh, another Australia great who died this week.
Despite a Nat Sciver hundred, Australia held on to win by 12 runs.
You can watch the wicket and subsequent celebration below:
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