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In the tightest Women's T20 World Cup yet, Australia know how crucial it will be to effectively seal their semi-final spot early by beating Pakistan
Ellyse Perry knows just how "super important" it is for the champions to stay ahead of the log-jam of teams behind them jostling for a place in the Women's T20 World Cup semi-finals, with one slip up potentially hurling Australia back into the maelstrom.
The Aussie legend senses it's still a "tight, tight" affair in group A in the most open of the global T20 events she's experienced, even though the all-conquering champs haven't yet put a foot wrong in their UAE defence.
Indeed, they could all but cement their place in the last-four on Friday with a third-straight, efficient win over Pakistan, who've been left crestfallen by news of the death of their captain's father which has meant Fatima Sana flying back home to Karachi.
But a single off-day at a venue in Dubai that they've not yet played at could make it a nervy weekend with, potentially, four teams all having two wins apiece, and Australia having to face a resurgent India in their final pool match on Sunday.
That's why Alyssa Healy's unbeaten side are determined to get the job done against Pakistan in the same, clinical manner they demonstrated against New Zealand in Sharjah on Tuesday.
"It's super important to stay ahead in group A. Tuesday's win, in terms of not just playing a really great match against New Zealand, was really important from a run-rate perspective too," explained Perry, with Australia's net run-rate currently at a healthy +2.524 compared to second-placed India's +0.576.
With adaptability and flexibility key for teams all playing in unaccustomed surroundings, the best news for Australia so far has been how so many have chipped in to various degrees throughout their star-studded line-up.
Take rising star Annabel Sutherland, an allrounder who's already made a colossal double century in Test cricket, has been coming in at No.9 and hardly getting a look-in with the bat.
Yet she's still made a key contribution with the ball, taking 3-21 against New Zealand, including two wickets in successive balls that effectively dismantled the Kiwis' middle order.
Asked if she'd be nagging coach Shelley Nitschke about moving up the batting order, Sutherland, who'll turn 23 on Saturday, just smiled on Thursday about the Australians' awesome strength throughout the order.
"I think Shelley's got 15 players nagging at her to try and get an opportunity up the order!" she laughed.
"Absolutely any opportunity I can get, I'm going to try and take. But look at our whole line-up. If you don't get the chance to take an opportunity, it means the top order are doing really good job.
"Dubai looks like, potentially, a little bit better of a wicket, but it's still quite slow and taking a little bit of spin. We'll preview the game and then adjust on the day, given the conditions, which I think we've been doing really well."
Of her bowling contribution, she added: "Loving it. The opportunity to bowl three or four overs, I'll take that with the amount of bowlers we've got in the team. And I feel like my variations are playing a role and working."
