Hosts try to end campaign on a high

Australia will try to end a disappointing World Cup campaign on a high when it takes on India on Saturday at Bankstown in the 3rd/4th play-off.

It will be trying to avenge a defeat last weekend which effectively destroyed its chances of reaching Sunday’s final.

India, who missed out on the final after defeats to England and New Zealand, will be hoping to continue its excellent bowling performance on Thursday that saw it dismiss the West Indies for 84 all out.

In Saturday’s other game, Pakistan and West Indies will contest the 5th/6th play-off final at Drummoyne.

Both England and New Zealand will train today ahead of tomorrow’s final at North Sydney Oval.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 21, 2009 5:23:55 PM

India beats Australia by three wickets in third-fourth position play-off

India recorded its second successive victory over Australia when it defeated the dethroned world champions by three wickets in the third-fourth play-off at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 at Bankstown Oval on Saturday. 

In a match reduced to 46-over-a-side, due to rain, Australia was all out for 142 in 44.4 overs. India reached the victory target with 13 balls and three wickets to spare. 

Batting first after winning the toss, Australia was in trouble at 27-2 when heavy rain came down and stopped play. When the match resumed, the umpires decided to reduce the match to 46 overs per side but Australia plunged into deeper trouble when play started as it slipped to 63-5 in 27 overs. 


At that stage, captain Karen Rolton and Lisa Sthalekar rescued their side with a gutsy 60-run partnership that allowed the home team to reach 144 all out in 44.4 overs. Rolton finished as the top scorer with a fine 52 that came off 93 balls and included a six and a four while Sthalekar contributed 30 from 32 balls with two fours.


For India, wickets were evenly shared between Jhulan Goswami (2-21), Priyanka Roy (2-21), Rumeli Dhar (2-24) and Gouher Sultana (2-27).

India, in its target chase, put together small but useful partnerships to achieve the target in 43.5 overs. Sulakshana Naik finished as the top scorer with 28 while Rumeli Dhar chipped in with a priceless 24 not out. 

In the fifth-sixth play-off, the West Indies avenged for its four-wicket defeat last Saturday when it defeated Pakistan by three wickets in the fifth-sixth play-off. By virtue of this win, the West Indies retained its fifth-placed ranking while Pakistan jumps from eighth to sixth spot. 

The star of the match was West Indies’ Shanel Daley who claimed her career-best 4-29 to dismiss Pakistan for 131 all out in 46.3 overs. She then returned to contribute 24 with the bat as the West Indies achieved victory with 3.3 overs to spare.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 21, 2009 5:54:49 AM

England and New Zealand ready for final showdown

Kiwis have noses ahead after winning 29 out of 49 matches to date; Haidee Tiffen aims to win her second World Cup while rival captain Charlotte Edwards searches for her first title

Belinda Clark heads selection panel which will decide player of the tournament and ICC Team of the Tournament

Photos from the training sessions of the two teams and captains’ photo with the trophy available for free download from the ICC FTP site

Former champions England and New Zealand will try to add another title to its collection when they square-off in the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 in front of the ESPN STAR Sports cameras at North Sydney Oval, Sydney.

England has won the World Cup twice – the inaugural tournament in 1973 on its home turf and then in 1993 when it defeated New Zealand in the final by 67 runs – while New Zealand’s only success has come in 2000 in its backyard when it beat Australia in a dramatic final by four runs.


The two teams have previously met 49 times with New Zealand winning 29 matches and England 18. Their first match against each other in the 1982 World Cup ended in a tie after both the sides finished on 147 at Auckland while one match was abandoned.

The two sides have qualified for the much-awaited final after finishing in the top two of the Super Six stage. After winning their respective groups, both the sides lost one match each in the Super Six stage – England defeating New Zealand by 31 runs last week before losing to Australia by eight wickets on Thursday.

The two teams have showed a lot of flare, aggression, method and purpose behind their performances in the last couple of weeks which is evident from their convincing victories. New Zealand defeated defending champion Australia by 13 runs (D/L Method), West Indies by 56 runs, South Africa by 199 runs, India by five wickets and Pakistan by 223 runs while England also beat Sri Lanka by 100 runs, India by nine wickets, Pakistan by eight wickets and the West Indies by 146 runs.

The players of the two sides are also peaking at the right time with New Zealand’s Suzie Bates clobbering 19 fours and six sixes in a 105-ball 168 against Pakistan on Thursday. She is the second leading run-getter in the tournament after England’s Claire Taylor who has scored 303 runs to date, including a century against Sri Lanka and an unbeaten 69 against India.

Other in-form New Zealand batters include captain Haidee Tiffen, who has scored 249 runs, Amy Satterthwaite (162) and Sara McGlashan (153) while for England openers Caroline Atkins (211) and Sarah Taylor (177) have shown remarkable consistency at the top of the order while captain Charlotte Edwards, ICC’s Women’s Player of the Year in 2008, has yet to find her magical touch despite scoring 127 runs.

England’s Laura Marsh has undoubtedly been the find of the tournament. The 22-year-old off-spinner from Kent has taken 14 wickets so far at an average of 9.28 while New Zealand vice-captain Aimee Mason is her side’s most successful bowler with nine wickets at an average of 14.33.

The two sides had their final workouts on Saturday morning ahead of Sunday’s final and both the captains were confident and excited in their pre-match press conferences.

Haidee Tiffen said: “We are really excited about tomorrow’s game and have been working extremely hard over the last couple of weeks. At the same time, we have been improving on our overall performance on the way.”

“We have been learning as we went along and we have made sure we have given our players plenty of opportunity. That game against Pakistan was great as we got a good hit out.”

Tiffen, who has scored 2,889 runs in 116 ODIs and will equal Maia Lewis’ record of captaining New Zealand in most ODIs (45) on Sunday, said her team would not only depend on Bates. “Against Pakistan, Suzie batted the best I have ever seen of her. She is an outstanding player for us but there were some other good performances on that day and all through the tournament.

“Look, you will be nervous if you are not nervous. There will be some nerves around - that is a positive thing. But it’s all about how you channelize those nerves.”

Haidee, who was also a member of the New Zealand side that won the title in 2000, refused to be drawn into comparing the present side with Emily Drumm’s side. “The memories of the 2000 World Cup are very close to my heart. It is certainly the highlight of my career. Whilst the teams are different, certainly the passion, commitment and pride for our country are evident in both the teams. We are looking forward to (Sunday’s) occasion and the girls have been doing very well.”

In sharp contrast, Charlotte Edwards has been in the three previous semi-finals but will be making her first appearance in the final. She is not only her country’s most experienced player with 123 caps, she is also the most successful batter with 3,647 runs.

Edwards said Sunday’s match would be the biggest match of her career. “I have played in a lot of big games but never in a World Cup final. I am looking forward to tomorrow which will be the biggest game of my career. The World Cup comes only after four years and I think I am lucky to be in the final after three semi-finals,” she said.

“Hopefully, Claire Taylor’s and my experience will see the girls through tomorrow. The good thing about our team is we have youngsters and all they know is success at the moment. It is a good mixture of youth and experience and we have been telling the youngsters to just enjoy the day as not many people play in a World Cup final.

“Yesterday was quite a long day, having a day off. But yes, there is excitement today and we are just ready to play cricket. This is something we have worked towards for a number of years now and we can’t wait for tomorrow to happen and get underway.

“Tomorrow’s match will be all about which team handles the pressure better and whose key players perform. These are two very good and evenly matched teams and the team that plays best cricket on Sunday will win the match.

“On Thursday (against Australia), there was a minor blip but we have been playing good cricket. We have a lot of confidence and are going along nicely.”

Match referee Brian Aldridge will lead the playing control team on Sunday. Steve Davis of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and Brian Jerling of the International Panel will be the on-field umpires while Tyron Wijewardena has been named as third umpire and Jeff Brookes will be the fourth umpire.

The player of the tournament will be announced on Sunday while the ICC Team of the Tournament will be named on Monday by a five-member selection panel that includes Belinda Clark, Brian Aldridge, Danny Morrison, Kathy Cross and Allison Mitchell.

Squads: 

New Zealand – Haidee Tiffen (captain), Aimee Mason (vice-captain), Suzie Bates, Nicola Browne, Abby Burrows, Sophie Devine, Lucy Doolan, Sara McGlashan, Beth McNeill, Katey Martin, Rachel Priest, Kate Pulford, Amy Satterthwaite, Sarah Tsukigawa.

England – Charlotte Edwards (captain), Caroline Atkins, Katherine Brunt, Holly Colvin, Lydia Greenway, Lauren Griffiths, Isa Guha, Jenny Gunn, Laura Marsh, Beth Morgan, Ebony Rainsford-Brent, Nicola Shaw, Anya Shrubsole, Claire Taylor, Sarah Taylor.

Match referee: Brian Aldridge

Umpires: Steve Davis and Brian Jerling

Third umpire: Tyron Wijewardena

Fourth umpire: Jeff Brookes

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 21, 2009 4:22:56 AM

Daley delighted with career-best figures

Shanel Daley was delighted after winning the Player of the Match Award for the West Indies against Pakistan.

 Daley took career best figures of 4-29 as the West Indies recorded a dramatic three-wicket win over Pakistan in the 5th/6th Play-Off.

“I surprised myself how well I bowled today as I didn’t start that well, but it developed into something good,” said Daley, the daughter of former Jamaican player Aaron Daley.

Although she had hoped that the West Indies would improve on its ranking of five in the world, she was still proud of her side’s efforts.

“I am very proud of the team and our performance. I don’t think we had a great tournament, as I think we could have done better, but that is how it goes,” said Daley.

“I am happy that we maintained our faith, as we haven’t been on the international scene for a while, so I am proud how we came back.”

Daley admitted she has greatly enjoyed her World Cup experience and is keen to gain more experience in Australia to further her cricket education.

“I love Australia and I am hoping to come back next summer to play some club cricket. It has been an amazing experience and I wouldn’t give it up for anything,” she said.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 21, 2009 4:03:02 AM

India captures third place after thrilling victory

India sealed third-place at the ICC Women’s World Cup after a tremendous three-wicket victory over Australia.

In a repeat of the 2005 Final, Australia stumbled its way to 144 all out, in a rain affected innings, with only Karen Rolton (52) and Lisa Sthalekar (30) making any score of note.

India’s bowling display was extremely impressive from the first over, when Jhulan Goswami bowled Leah Poulton, with the wickets shared around the Indian attack.

Sthalekar and Erin Osborne then combined to put India in all kinds of trouble at 104-7, but a 41-run partnership between Rumeli Dhar (24 not out) and Jhulan Goswami (18 not out) helped the side to a brilliant victory.

This was India’s second consecutive victory over Australia, having also beaten them in the Super Six stages.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 21, 2009 3:56:01 AM

England aims to secure place in final

England goes into Tuesday’s match against the West Indies looking to secure a place in the ICC Women’s World Cup Final.
Knowing a win will guarantee it a place in Sunday’s final, England has been the team to beat at this event, and they have certainly impressed Australian legend Belinda Clark.

“England has played really well and I think they came to this tournament as favourites. As much as people were saying that Australia and New Zealand have played a lot of good cricket is true, but England comes with more experience than any other squad at this tournament, and have players in the top places in the rankings. Whether they can sustain it will be interesting as now the favourites tag is on them they will have to learn to cope with that pressure,” said Clark.

England has won three out of the five matches played between the side, with one loss in 1979 and one no result, and it comfortably won the last match between the two sides by 10 wickets on a green, seaming wicket at Loughborough last year.

In today’s other match, a repeat of the Women’s World Cup semi-final in 2005, India takes on New Zealand.

Both teams know that victory will go a long way towards claiming a spot in Sunday’s final, with New Zealand going into the match on a four-match winning streak against India in ODI games, although Jhulan Goswami’s side did win the friendly warm-up game between the two sides ahead of the tournament.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News -Tuesday, March 17, 2009 6:22:06 PM

Pulford puts New Zealand a step closer to big day

A brilliant all-round performance from Kate Pulford helped New Zealand take a step closer to the ICC Women’s World Cup Final.

Two wickets and a sparkling 71 from 88 balls helped her side to a five-wicket win over India with 14 balls to spare and the Player of the Match Award.

Earlier half centuries from Reema Malhotra (59) and Anjum Chopra (52) rescued India’s innings as it posted a total of 207 all out of 49.4 overs.

Having been 83-4 and 126-6 this represented a solid recovery, in a keenly contested battle between two of the event favourites.

Sophie Devine and Kate Pulford both took two wickets, but Reema Malhotra’s powerful hitting transformed the innings as she struck eight boundaries in her 53-ball innings.

Pulford (71) and Tiffen (28) provided a solid opening partnership of 78, before Pulford finally fell when the score was 109.

A regular fall of wickets provided India with hope, but an excellent innings from Suzie Bates (47 not out) and Aimee Mason (23 off 16 balls) helped it comfortably reach its target.

New Zealand now faces Pakistan on Thursday knowing a win will guarantee its place in the ICC Women's World Cup Final. 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News -Tuesday, March 17, 2009 2:30:00 AM

The two Taylors take England to World Cup Final

England sealed a place in the ICC Women’s World Cup final after a comprehensive 146-run win over the West Indies.

Player of the Match Sarah Taylor, made an excellent 78, while fifties from Claire Taylor and Caroline Atkins, helped build an imposing England total, before spinner Laura Marsh added to her growing reputation with three wickets.

On a difficult Drummoyne wicket, Sarah Taylor (78) and Caroline Atkins (50) added 134 for the first-wicket to give England a solid base, but the loss of four wickets for just 11 runs gave Charlotte Edwards’ side some cause for concern.

A brilliant innings from Claire Taylor then helped it record the fourth highest total of the tournament to date as it reached 236-8 off 50 overs.

Taylor smashed a brilliant 65, off 56 balls, including two sixes, as she gave the England innings some much needed momentum.

In reply, the West Indies never looked like reaching its target, despite some big hitting from Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin who both hit sixes.

Dottin, who top scored with 23, put on a useful 44-run partnership for the West Indies, as it attempted to recover from 22-4.

But once Dottin was dismissed, the rest of the batting crumbled and it was eventually dismissed for 90 all out with Marsh taking 3-17. 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News -Tuesday, March 17, 2009 1:46:19 AM

Australia downs Pakistan to keep its final hopes live

Shelley Nitschke and Lauren Ebsary stroked fine half-centuries as defending champion Australia defeated Pakistan by 107 runs in a Super Six stage match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009, keeping alive its hopes of reaching the final. 

Nitschke scored a flawless 56 while Ebsary hit a dogged 51 as Australia scored 229-5 in its allotted 50 overs after electing to bat first. Pakistan, in turn, always looked like it was struggling against an experienced and penetrative bowling attack and was eventually bowled out for 122 in 45.1 overs, despite having been 65-1 at one stage. 

It was Pakistan’s highest score against Australia after it was bowled out for 23 and 27 in the previous two matches against the five-time champion in Melbourne and Hyderabad, India, in 1997. 

The victory has put Australia on four points along with India and New Zealand who have played one fewer match but go head to head at the North Sydney Oval on Tuesday in front of ESPN STAR Sports cameras. The winner of tomorrow’s match will strengthen its claims for a place in the 22 March final as both the teams will then play their last matches on Thursday against lower-ranked sides, with New Zealand facing Pakistan and India meeting the West Indies. 

Two-time champion England is sitting pretty on six points with games against the West Indies and Australia still to come. A win over the West Indies at Drummoyne on Tuesday will guarantee it a place in the final for the first time since 1993 and will also equal Australia’s world record of 17 consecutive women’s ODI victories. 

Nitschke, who was later declared player of the match, admitted Australia’s fate rested on the other results which was not what her team had expected in the lead-up to the tournament. 

“I guess we probably have been a little bit (disappointed up till now),” she said. 

“It’s been a good build-up for years, it’s the World Cup, it’s in Australia, we’re the favourites and wanted to do well and we obviously find ourselves in a position where we are relying on some other results to get us through. So from that prospective, it probably has been a little bit disappointing, but now we’re just trying to stay positive and play good cricket and keep winning,” she said. 

“We are taking one step at a time at the moment. We are just happy to come here, play some good cricket, get a good win and now we’ll start looking forward to the England match and planning for that. 

“Pakistan showed that it has improved and the same with the West Indies. Both the teams have some good players, so if they can go well you never know. 

“We probably haven’t won as convincingly as we would have liked in some of the other games so to win that today quite convincingly like that was really good for us as a team. (We just need) to keep rolling and to keep winning and do what we can from this point,” she added. 

At the Bankstown Oval, Sydney, in front of more than 1,000 spectators, including school children and local residents, Australia showed its bench strength when it rested captain Karen Rolton, Lisa Sthalekar, Delissa Kimmince and Emma Sampson but still batted well to reach 229-5 against an ever-improving Pakistan bowling which was once again well supported by the fielders. 

Nitschke held the top order together in the first half of Australia’s innings which saw the home side score 108-1, while Ebsary took the charge in the second half of the innings to ensure the home team collected a further 121 runs to reach a winning score of 229-6, including 32 runs in its batting PowerPlay which it took between the 41st and 45th overs. 

Nitschke put on 100 runs for the first wicket with Lauren Poulton (47 off 86 balls) while Ebsary added 69 runs for the fourth wicket with Jodie Fields (36 off 41 balls). Nitschke’s 64-ball knock included five fours and a six while Ebsary, dropped twice by Sana Mir off her own bowling when she was seven and 19, hit two fours in a 71-ball knock. 

Pakistan, playing its fifth match since the tournament began on 7 March, was sharp in the field despite dropping two catches. The bowlers also made the Australia batters work hard for their runs when they bowled straight and according to the field. 

Pakistan started off nicely despite losing Nain Abidi when the score was on 19 to reach 65-1 in 17.2 overs before it lost its last nine wickets for 57 runs to be bowled out for 122 with 4.5 overs to spare. 

Wickets were evenly shared between Leah Poulton, Ellyse Perry and Rene Farrell who shared two wickets apiece. 

Scores in brief: 

At Bankstown Oval, Sydney, Australia 229-6, 50 overs (Shelley Nitschke 56, Lauren Ebsary 51, Leah Poulton 47, Jodie Fields 36; Sana Mir 2-36) 

Pakistan 122 all out, 45.1 overs (Asmavia Iqbal 36, Bismah Maroof 24; Leah Poulton 2-9, Ellyse Perry 2-16, Rene Farrell 2-23) 

Australia won by 107 runs

Fixtures for Tuesday 

17 Mar – India v New Zealand, North Sydney Oval 

17 Mar – England v West Indies, Drummoyne 

Points table 
TEAM         PLAYED  WON  LOST  POINTS   NNR
England             3          3            0              6          +0.62
Australia           4          2            2              4          +0.91
India                   3          2            1              4          +0.32
New Zealand    3          2            1              4           -0.62
Pakistan            4           1           3              2           -0.99
West Indies      3          0           3              0           -0.16


 
Forthcoming matches:

19 Mar – Australia v England, North Sydney Oval
 
19 Mar – India v West Indies, Bankstown
 
19 Mar – New Zealand v Pakistan, Drummoyne
 
21 Mar – third-fourth position play-off, Bankstown
 
21 Mar – fifth-sixth position play-off, Drummoyne
 
22 Mar – Final, North Sydney Oval

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News - Monday, March 16, 2009 7:31:07 AM

Australia shows its class with comfortable victory

Australia’s slim hopes of reaching the ICC Women’s World Cup Final remain alive after a comprehensive 107-run win over Pakistan.

Half centuries from Shelley Nitschke and Lauren Ebsary were the key to Australia’s victory, which was supported by a tidy bowling performance in the field.

Australia’s opening pair of Nitschke (56) and Leah Poulton (47) created a solid base for the home side to build on after an opening stand of 100.

Sana Mir (2-35) then grabbed two quick wickets and was then involved in the run-out of Alex Blackwell to reduce Australia to 130-3.

Ebsary (51) and Jodie Fields (36) then once again combined to add 69 for the fourth wicket, but a disciplined bowling and fielding display by Pakistan restricted Australia to 229-6 off 50 overs.

In reply, some excellent and positive batting from Bismah Maroof (24) and Asmavia Iqbal (36) put Pakistan in contention.

But the lack of depth in the Pakistani batting was again exposed when it suffered a dramatic collapse, slipping from 65-1 to 89-7, with Shelley Nitschke and Erin Osborne both bowling tight spells.

Some brave resistance from skipper Urooj Mumtaz (14 not out from 62 balls) saw Pakistan to 122 all out, with Leah Poulton, Ellyse Perry and Rene Farrell all taking two wickets.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News-Monday, March 16, 2009 2:16:08 AM

Australia tries to keep World Cup dreams alive

Australia will try to get its World Cup campaign back on track when it takes on Pakistan in the Super Six stages on Monday.

It needs to win its remaining two matches, including Thursday’s encounter with England, and then hope other results go its way, if it is to make it to Sunday’s final.

 Pakistan goes into the match on the back of a brilliant four-wicket victory over the West Indies on Saturday.

 It will be hoping to improve on its previous two performances against Australia in ODI matches. At the Women’s World Cup in 1997 it lost by nine wickets after it was bowled out for just 27 all out, while in the first meeting between the two sides it made 23 all out in reply to Australia’s 397-4.

 On Tuesday, England faces West Indies, while New Zealand takes on India in front of the live television cameras at North Sydney Oval.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News -Sunday, March 15, 2009 6:21:35 PM

Leg spinner stars as South Africa secures seventh place

South Africa secured seventh place at the ICC Women’s World Cup after a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the 7th/8th play-off.

Another disappointing display with the bat, a problem that has affected Sri Lanka throughout this tournament, saw it made just 72 all out, with Suwini de Alwis (24) the top scorer.

Young leg spinner, Dane van Niekerk, added to her growing reputation with a brilliant spell of 3-11, while Charlize van der Westhuizen, who is now ranked 14th in the world in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Rankings, also put in another great display as she took 2-16.

In reply, Trisha Chetty (41 not out) and Cri-Zelda Brits (31 not out) added an unbroken stand of 72 for the second-wicket as it cruised to victory with 21.3 overs to spare.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News -Saturday, March 14, 2009 11:59:39 PM

Super Six stage opens with a day of surprises

India left Australia with a mountain to climb when it beat the defending champion by 16 runs in a crucial Super Six stage match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 at the North Sydney Oval in front of ESPN STAR Sports cameras on Saturday.

In a repeat of the 2005 World Cup final, India put up a methodical batting performance to score 234-5 in 50 overs, including 87 runs in the last 10 overs. Left-handed opener Anjum Chopra top scored with 76 and was well supported by Anagha Deshpande (45) and Mithali Raj (44).

In its run-chase, Australia made a solid start but was later tied in the knots by India bowlers who were well backed-up by smart fielding. The home team finished at 218-7 in 50 overs and 16 runs short of the target.

The victory gave India two vital points and put it on four points, while the defeat has left Australia in fourth place on two points. India’s remaining matches are against New Zealand on Tuesday and against the West Indies on Thursday, while Australia plays Pakistan on Monday and then England in its last match on Thursday.

In a battle between former champions at the Bankstown Oval, England recovered from a difficult start to beat New Zealand by 31 runs to strengthen its chances of reaching its first final in 16 years.

Captain Charlotte Edwards produced one of her most memorable performances of her career when she first top scored with a fine 57 (off 79 balls with five fours) to guide her team to a competitive 201-5 in 50 overs. She then returned outstanding bowling figures of 8.4-1-37-4 as New Zealand collapsed from 53-1 to 126-7 before being bowled out for 170 in 48.1 overs.

The victory has put England on top of the table on six points with matches against the West Indies (on Tuesday) and Australia (on Thursday) in hand. In contrast, New Zealand, along with India, is on four points with its remaining matches in the Super Six stage being against India (on Tuesday) and Pakistan (on Thursday).

Reflecting on today’s victory, Edwards said: “I asked the girls for a bit extra today and we definitely got that. We did really well to get to 200, thanks to a late order charge there was brilliant.

“We bowled really well and took all our catches. It’s been a really good day for the girls today. It’s all about taking responsibility. A lot of the girls took that on today. I’m really, really pleased.”

At the Drummoyne Oval, fast bowler Almas Akram and Armaan Khan combined to guide Pakistan to a four- wicket victory over the West Indies. It was Pakistan’s second World Cup win in nine matches with both the wins coming in this current tournament

Almas produced a brilliant bowling performance when she broke the back of the West Indies top order to finish with figures of 7-4-7-3 as the West Indies was restricted to 132-9 in 50 overs. Armaan then led Pakistan’s run-chase and returned unbeaten on a 48-ball 43 not out with three fours and two sixes as the green shirts cantered home with 13 balls to spare.

Almas, later declared player of the match, said: “I am very happy with my performance. This was my best bowling performance in my bowling career so far. Our team performance was extremely good and we never felt under pressure, even though the West Indies are more experienced.”

In the feature match of the day in front of about 1,000 spectators, India produced its best performance of the tournament to date to win its first match against the five-time world champion in nearly 25 months. It was also India’s first victory after six straight defeats and only the sixth win in 33 ODIs.

In sharp contrast, it was Australia’s fourth defeat in eight matches in the last couple of months.

Sent into bat, India made a slow but confident start when it reached 82-1 after the halfway stage with New Delhi girl Anjum Chopra playing a sheet-anchor’s role. In association with Anagha Deshpande, Chopra put on 69 runs for the first wicket from 123 balls with Dedivde dominating the stand with a fluent 62-ball 45 that included seven fours. She was one of the three Lisa Sthalekar victims who finished with figures of 3-52.

With Thirush Kamini soon returning to the dressing room to make India 92-2 in 27.4 overs, Chopra found a reliable ally in Mithali Raj who continued her excellent form by scoring freely by nicely finding the gaps.

The two batters added 76 runs for the third wicket from 78 balls before the partnership was broken when Chopra, adjudged player of the match, fell to Rene Farrell but not before she had scored 76 runs that came off 137 balls and included six fours and a six at long-leg off fast bowler Delissa Kimmince.

Raj soon followed Chopra in the dressing room after scoring a 50-ball 44 that included four fours but the two batters had already set an excellent platform for the lower order batters to launch a late assault which allowed India to collect 87 runs off the last 10 overs, including 44 off the batting PowerPlay which India took between the 43rd and 47th overs.

Amita Sharma was the batter who caused the maximum damage in the death overs when she clubbed three fours in a 22-ball 31 while Harmanpreet Kaur also went on a rampage by slamming two fours and a six in an eight-ball 19 not out. The two batters put on 33 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket stand from just 18 balls.

In its target chase, Australia made a good start when it reached 41-0 before losing three wickets for 12 runs in 25 balls to slump to 53-3. Alex Blackwell (54 off 105 balls) and Jodie Fields (43 off 59) put the home team back on track with a 68-run fourth wicket partnership.

But the departure of both the batters in the space of 18 runs ended all Australia hopes as it eventually finished at 218-7 after taking its batting PowerPlay in the last five overs of its innings in which it required 56 runs for victory with three wickets standing.

For India, Gouher Sultana bagged 2-33 while leg-spinner Reema Malhotra picked up the prized scalps of Blackwell and Fields to finish with 2-32.

In the seventh-eighth position play-off at the North Sydney Oval No 2, South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by nine wickets after Sri Lanka’s batting woes continued as it was bowled out for 75 all out in 39 overs after electing to bat first.

South Africa, in turn, achieved victory in 28.3 overs with Trisha Chetty (41 not out) and Cri-Zelda Brits (31 not out) putting on 72 runs for the unbroken second wicket partnership.

Scores in brief:


At North Sydney Oval, Sydney, India 234-5, 50 overs (Anjum Chopra 76, Anagha Deshpande 45, Mithali Raj 44, Amita Sharma 31 not out; Lisa Sthalekar 3-52)

Australia 218-7 in 50 overs (Alex Blackwell 54, Jodie Fields 43, Lauren Ebsary 39 not out, Jessica Cameron 25, Rene Farrell 20 not out; Gouher Sultana 2-33, Reema Malhotra 2-32)

India won by 16 runs

At Bankstown Oval, Sydney, England 201-5, 50 overs (Charlotte Edwards 57, Beth Morgan 37 not out, Caroline Atkins 36, Jenny Gunn 22 not out; Sophie Devine 2-45)

New Zealand 170 all out, 48.4 overs (Haidee Tiffen 53, Aimee Mason 23, Sarah Tsukiwaga 23 not out; Charlotte Edwards 4-37, Laura Marsh 2-21, Katherine Brunt 2-25)

England won by 31 runs


At Drummoyne, Oval, Sydney, West Indies 132-9, 50 overs (Stafanie Taylor 55, Deandra Dottin 23; Almas Akram 3-7, Urooj Mumtaz 2-31)

Pakistan 134-6, 47.5 overs (Armaan Khan 43 not out, Urooj Mumtaz 22)

Pakistan won by four wickets

At North Sydney Oval No 2 (7th/8th position play-off), Sydney, Sri Lanka 75 all out in 39 overs (Suwini de Alwis 24; Dane van Niekerk 3-11, Charlize van der Westhuizen 2-16)

South Africa 76-1, 28.3 overs (Trisha Chetty 41 not out, Cri-Zelda Brits 31 not out)

South Africa won by nine wickets


Fixture for Monday, 16 March

Australia v Pakistan, Bankstown Oval, Sydney

Forthcoming matches:


17 Mar
– India v New Zealand, North Sydney Oval 

17 Mar
– England v West Indies, Drummoyne


19 Mar
– Australia v England, North Sydney Oval 

19 Mar 
– India v West Indies, Bankstown


19 Mar
– New Zealand v Pakistan, Drummoyne 

21 Mar 
– third-fourth position play-off, Bankstown


21 Mar 
– fifth-sixth position play-off, Drummoyne 

22 Mar
– Final, North Sydney Oval

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 14, 2009 4:41:54 AM

India pull off shock of the tournament as hosts crash to another defeat

India pulled off a stunning 16-run victory over Australia to keep its dream of a first ICC Women’s World Cup title alive thanks to a world-class innings from Anjum Chopra.

But the defeat leaves Karen Rolton’s side in all kinds of trouble, having already lost to New Zealand at this event, and it now knows it must win its next two Super Six matches to have any chance of making the final.

A solid opening partnership of 69 between Anagha Deshpande (45) and Anjum Chopra (76) helped establish a solid platform for India to build an impressive total of 234-5.

Mithali Raj (44) continued her excellent form at this event, scoring at almost a run-a-ball, while Amita Sharma smashed 31 not out off 22 balls and Harmanpreet Kaur scored 19 not out off eight balls, including one six.

Lisa Sthalekar took three wickets with her spin bowling, although she was slightly expensive as she conceded 3-52.

In reply, Jhulan Goswami got the first wicket of Shelley Nitschke (19) early on, before Rolton (8) and Sthalekar (0) followed quickly after to leave Australia on 53-3.

Alex Blackwell (54) and Jodie Fields (43) then put on an excellent stand for the fourth wicket, but as the hosts fell behind the run-rate, wickets quickly fell.

Some brave late-order hitting from Lauren Ebsary and Rene Farrell got Australia close to its target, but in the end it fell 16 runs short.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 14, 2009 3:01:48 AM

Almas Akram stars as Pakistan wins again

Three wickets from Player of the Match Almas Akram inspired a fantastic four-wicket win for Pakistan over the West Indies.

 In front of a noisy and passionate Pakistani support, a 61-run sixth wicket stand between Urooj Mumtaz and Armaan Khan guided the team to victory.

 A brilliant opening spell from Pakistan’s Almas Akram (3-7) reduced the West Indies to 24-4, before Stafanie Taylor scored a superb innings of 55, showing her class as she maneuvered the ball all around Drummoyne Oval with great style.

Taylor (55) and Deandra Dottin (23) rebuilt the innings, before Urooj Mumtaz took the first of her two wickets in an excellent display of spin bowling, but some solid late-order resistance from Anisa Mohammed (12 not out) helped West Indies up to 132-9 off 50 overs.

A good all-round bowling display from the West Indies had Pakistan in all kinds of trouble in reply at 55-5, before some carefully placed hitting from Almas Akram and Urooj Mumtaz turned the game around.

 Almas Akram, who hit two leg side sixes in her perfectly timed innings of 43 not out off 48 balls, was in top form, and she took her team to victory with 13 balls remaining. 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 14, 2009 2:17:23 AM

Edwards leads England to brilliant victory

England took a step closer to the ICC Cricket World Cup Final after defeating New Zealand by 31 runs at Bankstown.

An excellent all-round display from Charlotte Edwards, as she made a half century and took four wickets, means that England is now the only unbeaten team left at the tournament.

Edwards (57) played an important captain’s innings, against a strong White Ferns attack, as England struggled to reach 201-5 off 50 overs batting first.

Caroline Atkins (36) had earlier given the English a solid start, while a 43-run partnership for sixth wicket from Beth Morgan (37 not out) and Jenny Gunn (22 not out), with some late-order hitting, helped England establish a decent target.

The loss of regular wickets was the key to England’s bowling performance as only New Zealand skipper Haidee Tiffen (53) showed any kind of resistance at the top of the order as New Zealand crumbled to 170 all out.

Edwards received excellent support from spinners Laura Marsh and Holly Colvin, while Katherine Brunt also claimed two wickets.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News-  Saturday, March 14, 2009 2:14:29 AM

Taylor, Guha and Sthalekar retain top spots in Reliance Mobile ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings

Nitschke, Atkins, Satterthwaite big movers in batting table while spinner Westhuizen and fast bowler Devine break into top 20 for first time in their careers

England duo of Claire Taylor and Isa Guha, and Lisa Sthalekar of Australia, have retained top spots in the Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings after the completion of group stage in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009.

Taylor, the 33-year-old from Buckinghamshire, had started the tournament on 804 points and following knocks of 101 against Sri Lanka and 69 not out against India, she has widened the gap from her closest rival as she now sits comfortably on a career-best 825 points. In women’s ranking terms, 800 points marks out a player as truly outstanding.

Taylor heads into the Super Six stage of the tournament leading second-placed Mithali Raj of India by 56 points.

Raj, who scored 59 against England and 75 not out against Sri Lanka, has swapped places with Sthalekar who has slipped to third place after some disappointing performances with the bat by her high standards.

Australia’s Shelley Nitschke has achieved her career-best ranking after jumping three places to fifth position. The 32-year-old South Australian is the second leading run-getter in the tournament behind Englishwoman Claire Taylor with 159 runs from three innings.

Also making movements is the right directions are England opener Caroline Atkins and New Zealand batter Amy Satterthwaite. Atkins has vaulted three places to 14th position while Satterthwaite, who is the third leading run-getter so far with 148 runs, has rocketed five places to 15th position.

However, the news is not so good for Australia opener Alex Blackwell, Sri Lanka captain Shashikala Siriwardena, former South Africa captain Cri-Zelda Brits and Jenny Gunn of England.

Blackwell has dropped three places to eighth, Siriwardena has slipped three places to 17th, Brits has slipped two places to 18th and Gunn has fallen two places to 20th.

Blackwell and Gunn still have four more matches remaining in the tournament in which they can regain the lost ground while for Siriwardena and Brits, there is only one chance left when the two go head-to-head in the seventh-eighth position play-off on Saturday.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for bowlers, Isa Guha of England leads the field by a distance. Guha had started the tournament on 719 points and has gained 17 valuable points.

Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar has climbed to second place after gaining two places but her team-mates Shelley Nitschke and Emma Sampson have slipped three and one places to fifth and sixth respectively.

England’s Holly Colvin, South Africa spinner Charlize van der Westhuizan and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine have achieved career-best rankings while Devine’s compatriot Aimee Mason has returned to the top 10.

Colvin, who has taken five wickets in the tournament so far, has broken into the top five for the first time and sits in fourth place after rising two places while Mason, who is the joint-leading wicket-taker along with Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies and England’s Laura Marsh with eight wickets, has jumped three places to 10th position.

Fast bowler Devine has rocketed seven places to 15th and is one of the three New Zealand bowlers in the top 20 behind Mason, who has climbed three places to 10th, and Nicola Browne, who has dropped three places to 11th.

Charlize van der Westhuizan has leaped 11 places to 14th spot and is the third South Africa in the top 20 after Alicia Smith (13th) and Ashlyn Kilowan (16th).

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for all-rounder, there is no change in the top five as Sthalekar continues to lead Nitschke while New Zealand pair of Mason and Browne is third and fourth respectively. Gunn of England is in fifth spot.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News-Friday, March 13, 2009 1:10:34 AM

Line-up for Super Six stage in ICC Women's World Cup completed

Laura Marsh, Aimee Mason and Suzie Bates shine with the ball while Mithali Raj, Sara McGlashan, Amy Satterthwaite and Nicola Browne excel with the bat

Winless Sri Lanka and South Africa to play in seventh-eighth position play-off  

Photos from England and Pakistan match and New Zealand and South Africa match available through Getty Images; images from India and Sri Lanka match available free of charge from the ICC FTP site 

The line-up for the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 was completed on a day which saw some outstanding performances with the bat and the ball. 

From Group A, New Zealand, Australia and the West Indies progressed to the Super Six stage with Haidee Tiffen’s side taking forward four carry-over points, Karen Rolton’s side two and Merissa Aguilleira’s side none, while from Group B, England, India and Pakistan qualified for the next stage with Charlotte Edwards’s side progressing with four carry-over points, India two and Pakistan none. 

In the Super Six stage, the three sides in each group will now play the teams which have qualified from the other group from 14 to 19 March. The top two sides from the Super Six will go forward to the 22 March final while the third-fourth and fifth-sixth position play-offs will be staged on 21 March. 

The top four teams from the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 will automatically qualify for the 2013 event to be staged in India while the fifth and sixth-placed teams will earn direct spots in the 10-team ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2011 where they will be joined by eight other sides – two each from Asia, Africa and Europe, and one each from Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions – who will qualify from their own regional qualifying tournaments. 

At North Sydney Oval and in front of ESPN STAR Sports cameras, England spinner Laura Marsh set up an eight-wicket victory for the two-time former champions when she recorded the fifth best bowling performance in the history of the ICC Women’s World Cup while claiming a career-best 5-15 as Pakistan was bowled out for 78 after being 51-1 at one stage. 

In turn, the England batters hardly broke sweat as they achieved the victory target in 23.1 overs with the captain herself, Charlotte Edwards, hitting the winning boundary in her 32 not out. 

Marsh, the 22-year-old from Kent who was later adjudged player-of-the-match, was delighted with her performance. “I am pleased with my performance as it’s always nice for the spinners to take wickets in ODIs. It was good that we bowled Pakistan out for a low total and the batters were able to knock off the runs comfortably. 

“The ball wasn’t turning much so I concentrated to bowl as straight as possible and tried to bring the slip fielder into play. I wasn’t aware that it was the fifth best bowling performance in a World Cup until someone told me after the presentation. I am definitely pleased with this, also because it came in a match that we won,” she said. 

Despite its second defeat, qualifier Pakistan marched into the Super Six stage after India defeated Sri Lanka by 35 runs in a low-scoring match at Bankstown Oval to notch up its second win. 

The defeat has left Sri Lanka to play in the seventh-eighth position play-off against South Africa on Saturday, 14 March after both the teams finished winless from three matches. 

The highlight of the match was a superb batting performance by former captain Mithali Raj who scored more than half her team’s runs. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 75 (off 120 balls) as the 2005 World Cup runner-up managed a modest 137-7 in 50 overs after being reduced to 78-7 in 39.4 overs. 

Together with captain Jhulan Goswami, Raj added 59 runs for the unfinished eighth wicket in 10.2 overs with Goswami contributing 24 not out. 

Sri Lanka, which needed to achieve victory in 45.5 overs to leapfrog Pakistan into third place in Group B, was bowled out for 102 runs with 5.4 overs to spare. Amita Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 3-19. 

Raj was happy that her performance came at a vital moment in the tournament. “It came at the right time. We did struggle in those initial overs when we were four down for 38 runs. So there was a lot of pressure. We tried to get as many runs as we could in those 50 overs. 

“We are very relieved that we won this very close match. It’s still not going to be easy for us in the Super Six stage because we have tough sides like Australia and New Zealand, but I think we should play good cricket in the forthcoming three matches. 

“I think our only concern would be our batting. It has really let us down against England and even today where we collapsed quite early.” 

India captain Jhulan Goswami was relieved to win a close game. “Yeah, we are happy to get the win, but I’m not so happy with our batting. A score of 137 is very low, but our bowlers bowled superbly and stuck to the basics and I’m very happy with that. 

“It’s important for us to play good cricket in the Super Six stage because each and every match is very important.” 

At the Bradman Oval, Bowral, New Zealand hammered South Africa by 199 runs after Sunette Loubser’s team lost its last eight wickets for seven runs in 51 balls to be bowled out for only 51 in 22.2 overs while chasing 251 runs for victory. 

It was the 20th lowest innings total in women’s ODIs and the ninth lowest total in World Cup history. 

New Zealand vice-captain and off-spinner Aimee Mason and all-rounder Suzie Bates played havoc with the ball and shared four wickets apiece conceding two and seven runs respectively. Mason had figures of 4.2-2-2-4 while Bates had figures of 5-2-7-4 

Mason, reflecting on her career-best bowling performance, said: “I wouldn’t say it was the best I have ever bowled but it was one of those days when everything comes off. You have to take it when it comes as it is not like that every day. 

“We are really pleased with how we did today as we wanted to get to the Super Six stage with a bang. The team is on a real high and a lot of our supporters are over as well and it was a great atmosphere at the ground and awesome to take all of those wickets.” 

Earlier, New Zealand was rescued by fine half-centuries by Sara McGlashan, Amy Satterthwaite and Nicola Browne after it had slipped to 4-2 and then to 88-3 which soon became 111-5. 

McGlashan remained unbeaten on 88 that came off 76 balls and included eight fours and a six while Browne belted seven fours in her 74-ball 51 not out. The two batters put on 139 runs for the undefeated sixth wicket stand from 23.2 overs. Satterthwaite scored at almost a run-a-ball in making 73 with 11 fours and held the top order together. 

At Drummoyne, Australia beat the West Indies by 47 runs to finish second behind New Zealand and ahead of the West Indies. 

Ellyse Perry was the star performer for the defending champion when she followed up her rapid 36, in Australia’s 211-7, with 2-28 to win the player of the match award. Perry received good support from Erin Osborne (2-22) and Lisa Sthalekar (2-32).

Deandra Dottin was the only West Indies batter to play with some degree of confidence while scoring 51, including four sixes, in her team’s 164-7. 

“There are expectations for the number one ranked team to beat lesser ranked teams, but it’s been very positive to see how teams have stepped us against us. I actually think West Indies and South Africa have had two good games against us,” said Australia vice-captain Alex Blackwell. 

“We do need to work on the some things, which we are definitely doing to improve each game.” 

Scores in brief: 

At North Sydney Oval, Sydney, Pakistan 78 all out, 39.5 overs (Nain Abidi 27, Bismah Maroof 13; Laura Marsh 5-15, Charlotte Edwards 2-2, Katherine Brunt 2-25)

England 82-2, 23.1 overs (Charlotte Edwards 32 not out) 
England won by eight wickets.

At Drummoyne Oval, Sydney, Australia 211-7, 50 overs (Alex Blackwell 46 not out, Shelley Nitschke 45, Jidoe Fields 42, Ellyse Perry 35; Shakera Selman 2-28, Stafanie Taylor 2-35, Anisa Mohammed 2-45)

West Indies 164-7, 50 overs (Deandra Dottin 51, Stafanie Taylor 32; Erin Osborne 2-22, Ellyse Perry 2-28, Lisa Sthalekar 2-32) 
Australia won by 47 runs.  

At Bankstown Oval, Sydney, India 137-7, 50 overs (Mithali Raj 75 not out, Jhulan Goswami 24 not out; Chamari Polgampola 2-17, Udeshika Prabodani 2-20, Suwini de Alwis 2-34)

Sri Lanka 102 all out, 44.2 overs (Dedunu de Silva 21, Eshani Lokusooriya 20; Amita Sharma 3-19, Rumeli Dhar 2-10, Gouher Sultana 2-16) 
India won by 35 runs.  

At Bradman Oval, Bowral, New Zealand 250-5, 50 overs (Sara McGlashan 88 not out, Amy Satterthwaite 73, Nicola Browne 51 not out; Charlize van der Westhuizen 2-18, Alicia Smith 2-58)

South Africa 51 all out, 22.1 overs (Cri-Zelda Brits 25; Aimee Mason 4-2, Suzie Bates 4-7) 
New Zealand won by 199 runs.

Fixtures for Super Six stage:

 Mar 14 – Sri Lanka v West Indies, seventh-eighth position play-off, North Sydney No.2 

Mar 14 – Australia v India, North Sydney Oval 

Mar 14 – New Zealand v England, Bankstown 

Mar 14 – West Indies v Pakistan, Drummoyne 

16 Mar – Australia v Pakistan, Bankstown 

17 Mar – India v New Zealand, North Sydney Oval 

17 Mar – England v West Indies, Drummoyne 

19 Mar – Australia v England, North Sydney Oval 

19 Mar – India v West Indies, Bankstown 

19 Mar – New Zealand v Pakistan, Drummoyne

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News  Thursday, March 12, 2009 6:00:21 AM

ICC announces umpire and match referee appointments for Super Six stage of ICC Women's World Cup 2009

The ICC today announced details of the umpire and match referee appointments for the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009. 

Brian Aldridge will take over the match referee’s responsibilities from David Jukes and will oversee matches at the North Sydney Oval which will be covered live by ICC’s official broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports. 

The on-field umpires will be split between Steve Davis from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, Brian Jerling, Tony Hill and Tyron Wijewardena from the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires and umpires from the ICC Associate and Affiliate International Umpires’ Panel, East Asia-Pacific Regional Panel and domestic panel umpires from Australia and New Zealand. 

Appointments for the final, third-fourth and fifth-sixth position play-offs will be announced in due course. 
Mar 14– South Africa v Sri Lanka, seventh-eighth position play-off, North Sydney No.2 Oval – Jeff Brookes and Neil Harrison, Gerard Abood (third)
 
Mar 14– Australia v India, North Sydney Oval – Brian Aldridge (referee), Brian Jerling and Tony Hill, Sarika Prasad (third), Cathy Cross (fourth)
 
Mar 14– New Zealand v England, Bankstown – Shahul Hameed and Tyron Wijewardena, Mick Martell (third)
 
Mar 14– West Indies v Pakistan, Drummoyne – Andrew Craig and Lakani Oala, Tony Ward (third)
 
16 Mar– Australia v Pakistan, Bankstown – Neil Harrison and Tony Hill, Kathy Cross (third)
 
17 Mar– India v New Zealand, North Sydney Oval – Brian Aldridge (referee), Steve Davis, Shahul Hameed, Brian Jerling (third), Nickl (fourth)
 
17 Mar– England v West Indies, Drummoyne, Jeff Brookes and Sarika Prasad, Lakani Oala (third)
 
19 Mar– Australia v England, North Sydney Oval – Brian Aldridge (referee), Brian Jerling and Sarika Prasad, Neil Harrison (third), Graeme Redman (fourth)
 
19 Mar– India v West Indies, Bankstown – Kathy Cross and Tyron Wijewardena, Shahul Hameed (third)
 
19 Mar– New Zealand v Pakistan, Drummoyne – Steve Davis and Lakani Oala, Jeff Brookes (third)
 
21 Mar– third-fourth position play-off, Bankstown – TBC
 
21 Mar– fifth-sixth position play-off, Drummoyne – TBC
 
22 Mar– Final, North Sydney Oval – Brian Aldridge (referee), TBC 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News -Thursday, March 12, 2009 5:31:00 AM

India survives scare to move into Super Six stages

India survived a scare against Sri Lanka before a completing a 35-run win that guarantees it a place in the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Vice-captain Amita Sharma led a much improved bowling performance after a poor batting display had left India in all kinds of trouble.

Mithali Raj (75 not out) was again the key player for India, one of only three Indian players to register double figures, as it struggled to reach 137-7 off 50 overs.


But it would have been relieved to get to that total having at one stage been 35-4 and then 78-7, as some disciplined and consistent bowling restricted one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Chamari Polgampola took 2-17, Udeshika Prabodani recorded figures of 2-20 and Suwini de Alwis achieved 2-34 in a fine all-round bowling display.

A slow but steady first-wicket stand of 37 between Dedunu de Silva (21) and Chamari Polgampola (12) provided a good platform for Sri Lanka to chase its target, but once again a poor batting effort was to prove costly.

Only Eshani Lokusooriya (20) provided any kind of resistance in a total of 102 all out, as Amita Sharma (3-19), Rumeli Dhar (2-10) and Gouher Sultana (2-16) led a great bowling performance. 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News -Thursday, March 12, 2009 2:50:06 AM

Spinners combine again in Australian victory

Australia secured its place in the Super Six stages of the ICC Women’s World Cup after a 47-run win over the West Indies, although it was made to work hard for its victory.

Lisa Sthalekar and Erin Osborne once again bowled well, backed up by an excellent all-round performance by Ellyse Perry, but some brave resistance with both bat and ball by the West Indies added to its growing reputation at this event.

Australia again found it tough-going early on, losing the early wickets of Leah Poulton and Lisa Sthalekar, before Shelley Nitschke (45) and Jodie Fields (42) added some stability to the score line.

The loss of Lauren Ebsary and Jodie Fields, in the space of six balls, reduced Australia to 124-5, which got even worse when Karen Rolton (2) fell shortly afterwards.

But some late-order hitting from Alex Blackwell (46 not out) and Ellyse Perry (36) added some respectability to the total, with young off-spinner Stafanie Taylor once again the pick of the West Indian attack with 2-35.

Stafanie Taylor (32) made a bright start to the West Indies innings, although her dismissal left the West Indies struggling on 49-3.

It was the spin attack of Lisa Sthalekar and Erin Osborne who were again the pick of the Australian attack and when they accounted for Stacy-Ann King and Cordel Jack, to make it 85-5, it looked like the game was over.

But once again the West Indies showed some great character and determination as a 56-run stand between Deandra Dottin (51) and Debbie-Ann Lewis gave it hope, with Dottin in particularly destructive form as she smashed four sixes, but in the end it simply ran out of overs as it closed on 164-7.

Australia now faces India in the first of the Super Six matches on Saturday, while the West Indies take on Pakistan. 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Thursday, March 12, 2009 2:45:22 AM

Five wickets for Marsh maintains unbeaten start

A fine display of spin bowling from Laura Marsh ensured England topped Group B at the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Marsh took 5-15, in her 10 overs, as England coasted to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan at North Sydney Oval.

Pakistan had got off to an excellent start, after winning the toss and batting, but the loss of Nain Abidi (27) when the score was 51-1 sparked a dramatic collapse, as the final nine wickets fell for just 27 runs.


Marsh bowled a beautifully controlled spell of spin bowling, well supported by the left-arm spin of Holly Colvin, who took 1-8 in her 10-over spell, before Charlotte Edwards wrapped up the tail with two wickets.

In reply, Sarah Taylor (11) fell early on to Qanita Jalil, before Ebony Rainsford-Brent (18) and Charlotte Edwards (32 not out) added 35 for second-wicket.

Although Rainsford-Brent was dismissed by Sana Mir, going for an ugly slog, England cruised to a comfortable win with 26.5 overs to spare. 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Thursday, March 12, 2009 12:03:13 AM

India and England look to maintain unbeaten run

India and England feature in the showcase match of Tuesday’s action at the ICC Women’s World Cup when they face-off at North Sydney Oval.

A match-winning innings from Anjum Chopra provided India with victory the last time these two sides met at a World Cup, back in 2005, and she is again expected to be a key player today.

England, who defeated Sri Lanka on Saturday by 100 runs, despite a scrappy performance, will be hopeful of continuing its winning run against India having defeated it 4-0 last year.

In Group A, Australia will be hoping to get its campaign back on track when it faces South Africa at Newcastle.

Karen Rolton’s side, who suffered a defeat to New Zealand on Sunday in a rain-affected match, will be desperate to record its first win of the tournament, while Sunette Loubser will be asking for a better batting performance from her South African side after being bowled out for just 116 against the West Indies on Sunday.

In the other match of the day, the two unbeaten sides in Group A, New Zealand and West Indies, play at Bankstown.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Tuesday, March 10, 2009 6:53:03 PM

Rolton stars in Australian victory

Australia got its ICC Women’s World Cup campaign back on track with a 61-run victory over South Africa.

The win means that Australia is now level on points with the West Indies, although New Zealand tops Group A after two consecutive victories.

After a disappointing batting display against New Zealand on Sunday, Australia struggled to score in the early morning conditions against some excellent new ball bowling.

But once Shelley Nitschke (87) and Alex Blackwell (22) had dealt with the opening bowlers, they looked reasonably comfortable as they went onto add an excellent 75-run partnership for the first wicket.

A second-wicket stand of 82 between Nitschke and Karen Rolton then put Australia into an excellent position, with the Australian skipper in particularly good form as she made 96 not out off just 87 deliveries.

South Africa showed great character and determination to restrict the Australia score to 258-4 off 50 overs, with all-rounder Alicia Smith adding to her ever growing reputation with 3-42.

After losing Claire Terblanche early on, an excellent 82-run stand between Trisha Chetty (58) and Cri-Zelda Brits (36) meant that South Africa was very much on course for its victory target.

But the fall of two quick wickets dented Sunette Loubser’s side chances, before Mignon due Preez (37) and Alicia Smith (19) led a mini recovery to lead South Africa to 161-3 with 9 overs remaining.

Needing quick runs, South Africa had no alternative but to throw the bat, which resulted in a dramatic collapse to 197 all out, losing seven wickets for 35 runs, with Shelley Nitschke (3-43) the pick of the bowlers.

Australia plays West Indies on Thursday, while New Zealand takes on South Africa.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Tuesday, March 10, 2009 2:11:49 AM

New Zealand maintains unbeaten record

New Zealand was made to work hard by West Indies as it recorded a 56-run victory to maintain its unbeaten record at the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Without skipper Haidee Tiffen and Kate Pulford, star of Sunday’s victory over Australia, New Zealand struggled early on after deciding to bat first at the Bankstown Oval and was reduced to 48-3.

When 17-year-old Stafanie Taylor (2-33) dismissed Nicola Browne, the White Ferns looked in all kinds of trouble, but some solid late-order batting from Aimee Mason (38) and Sarah Tsukigawa (41 not out) helped New Zealand up to 192-8 off 50 overs.

Despite losing opener Deandra Dottin to a first-ball duck, a 61-run partnership between Stafanie Taylor (38) and Pamela Lavine (40) put it on track for victory.

But after Taylor fell to the spin bowling of Aimee Mason, stand-in skipper and the pick of the New Zealand attack with figures of 3-26, the momentum of the game changed despite the contribution of Pamela Lavine, the cousin of West Indian legend Gordon Greenidge.

When Afy Fletcher (12) was finally dismissed, after another disappointing innings, it sparked a dramatic batting collapse and in the end the West Indies fell well short of its target, reaching 136-8 off 50 overs, as Lucy Doolan (3-21) bowled an excellent spell.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Tuesday, March 10, 2009 2:06:08 AM

England through to Super Six stages

England sealed its place in the Super Six stage at the ICC Women’s World Cup after a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over India.

A brilliant 125-run partnership from Claire Taylor and Caroline Atkins, which built on an excellent England bowling display led by Holly Colvin, helped Charlotte Edwards’ side cruise to a comfortable victory with 11.3 overs to spare.

Mithali Raj (59) was the star of India’s innings as it struggled to reach 169 all out off 48.4 overs.

After Holly Colvin (3-22), Jenny Gunn (3-50) and Isa Guha (2-16) had reduced a fragile Indian batting line-up to 126-9, Amita Sharma then added some respectability to the score with some powerful late order hitting as she put on 43 with Gouher Sultana for the tenth wicket.

Indeed such was the belligerent nature of her innings, the Indian vice-captain scored 28 off the last ten balls of her innings, including 20 off one Jenny Gunn over.

Caroline Atkins (69 not out) led the way for England in reply, receiving excellent support from Sarah Taylor (27), until Priyanka Roy broke the first-wicket partnership of 47.

Atkins and Claire Taylor (69 not out), who had made an hundred in the opening match against Sri Lanka, then added a brilliant second-wicket partnership to secure an easy win.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News    Tuesday, March 10, 2009 1:23:01 AM

Rejuvenated Pakistan back on track with victory over Sri Lanka

A rejuvenated Pakistan strengthened its claim for a place in the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 when it defeated Sri Lanka by 57 runs at Manuka Oval, Canberra on Monday.

Even contributions from the batters helped Pakistan reach 161-7 in 50 overs after Urooj Mumtaz won the toss and elected to bat first. In reply, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 104 in 39.4 overs, despite a fighting half-century by captain Shashikala Siriwardena.

While all the players contributed evenly to Pakistan’s cause, fast bowler Qanita Jalil was the star of Pakistan victory’s when she broke the back of Sri Lanka top order and finished with figures of 8-0-33-3 having earlier hit a rapid 19 off 20 balls.

Qanita was very well supported by all-rounder Sana Mir who followed up her priceless 22 not out with 2-18.

This was Pakistan’s first-ever victory over Sri Lanka in 19 ODIs and also its maiden win in the World Cup after six straight defeats. And it couldn’t have come at a better time after it was bowled out for 57 and thrashed by India by 10 wickets in the opener last Saturday. It had required an inspiring and an exceptional performance to keep it chances alive which the green shirts produced at the right time.

The result has now put Pakistan in third place in Group B with one win and one defeat while Sri Lanka is winless from two matches. In the final round of matches in the group stage on Thursday 12 March, Pakistan will play England at the North Sydney Oval which will be covered live by ICC’s broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports while Sri Lanka will play India in Bankstown.

Pakistan has played England only once before in the 1997 World Cup in India where it lost by 230 runs. In contrast, Sri Lanka has lost 15 out of the 16 matches against India with one ending in a no-result.

Urooj said she was happy with the performance. “I am proud of my team. The way it lifted itself after Saturday’s game was magnificent.

“It was a complete team effort and every player played her role to perfection. The batters stayed at the wicket to ensure we played out 50 overs while the bowlers bowled straight and were excellently back up by the fielders.

“However, Qanita and Sana stand out for their contributions. The two played very responsible cricket and today if we can eye a place in the Super Six stage, it is largely because of these two girls.

“All in all, it was a performance to be proud of and couldn’t have come at a better time when we prepare to play England in the last group match. Our feet are still on ground as we know plenty of cricket still has to be played in the tournament and anything can happen.

“There is always a first time and I am glad that we ended our win drought in the World Cup and also against Sri Lanka. I wouldn’t like to make tall claims but we would aim and try to beat teams we have never beaten before.”

On Monday, Pakistan showed it was a quick learning team as evident from the fact that after being dismissed in 29 overs against India, it batted for full 50 overs and managed to collect a decent 161-7.

Opener Nain Abidi was the top scorer with a gutsy 26 that came off 51 balls and included a four and a six. Other notable contributors were Sana Mir (22 not out from 37 balls), Sajida Shah (21 off 67 balls) and Urooj (20 off 43 balls).

Nain’s opening partnership of 47 runs with Bismah Maroof (10) turned out to be the highest partnership of the innings though 35 runs were added for the fourth wicket by Sajida and Urooj and another 30 for the seventh wicket between Sana and Qanita (19).

For Sri Lanka, Suwini de Alwis (2-19), Eshani Lokusooriya (2-28) and Shashikala Siriwardena 92-43) shared wickets.

Sri Lanka, in its target chase, was rocked by Qanita and never recovered after slipping to 28-3. Siriwardena tried to hold the innings together but there was not stopping from the other end as wickets continued to fall.

And when Siriwardena was smartly run out by Javeria Khan to become the eighth batter out after a fighting 58 off 111 balls with eight fours, Pakistan took just 22 balls to wrap up Sri Lanka’s innings, including the wickets of Rose Fernando and Sripali Weerakkody off successive balls.

Scores in brief: 

At Manuka Oval, Canberra: Pakistan 161-7, 50 overs (Nain Abidi 26, Sana Mir 22 not out, Sajida Shah 21, Urooj Mumtaz 20; Suwini de Alwis 2-19, Eshani Lokusooriya 2-28, Shashikala Siriwardena 2-43)

Sri Lanka 104 all out, 39.4 overs (Shashikala Siriwardena 58; Qanita Jalil 3-33, Sana Mir 2-18) 

Pakistan won by 57 runs

Tuesday’s fixtures:
India v England, North Sydney Oval
New Zealand v West Indies, Bankstown
Australia v South Africa, Newcastle

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Monday, March 09, 2009 11:08:21 AM

Pakistan achieves historic victory

Pakistan took a step closer towards the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup after a historic 57-run victory over Sri Lanka.

This was the first time in women’s ODI history that Pakistan had beaten Sri Lanka in 19 ODI matches and it was also Pakistan’s first ever win in a World Cup match.

Batting first, a solid opening partnership of 47 between Nain Abidi (26) and Bismah Maroof (10) set the team on its way.

Although some steady bowling from Suwini de Alwis (2-19) helped restrict the Pakistan total, some solid contributions from Sana Mir (22 not out), Sajida Shah (21) and Qanita Jajil (11) helped it to 161-7 off 50 overs.

Qanita Jalil (3-33) then led a brilliant display by the Pakistani attack, grabbing three early wickets, as the Sri Lankan top order crumbled.

Some brave resistance from Sri Lankan skipper Shashikala Siriwardena (58 off 111 balls) followed, but only one other player, Dedunu de Silva (13), made double figures as Sri Lanka was dismissed for 104 all out.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News   Monday, March 09, 2009 1:30:51 AM

Three-wicket hero believes more is still to come

New Zealand star Kate Pulford has revealed her delight following her performance in Sunday’s win over Australia at the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Her three wickets, including the dismissals of Shelley Nitschke, Karen Rolton and Lisa Sthalekar, set her side on the way to victory by 13 runs (D/L method) at North Sydney Oval, but the 28-year-old still believes she can bowl better.

“It is the best results I have ever had, but I think I can bowl better than that, as there are lot of balls that I would not bowl again, probably including Rolton’s six over my head,” said Pulford, speaking from her hotel in Sydney on Monday.

“With the top batters, it is important to get the ball in the right areas consistently and it worked for me.

“The ball following Rolton’s six was a bouncer and she acknowledged that it was a good ball and it brings out the extra fire in the belly. It is special when you can get on top of somebody of that calibre.”

Pulford, recalled to the national team in February after a six-year absence, admits that she thought only months ago that she had no chance of making selection for this tournament and that she owes her opportunity to Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach.

“Up until December last year I had no thoughts of playing this World Cup at all. Not because I didn’t want to but because I had been out of the frame for so long and perhaps there was a reason, which I didn’t know about, which explained why I wasn’t being picked,” said Pulford.

“I did have an inkling when there was a change in coach that there might be a chance as Gary Stead approached me after the first round of our state league about my availability and that gave me a slight window of hope.

“I am so glad to be back in the team environment as I love playing for New Zealand.”

Pulford, who works as a strategic business analyst, believes that her absence from the international side has made her appreciate the opportunity to play for the national team.

“I appreciate it more for myself as it is just as special as when I made my debut ten years ago. It has given me a bit of perspective being able to focus on my career outside of cricket and life outside of cricket and having that extra bit of life experience and knowing what it is like to fail.”

With the West Indies, who enjoyed an exciting two-wicket win over South Africa on Sunday, the next match for the White Ferns in a busy tournament schedule, Pulford believes that Tuesday’s match will be a tough clash.

 “We are taking each game as it comes and we will respect all our opposition as the West Indies are deservedly in the top eight in the world and we are not going to take them lightly,” she said.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News   Monday, March 09, 2009 12:01:08 AM