Friday, March 13, 2009

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

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