Day: March 12, 2022

Dubai, March 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):Centuries by Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur powered India to a 155-run win over the West Indies in Hamilton.

Mandhana and Kaur’s 184-run partnership saw India set the West Indies an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup record chase of 318.

Deandra Dottin looked set to steer West Indies all the way, guiding her side to 100 in 12 overs, only for her dismissal to start an unrecoverable collapse.

Jhulan Goswami dismissed Anisa Mohammed to become the leading wicket-taker in World Cups with her 40th scalp as India sealed victory.

India won the toss and chose to bat, meaning previously unbeaten West Indies would have to chase for the first time in the World Cup.

Yastika Bhatia made a fast start to the innings taking Chinelle Henry for three fours off the second over before dynamic fielding from Dottin saved more boundaries.

Shamilia Connell would also be taken round the ground before Shakera Selman came in and got the first wicket, catching Bhatia off her own bowling for 31 from 21.

Mithali Raj, captaining in a World Cup record 24th game, came out to join Mandhana but could only make five from 11 before being caught by Connell to leave India on 62 for two at the end of the powerplay.

Deepti Sharma was the next batter to make a start before being dismissed, but she could be forgiven as Hayley Matthews took a stunning, stretching catch at slip as she departed for 15.

Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur were unfazed, the former’s half-century brought up from 66 balls to earn her 22nd fifty in ODI cricket.

The duo brought up their hundred partnership off a Selman no-ball, a fourth 100-run fourth-wicket partnership for India in World Cups, with Kaur part of three of them.

The next delivery would bring another milestone as Kaur’s 50 came from 61 balls, her first back-to-back ODI half-centuries since the last World Cup in 2017.

Mandhana was put down by Aaliyah Alleyne on 94 before bringing up her hundred from 108 balls with a four as the 150 partnership was also reached.

She would have to go for 123 from 119 balls as Selman held on to a catch in the deep as Connell picked up her first wicket in her final over.

Kaur would bring up a century at a third successive World Cup before sending a tame outside edge to Shemaine Campbelle behind the stumps, India slipping to 313 for seven after Pooja Vastrakar and Richa Ghosh were dismissed cheaply.

India ended on 317 for eight, their first-ever 300-plus total in World Cup cricket, with Dottin clearly in pain bowling the final over.

The West Indies came out undaunted despite Dottin’s clear discomfort, crashing 50 in the first five overs.

With the hundred raised just seven overs later, but after Dottin had taken treatment on the field, her innings came to an end, making 62 of just 46 balls with 10 fours and a six.

Kycia Knight and Stafanie Taylor fell cheaply to leave the Maroon Warriors on 112 for three, with opener Matthews dismissed for 43 from 36 balls, her disappointed reaction telling you everything you need to know, their chance had gone.

Campbelle and Henry would soon follow as the life was suffocated out of what had been a rip-roaring chase by the West Indies.

Chedean Nation had helped steady the West Indies against England but chasing a record total was an altogether different prospect.

With Nation looking for quick runs, Alleyne had to go run out chasing a second thanks to sharp throwing from Rajeshwari Gayakwad who formed a potent spin partnership with Sneh Rana.

Mohammed then played a patient game taking fourteen balls to get off nought as the Windies delayed the inevitable.

She then became Goswami’s 40th victim at a World Cup as she was caught going for a mistimed heave before the West Indies were bowled out for 162 as Rana took the winning catch off her own bowling.

Scores in brief

India beat West Indies at Seddon Park, Hamilton by 155 runs

India 317/8 in 50.0 overs (Smriti Mandhana 123, Harmanpreet Kaur 109; Anisa Mohammed 2/59; Aaliyah Alleyne 1/26)

West Indies 162 all out in 40.3 overs (Deandra Dottin 62, Hayley Matthews 43; Sneh Rana 3/22, Meghna Singh 2/27)

Player of the Match: Smriti Mandhana (India)

For more information, contact:
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Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
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Phone: +97-143828800
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E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
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Dubai, March 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):Smriti Mandhana inflicted her wristy wrath on West Indies as the Indian megastar unfurled one of her best-ever innings at ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.

A lot has changed for the 25-year-old since her debut on the biggest stage in 2017, when she helped propel India to their first-ever final.

“Our return tickets had already been booked after the group matches,” remembers Mandhana of the run to the Lord’s showpiece. “Nobody expected us to make the final.”

Playing without pressure is a rare luxury for an Indian cricketer, with much now expected of the elegant southpaw every time she takes to the crease at her second World Cup.

Mandhana made a perfectly-paced 123 against West Indies – as measured and inexorable as her rise to the top of sport – helping her side to a thumping 155-run victory.

The success of Mandhana’s opening partnership with Shafali Verma has been based on the power dynamic, the teenager’s aggression freeing up her elder to play an anchor role.

It wasn’t Verma who executed it but the plan remained the same as pinch-hitter Yastika Bhatia peeled off six boundaries in the first 27 balls, allowing Smriti to settle.

The loss of Bhatia and Mithali Raj in the powerplay checked the surviving opener’s progress and after 51 balls in the middle, she had 34 runs and no boundaries to her name.

Deepti Sharma was another destined to push the pace in a partnership with Mandhana and she cracked two fours through the offside in a single over from Shakera Selman.

Mandhana lost another partner as Deepti tried to sweep Anisa Mohammed but top-edged a sweep for a stunning slip catch from Hayley Matthews. India were 78 for three.

The ten overs that followed were a sign of Smriti’s steel as she knuckled down and laid the foundations for a match-defining partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur.

She brought up her second half-century of the tournament with a flick for four on the 60th ball and that milestone seemed to help her kick on even further.

Mandhana’s second half-century came off only 43 balls but nearly fell at the final hurdle when she was dropped at midwicket on 96.

Get there she did and brought up a fifth ODI century – all of which have come in overseas conditions, a tell-tale sign of her ability to judge conditions.

Harmanpreet is a remorseless master-builder of big innings, batting for three hours and proving similarly impressive on her way to 109.

Their partnership of 184 for the fourth wicket was India’s best at the Cricket World Cup and the result of a symbiosis in the pair’s techniques and mentalities.

Harmanpreet said: “It’s great to get that combination. When she was getting the boundaries, I was there to help her and take the singles.

“When I was hitting the boundaries she was there to support me and that’s what we enjoyed.”

Smriti added: “Our strengths are really different.

“She’s really good with spin and I like pace on the ball, so when the spinner comes on, I give her the strike and she gives me the strike when the pace comes on!”

The total they helped set, 317 for eight, was India’s highest at the Cricket World Cup and will no doubt turn heads at the tournament.

Jhulan Goswami became the leading wicket-taker in World Cup history by dismissing Anisa Mohammed and Windies subsided to 162 all out in reply.

Sneh Rana is emerging as one of the leading all-rounders in the world and after a superb unbeaten half-century against Pakistan, took three vital wickets with her off-spin in Hamilton.

With three wins on the board already, India are making their mark at the tournament. A clash with Australia awaits in a week’s time, shaping up to be the standout match of the group stage.

Those plane tickets won’t be booked too early this time.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, March 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):Smriti Mandhana prayed to multiple gods when she offered a catch on 96 – and it worked.

Aaliyah Alleyne put it down and Mandhana went on to make 123 to help India women to a 155-run win over West Indies women.

Mandhana steadied a rocked India ship after they slipped to 78 for three after a fast start from Yastika Bhatia.

The 25-year-old put on 184 runs with fellow centurion Harmanpreet Kaur to turn the tide and put the game out of reach.

Windies put on 100 in 12 overs but ultimately fell way short of their target of 318 runs as they lost their first game of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 in Hamilton.

“I had a little bit of the nervous nineties today and I was a little nervous about that ball going up in the air and I prayed to two, three gods saying please let the player drop it,” Mandhana said.

“And she [Mohammed] put it down so I should thank her actually because otherwise I would have got out on 96.

“It wasn’t a typical one [innings] where I just go in a flow and I start playing my shots, so I was really pleased that I could put some brakes on my scoring rate and play according to the situation and then contribute for India’s win.

“I think that’s something which I really look forward to every day when I come out to bat and I’m happy that I could do that today.”

Mandhana shared her Player of the Match award with Harmanpreet after the pair made India’s record partnership in a World Cup, with the latter making back-to-back fifties for the first time since 2017.

She said: “She’s a very crucial part of our batting order, especially in the middle order and I’m really happy that she’s come back and I think from the practice game, she’s been batting well, so we’re really confident that she’ll be able to score runs in this tournament.

“I’m happy that she got back-to-back fifties and most importantly, I think today’s century will give her a lot of confidence and I think the whole team as well because we were not in a great place to start with and from there for her to come in and bat and get us out of that situation, it was an incredible innings.”

Two more records were broken as Mithali Raj captained her 24th game at a World Cup, the most by any woman, before Jhulan Goswami took her 40th wicket in the competition, another standalone record.

But it was with the bat that the game was won as West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor admitted she was surprised by how attacking India’s openers were.

She said: “I’m going to be honest, yes they did surprise me and I probably think they surprised all of us really.

“The way they went out today, they had a plan and right away I figured that yes, they had a plan.

“I thought they stuck to their plan and it worked. I thought their batters did well they got two hundreds and with the ball, we just didn’t execute as we would like.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, March 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):Indian medium-pacer Jhulan Goswami became the most successful bowler in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup history as she dismissed Anisa Mohammed for her 40th wicket at the tournament.

Almost exactly 17 years ago Goswami took her first World Cup wicket, dismissing Inoka Galagedara of Sri Lanka on 22 March 2005.

Since then, she has dismissed 40 different batters, never getting the same batter out twice at a World Cup, with Mohammed her seventh West Indian victim.

Goswami surpassed Australian Lyn Fullston who held the previous record since 1988, her 39 wickets coming at an average of 11.94.

That first wicket back in 2005 may have been the only scalp she took in her debut World Cup match, but it was the first and only time she would ended with an economy lower than one.

Goswami produced figures of eight overs, three maidens, five runs and one wicket, and she was just getting started, taking 13 wickets in the tournament in South Africa, her highest at a single World Cup.

The 2009 World Cup was less fruitful, taking just four wickets but her best performance came against hosts Australia in the third-place play off, dismissing opener Leah Poulton and tailender Rene Farrell for figures of two for 21 as India won by three wickets.

After taking nine wickets on home soil in 2013, Goswami was back in the double figures in 2017 as India lost out to England by nine runs in the final.

The 39-year-old took three for 23, one of two times where she has taken three wickets in an innings to move to 10 for the tournament.

Her highest wicket haul came in 2005 as she produced figures of four for 16 against the West Indies only four days after delivering four for 27 against England.

Goswami has lined up eight ducks across her 40 dismissals with 14 wickets bowled, including the first.

Mohammed’s dismissal takes Goswami to 14 dismissals caught by fielders while seven have been caught by the wicket-keeper with five coming leg before wicket.

Fortunately for India, usually if Goswami is taking wickets, they will win the game with 27 of her previous 39 wickets coming in wins, 11 in losses and 1 in a no-result, that very first wicket.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, March 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):Maddy Green admits New Zealand are still chasing Australia despite beating their arch rivals by nine wickets in the lead-up to ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.

In a pre-tournament warm-up match Sophie Devine made 161 not out as the White Ferns chased down Australia’s total of 321 with ease, with Amelia Kerr also reaching 92 not out.

Australia are hoping to hold both the T20 and ODI World Cups at the same time, while they already top both the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI and T20 Team Rankings.

Green said: “I think any game in a World Cup is important, so I don’t think this game is any more or less important than the rest of the games for us.

“I think Australia probably set the benchmark in women’s world cricket in the last few years and to get a win over them tomorrow would put us in an excellent position.

“But we’re just taking each game as it comes at the moment, but certainly every game we’re going out there looking to win so it doesn’t change too much for us.”

After Suzie Bates had a fairytale first New Zealand match on her home ground of Dunedin, hitting 79 not out to defeat Bangladesh, her fellow Otago native Katey Martin will play her 100th ODI match for the White Ferns.

Martin made her ODI debut against India in 2003 and is the only member of New Zealand’s World Cup squad to have played a Test match.

The wicketkeeper-batter will bring up a century of ODI appearances for the White Ferns tomorrow at the Basin Oval while Kerr will reach 50 caps at her home ground.

“I think Katey’s been playing in this team for 18 years, so it’s really special for her. I think the way that she’s been performing in the last few games as well is just really pleasing for her,” she said.

“She’s a quality player and I know that she’s been such a great servant to the team not just on the field but what she brings off the field and her energy and enthusiasm and how she gets around the girls.

“She’s such a fantastic human, so to see her get 100 games for New Zealand, it’s a really proud moment for her and her family and they’re going to be in the crowd tomorrow watching.

“And Amelia to play her 50th game against Australia at the Basin – I’m not sure it gets much bigger than that. She’s such a talented cricketer only 21, 50 games, I can’t wait to see what she does in the next 50 as well.”

The titanic match-up marks Wellington’s debut game at an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and with strong winds expected, Australia have some selection headaches.

Ashleigh Gardner has rejoined the squad after isolating due to Covid while Tahlia McGrath is back available for selection after missing the Pakistan win with a sore heel.

Captain Meg Lanning said: “I’m not sure who’s playing yet. We’re going to have a look at the wicket this afternoon and work out what our best lineup is.

“We will work through that this afternoon and this evening. Ash Gardener joined us this morning, after her isolation period, and we’ll see how she goes out at training today and if she’s fit and feeling well, she’ll come in.

“Then Tahlia McGrath also trained yesterday and is looking really good, so she’ll be available for selection.

“We’ve got pretty much a full squad to pick from which is really exciting and it will come down to match-ups and conditions which we’ll have a look at this afternoon.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com