Tag: (ICC)

Dubai, March 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):Anya Shrub sole is ready to reproduce her ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final heroics from 2017 as England prepare for the defence of their crown. The right-arm seamer took six for 46, the best ever figures in a World Cup final, to earn England a dramatic nine-run victory over India in front of a sold-out Lord’s last time out.

The quest to retain their trophy starts at 2pm local time tomorrow against familiar foes Australia in Hamilton and despite not taking more than a three-fers since that final, Shrub sole is prepared to do it again.

She said: “I would obviously hope [I can replicate it.] Otherwise, I’m not sure there is a huge amount of point me being here if I didn’t think I was capable of taking wickets. But I think that has absolutely zero bearing on what happens here. They’re amazing memories and an amazing day to be a part of but this is five years later on and a fresh World Cup in a different country. “I’m just really excited to get out there and get going.”

England v Australia has often produced dramatic matches in World Cup settings – the last time they met in this tournament, England won by just three runs. Shrub sole was involved on that day in Briston in 2017 and is expecting, but not hoping for, a similar outcome this time.

“If both teams play well, I think they’re two relatively evenly-matched teams and the games have seemingly gone down to the wire,” the two-time World Cup winner said. “The nature of World Cups is they’re one-off games and quite often they get quite close. For my own nerves, hopefully, it’s not super close out there tomorrow, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was.”

Someone who could well have a say in how the game goes is opener Alyssa Healy, who starred the last time Australia played a final with 75 from 39 balls in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 showpiece. Australia captain Meg Lanning said: “She looks good, the other day in the practice game against New Zealand she was on the front foot immediately, punishing any width and bad balls.

“Alyssa has shown over her career that in big games, she steps up and World Cups are tournaments that she plays extremely well in, so I expect the same from her throughout. “She’s a big game player and she’s very important to us.”

The Southern Stars’ exit at the semi-final stage in the 2017 edition was a line-in-the-sand moment and a five-year rebuild has seen Australia come into the tournament in New Zealand with plenty of experienced heads.

“I think we do have a lot of experience in World Cups and performing under pressure and what that looks like,” Lanning added. “If anything, we’ve learned to really try and focus on how we can best prepare and play. Of course, we look at the opposition and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

“But at the end of the day, I think if you go out there and really play to your potential and strengths, then that’s going to give you the best chance of winning and that’s certainly what we’ve done in preparation for this World Cup.

“Particularly over the last week, with those practice games, is trying to worry about what we’re going to do and making sure we’re focusing on that because we feel like if we can do that, then that’ll put us in a good position.” Australia comfortably beat the West Indies in their first warm-up match before falling to a nine-wicket loss to New Zealand and one of the bright spots for Lanning’s side will not feature tomorrow.

Ashleigh Gardner has been ruled out of at least the first two of Australia’s World Cup matches after testing positive for Covid having made 60 from 32 balls against the hosts but Lanning feels confident in her side’s depth. “We are all supportive of Ash and in terms of the lineup tomorrow, we are still working through what exactly that looks like,” she said.

“Annabel Sutherland has been bowling and batting extremely well so she’s an option there. Nic Carey, as well, has played some really good innings for Australia and bowled some good overs as well. “So we feel like we’ve got options, we just need to decide what exactly that might look 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 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup was, perhaps fittingly, a tale of two openers.

Two superb centuries – one from Hayley Matthews to set up a challenging run chase and another from Sophie Devine to keep her side in it – set up a captivating start to the tournament in a contest which was in the balance until the penultimate delivery.

Matthews, more often found down the card at four or five, did not have long to adjust mentally to the prospect of facing the new ball – receiving news of her promotion up the order the day before the game after Rashada Williams was ruled out with concussion.

To say she rose to the task would be an understatement. Three boundaries in the third over – after she had lost the company of equally fast-starting Deandra Dottin – got Matthews up and running and she paced her innings beautifully throughout.

Particularly strong through the off-side, Matthews unfurled an array of cuts and drives to keep the scoreboard moving and showcased her range of shots after reaching three figures, launching a 75-metre maximum over long-on and scooping four more shortly afterwards.

It was a career-best knock made all the more impressive by the fact she was carrying a hamstring strain, made clear by a grimace attempting a run while still in the sixties, and her day was not over yet.

Introduced into the attack in the 12th over, Williams made light of her injury to account for Amelia Kerr with her second ball and proved tricky to get away throughout.

Brooke Holliday also fell into Williams’ trap, snaffled by Anisa Mohammed at slip, but there looked to be no way through the defences of New Zealand’s own star opener.

Sophie Devine came into the tournament fresh from a blistering unbeaten 161 against Australia in the final warm-up match and picked up where she left off.

Even the dismissal of opening partner Suzie Bates came as a result of a nicely timed Devine drive, Bates unfortunate to see the ball deflected back on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end, and the White Ferns skipper became the glue which held the chase together.

She rode her luck at times, dropped twice and almost run out by opposite number Stafanie Taylor, but cashed in expertly and barely acknowledged her century such was her determination to see her side over the line. It took a superb return catch from Chenille Henry to bring her innings to an end on 108, with New Zealand still needing 45, but that was far from the end of the drama.

Katey Martin and Jess Kerr kept Windies’ nerves frayed but, as fate would have it, it was another opening batter, Dottin, who had the final say with the ball. Thrown into a ‘sink or swim’ scenario, Dottin was handed the ball for the first time in the evening with the White Ferns needing six from the final over and both Martin and Kerr going well.

In the space of four balls, Dottin removed both and a run out from the next delivery finally settled a game that had been full of twists and turns. The opening match has set the bar, as have the opening batters of either side – if this is a sign of things to come over the next month, we are in for a treat.

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 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):Hayley Matthews shone with bat and ball as the West Indies began their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 campaign with a nail-biting three-run victory over hosts New Zealand in Tauranga.

Makeshift opener Matthews’s career-best 119 led Windies to 259 for nine and she then took two for 41 with the ball to inspire her side to glory as the competition got off to a thrilling start.

Sophie Devine did her utmost to steer New Zealand to what would have been the highest-ever successful World Cup chase with an excellent century of her own but her departure with 45 required saw the pendulum swing back in West Indies’ direction.

Excellent cameos from Katey Martin (44) and Jess Kerr (25) kept the game on a knife-edge and the White Ferns needed six from the final over but Deandra Dottin, bowling her first over of the innings, dismissed both before a run out sealed the outcome.

The West Indies had been put in by the hosts upon losing the toss but raced out the traps. Dottin set the tone, cutting the opening ball of the tournament for four over cover in a first over costing 12, only for Lea Tahuhu to soon earn revenge when a leading edge was held by Jess Kerr at mid-off.

Matthews took up the assault, cracking three boundaries from what remained of the over – nine arrived in the first 27 deliveries in all.

Kycia Knight’s departure saw captain Stafanie Taylor join Matthews and the pair took their side into three figures during a composed 66-run partnership which was broken when Taylor was caught behind down the leg-side for 30.

That provided Tahuhu with her second scalp and she could have had a third when new batter Shemaine Campbell was put down by Brooke Holliday at deep square leg with just four to her name.

Having survived that let-off, her fortune ran out on 20 when a successful lbw review confirmed Amelia Kerr’s googly would have gone on to hit the stumps to leave West Indies on 165 for four.

At the other end, Matthews continued to accumulate despite pulling up with an apparent hamstring injury in the 27th over, carving Fran Jonas for consecutive boundaries shortly afterwards.

Chedean Nation kept up the momentum with regular boundaries before Matthews reached her century at the start of the 42nd over, celebrating in style by lofting the only six of the innings over long-off four balls later.

An inventive scoop for four followed as the opener looked to accelerate but her magnificent knock came to an end on 119 when her first miscue landed safely in the hands of Hannah Rowe on the long-off boundary to provide Jess Kerr with her second wicket.

Tahuhu took her third when Nation (36) top-edged a hook behind as regular wickets prevented a late surge from the West Indies but they took 11 from the final over, which finished with Anisa Mohammed being run out, to finish on a competitive 259 for nine.

New Zealand’s innings had a tamer beginning than that of their opponents as Devine and Suzie Bates started watchfully, the former whipping the first boundary through deep mid-wicket from the first ball of the fourth over.

She lost her opening partner in unfortunate circumstances from the next delivery, Bates run out backing up after Chenille Henry deflected a straight drive on to the stumps, and the hosts’ progress remained cautious through the remainder of a power play which finished with the scoreboard reading 41 for one.

Just six had been added to that total when Matthews’ memorable day continued, the centurion trapping Amelia Kerr in front with just her second delivery.

Devine’s presence was becoming increasingly vital and she should have fallen on 37 only to be spilled at mid-on by Shamilia Connell, a drop that looked all the more costly when the opener pulled Mohammed through deep mid-wicket to move to her half-century.

Amy Satterthwaite was also put down, substitute Cherry-Ann Fraser letting the ball slip through her grasp at deep square leg, before Windies skipper Taylor missed a presentable chance to run out her opposite number on 66.

The breakthrough the Courtney Walsh-coached side craved arrived courtesy of Mohammed, who pinned Satterthwaite pads with a full delivery to end a third-wicket stand worth 76, and the spinner was celebrating once more when Tahuhu was bowled by her next delivery.

The 30-over mark arrived with the White Ferns requiring 125 more for victory and plenty of hopes were pinned on their captain, who received another life when Henry put down a top-edged sweep.

Devine lost further company when Maddy Green chipped to mid-wicket and Holliday was caught at slip but she continued untroubled and brought up her sixth ODI century from 117 balls, keeping the celebration muted due to the bigger prize at stake.

With the equation left at 45 needed from six overs, Windies eventually held on to a chance to dismiss Devine – and it was worth the wait.

Henry dived to her left to take an excellent return catch and see the back of the skipper for a sublime 108 but Martin and Jess Kerr were in no mood to go down without a fight.

Consecutive boundaries from Martin left New Zealand needing six from the final over and Taylor turned to Dottin, who trapped Martin lbw before Kerr spooned to mid-off.

With four needed from two, out strode 17-year-old Jonas, who was run out at the non-striker’s end from the penultimate delivery of an extraordinary match to spark jubilant Windies celebrations.

Scores in brief

West Indies beat New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, by three runs.

West Indies 259/9 in 50 overs (Hayley Matthews 119, Chedean Nation 36; Lea Tahuhu 3/57, Jess Kerr 2/43)

New Zealand 256 in 50 overs (Sophie Devine 108, Katey Martin 44; Hayley Matthews 2/41, Deandra Dottin 2/2)

Player of the Match: Hayley Matthews (West Indies)

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 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):South Africa skipper Sune Luus has backed her experienced squad to peak at the right time as they target glory at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.

The Proteas begin their campaign against debutants Bangladesh in Dunedin on Saturday with a side containing numerous survivors from the 2017 tournament, which saw them narrowly beaten by eventual winners England in the last four.

With stalwarts such as Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail each now into their 30s, this tournament could represent the final chance for South Africa’s settled squad to go all the way and Luus is determined to seize it.

“We have played a couple of World Cups together but this is the ultimate one for us,” she said.

“For a lot of our experienced players, this is their big one. Hopefully, we can make it count and make it an enjoyable one.

“We have a well-balanced team and if all three departments fire, we can beat any team in the world.

“The challenge for us is to get all three skills on the day to fire and make sure we do that consistently. We are all feeling pretty confident. We had a run around the park today and it’s a pretty cool scene here in Dunedin, it’s a very nice ground and we’re all excited to get going.”

South Africa will be missing one of their key players against Bangladesh, with Lizelle Lee still seeing out her spell in quarantine following a delayed arrival due to the birth of her first child.

Tazmin Brits has been entrusted with the opener vacancy alongside Laura Wolvaardt in South Africa’s two warm-up matches, defeats against England and India, and Luus hopes to see the 31-year-old stake a claim to stay in the side once the competitive action gets underway.

“We always knew she [Lee] wouldn’t be available for the first game so we’ve given a couple of players a run up front and hopefully we’ve got the combination right for tomorrow,” she said.

“Hopefully she’ll make it difficult for Lizelle to come back into the side.

“For us, the warm-ups were all about assessing the conditions and taking out of it what we could.

“There were a lot of positives and it gave a lot of players some game time and confidence in the middle as well.”

The identity of South Africa’s opponents in their opening match also holds a special significance for Luus, who made her international debut against Bangladesh in 2012.

“It was pretty cool – the stadium was full and it was one of the best experiences of my life,” she recalled. They are a very good side and you know every game will be a challenge in a World Cup. You can’t take any team lightly so our standards and intensity will be the same.

“Captaining my country in a World Cup is a great opportunity and something I’ve dreamt about for many years. I’m hoping I can lead from the front and pull the team towards victory.”

Luus’s opposite number Nigar Sultana is set to make history as she becomes the first to lead Bangladesh in a 50-over ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match and the 24-year-old is confident her side can make their mark on the tournament.

Defeats against England and Pakistan, the latter by just seven runs, in the warm-up matches have shown Bangladesh where they need to improve and Sultana is fully aware of the importance of a strong start against a side they have faced regularly over the years – though not since 2018.

“We have prepared well in the practice matches,” she said. “The results didn’t go our way but we took a lot of positives going into the tournament.

“We have played against South Africa many times so we know about their strengths. We have faced their fast bowlers before so we have some ideas about them and we have done our homework as well.

“For us and for everyone, the first match is very important. This is our opportunity, because we know South Africa well – it is a very good chance for us and we are going for a good win. We are taking it one match at a time. It’s our first ever World Cup and we want to make it memorable.

“We know we need a good start as that will give us more confidence to do well in the rest of the tournament.

“I am trying to give the girls confidence that we don’t want to focus on the names we are playing against, we want to focus on our strengths and what we can do as a team.”

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 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The International Cricket Council has expressed sadness at the death of former Australia wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh at the age of 74. In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice praised ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Marsh’s impressive career and said his impact on and off the field would be remembered for years to come.

“It is incredibly sad to hear of Rod’s passing. He was a true legend of the game who has been part of international cricket for more than fifty years. His skill and talent with the gloves was exceptional, holding the world record for the number of dismissals at the time of his retirement.

“But his legacy has gone way beyond what he achieved on the field. An ICC Hall of Fame inductee in 2009, he played a significant role in developing young cricketers all around the world, including through his time as the inaugural director of coaching at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai, a facility that future generations of players from all countries will continue to benefit from. He will be sorely missed and the thoughts of everyone at the ICC are with his family and friends.”

Marsh, who was among the initial inductees to the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009, made his debut against England at Brisbane in 1970 and retired 14 years later with the then world record of 355 victims in 96 Tests. This tally comprised 343 catches and 12 stumpings.

Marsh was also a useful batter and the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a century in Tests. He aggregated 3,633 runs in Test cricket including three centuries. In 92 ODIs, he scored 1,225 runs, took 120 catches and effected four stumpings.

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 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The International Cricket Council has expressed sadness at the sudden passing of legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne at the age of 52.

In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice expressed shock and sadness at Warne’s passing and said his impact on and off the field would be remembered for generations.

“I was stunned to hear the news of Shane’s passing. He was a true legend of the game, who changed the landscape of cricket by reviving the art of leg-spin. His larger-than-life personality, extraordinary skill and immense cricketing intellect ensured fans were glued to their seats whenever he was involved in a game.

“His contribution off the field was also remarkable, where he shared his time and experiences so generously with young players, especially up and coming leg-spinners. He also established a successful career in the commentary box, where his insightful and forthright views on the game made him one of the first-choice commentators for broadcasters in most cricketing countries.

“He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans at this difficult time, said Allardice.

Warne made his Test debut in 1992 against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, going on to become the most successful leg-spinner of all time. He played 145 Tests, finishing with 708 wickets that included 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 10-wicket match hauls. In 194 ODI appearances, Warne snared 293 scalps.

Warne was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2013 and named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century for his unparalleled achievements in an illustrious 15-year career that ended in 2007.

He helped Australia win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1999 and took more wickets than any other bowler in Ashes cricket, with a tally that stood at 195. After retiring from international cricket, Warne doubled up as captain and coach of the IPL Franchise team Rajasthan Royals, guiding them to the title in the league’s inaugural edition.

A flamboyant personality both on and off the field, Warne also found success as a commentator and was considered one of the sharpest analysts of the game.

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