2021-08-28

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3 years ago

2021/08/28

Sahan Weerasooriya

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October 18 at the Women’s T20 World Cup: West Indies take on New Zealand in a battle of underdogs

Published

3 hours ago

2024/10/18

Priyan

West Indies celebrate their semi-final qualification (Cricinfo)

New Zealand vs West Indies

Sharjah, 6pm local time

Stefanie Taylor missed the England game with a knee injury. In her absence, Qiana Joseph opened the innings and smashed 52 off 38 balls to give West Indies a memorable win. New Zealand, meanwhile, brought in left-arm spinner Fran Jonas for offspinner Leigh Kasperek for their match against Pakistan. Jonas picked up 1 for 8 in her two overs in a winning cause.

West Indies have won just five out of the 23 T20Is they have played against New Zealand. Two of those five wins came in the T20 World Cup, in 2012 and 2016. The 2016 game was also a semi-final , where West Indies defended 143 before going on to beat Australia to lift the trophy.

New Zealand squad:

Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

West Indies squad:

Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton

Tournament guide:

New Zealand started the tournament with a big win against India. Following a loss against Australia, they went on to win the next two matches, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, to seal a semi-final spot in a Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time since 2016. West Indies started their campaign with a loss but won their next three games. They knocked out one of the tournament favourites England in their last group-stage match to qualify for the semi-final.

Player to watch:

Few in women’s cricket can hit the ball as hard as Deandra Dottin and she has shown that at this World Cup too. She has the highest strike rate (167.30) and most sixes so far in this tournament. Against England, she smashed offspinner Charlie Dean for two sixes and a four in an over. Her quick knocks meant West Indies did not have to worry about their net run rate throughout the group stage.

Georgia Plimmer has contributed crucial runs at the top of the order for New Zealand. The 20-year-old scored a 53 off 44 against Sri Lanka to set up the chase. In New Zealand’s opening match, it was her 34 off 23 balls that took India by surprise. With 108 runs from four innings, at a strike rate of 122.72, she is currently New Zealand’s top run-getter in the tournament. Given the average first-innings total in Sharjah in this tournament has been only 119, another quick start from her could be decisive.

(Cricinfo)

Weather

Several spells of light showers may occur in Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-eliya districts

Published

9 hours ago

2024/10/18

Priyan

Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 18 October 2024 by the Department of Meteorology

Several spells of showers will occur in Northern province. Several spells of light showers may occur in Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-eliya districts while showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Uva and Eastern provinces during the evening or night.

Winds will be South-westerly in the sea areas around the island and wind speed will be (25-35) kmph. Wind speed can increase up to (45-50) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coasts extending from Kankasanthurai to Puttalam via Mannar and from Hambanthota to Pottuvil.

The sea areas off the coasts extending from Kankasanthurai to Puttalam via Mannar and from Hambanthota to Pottuvil can be fairly rough at times while the other sea areas around the island can be slight to moderate. Strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers

Latest News

South Africa stun serial winners Australia to enter World Cup final

Published

9 hours ago

2024/10/18

Priyan

Anneke Bosch played plenty of sweeps in her unbeaten 74 (Cricinfo)

South Africa showed ’em all how it is done – with the papare band blaring at the Dubai International Stadium in front of a sparse crowd.

A collective bowling effort was followed by a strong batting show, led by a 96-run partnership between captain Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch. They registered an eight-wicket win in the first semi-final to send Australia packing from Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, thereby ending their run of seven successive finals in the competition.

Australia’s first ICC competition after Meg Lanning’s retirement ended up in the knockout stages, with the six-time champions also missing Alyssa Healy, who suffered a foot injury against Pakistan.

South Africa first restricted Australia to 134 for 5 despite a late surge, and then romped home by eight wickets with 16 balls to spare to make a massive statement and enter their second consecutive T20 World Cup final.

The clarity in South Africa’s thinking was evident at the toss, when they inserted Australia in a crunch game. Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka got enough swing with the new ball. In fact, Khaka did not even have to find out about the purchase to pick up a wicket. Her first ball in the game was a length ball that shaped away a touch and Grace Harris slashed into the hands of backward point

Nonkululeko Mlaba and Co celebrate Tahlia McGrath’s wicket (Cricinfo)

Kapp had extracted enough movement both ways in the opening over. In her second, she saw a free hit being dispatched through square leg by Georgia Wareham. But she used the outswing to undo the batter, the DRS coming to South Africa’s aid. Kapp bowled one on good length around the fifth stump and Wareham couldn’t resist the slash. The on-field umpire missed the edge but Kapp and wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta knew.

Kapp was getting so much assistance that Wolvaardt gave her a third straight over inside the powerplay. Australia managed only 35 for 2 in the first six overs, their lowest in the phase in this T20 World Cup, and ended up facing 19 dots.

Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath are called ‘McMooney’ by fans for their numerous rescue acts with the bat. They joined forces when Australia were 18 for 2 after three overs. McGrath ended the powerplay with two fours off Nonkululeko Mlaba’s over, but it felt the ball was not coming onto the bat. Wolvaardt exploited that by bringing spin on from both ends and McGrath’s next boundary was only in the 11th over. She fell a couple of overs later, hitting Mlaba straight to cover to end her 50-run stand with Mooney.

At that stage, it seemed Australia had the perfect base for take-off. Mooney, on 37 off 38 then, swiped one through square leg in the 16th over to end another boundary-less phase of 29 balls. In the process, she became the ninth woman – third from Australia – to 3000 T20I runs. But in a bid to steal a non-existent run – coupled with a Kapp brilliance – she was run out for 44 off 42 balls.

Despite that, Australia managed to get a strong finish, scoring 31 off the last three overs, thanks to Ellyse Perry and Phoebe Litchfield. But given what followed, it was not strong enough.

Like Australia, South Africa also faced 19 dot balls in the first six overs. But they hit five fours and a six in that phase to finish on 43 for 1, the highest by any team against Australia in this T20 World Cup. But while Australia scored 21 in their nine attacking shots in the powerplay, South Africa managed 32 off ten. It began with Tazmin Brits unafraid of using her feet against Ashleigh Gardner and then against Megan Schutt, too. Brits hit Gardner for a six, clearing the leaping Annabel Sutherland at the rope.

Sutherland, though, struck with her first ball, getting a length delivery to skid and rattle Brits’ off stump. The time was ripe for Australia to apply the squeeze, but Wolvaardt and Bosch had other ideas. The former first clubbed Sutherland over midwicket before Bosch hit back-to-back boundaries off Sophie Molineux in the sixth over. Wolvaardt also swung her Adelaide Strikers team-mate Darcie Brown over long-on for a massive six.

Intent was writ large throughout South Africa’s chase with Bosch attempting a couple of reverse hits and being nimble on her feet against spin. South Africa had hit a four in every over from the third to the eighth. It was followed by three boundary-less over but Bosch broke the shackles by hitting Wareham for a four and six off back-to-back deliveries. She then went 4, 2, 4 against Gardner in the next over to bring up her fifty.

Wolvaardt fell – holing out to long-off – with South Africa only 14 away. Bosch duly finished it off to remain unbeaten on 74, her best T20I score.

Only earlier this year, South Africa had defeated Australia for the first time in T20Is. Who knew that would be a precursor to something massive like this, and put them a step closer to their maiden world title?

Brief scores:

South Africa Women 135 for 2 in 17.2 overs (Anneke Bosch 74*, Laura Wolvaardt 42; Annabelle Sutherland 2-26) beat Australia Women 134 for 5 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 44, Perry 31, Tahila McGrath 27, Marizanne Kapp 1-24, Ayabonga Khaka 2-24, Nonkululeko Mlaba 1-31) by eight wickets

(Cricinfo)