Sports
Australia and Sweden eye World Cup Bronze today
Australia and Sweden will be looking to put their semi-final defeats behind them and secure third place at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup today (19).
Co-hosts Australia are already guaranteed their best finish in a World Cup, while 2003 runners-up Sweden have come third three times. Australia coach Tony Gustavsson said he would field his strongest side. “I can’t pick based on emotions. This is a third-place game and we’re playing for a medal,” said Gustavsson. “I’m going to make sure we have a line-up that is the strongest starting line-up we can have but also the strongest finishing line-up. “It’s not about giving players experience just for the sake of giving experience. “If it was emotional, those players who have not featured yet would play because they deserve to play. This is a game to win.”
Sweden lost to Germany in the 2003 final and finished third in 1991, 2011 and in 2019, when they beat England 2-1 in the third-place play-off. The Swedes, ranked third in the world, lost 2-1 to Spain in their semi-final before Australia were beaen 3-1 by England.
Today’s match will take place at the 52,500-capacity Lang Park in Brisbane and Sweden forward Kosovare Asllani is relishing playing in a hostile atmosphere. “I love it, it’s a particular feeling to have an entire stadium against you,” said Asllani. “Of course, we were disappointed after the last match – we wanted to go all the way to the final.
“At the same time, playing for a medal is a huge thing, and something we’re proud of. We don’t want to leave here without it. We want to silence the stadium and bring that medal home. Everyone’s more than ready. We’re going to do everything we can to win this medal for Sweden.”
Australia thrashed Sweden 4-0 in Melbourne last November but will be without centre back Alanna Kennedy for a second match because of concussion symptoms. Captain Sam Kerr said she was ready to play after scoring a stunning goal against England in her first start at the tournament following a calf injury. “Honestly, it’s been amazing to just be a part of this journey,” said the Chelsea striker, who missed the group stage matches. “If I hadn’t played one minute it still would have been the best moment of my career to be here because what we’ve achieved as a team is amazing.”
(BBC)
The Rose Bowl, which has been awarded to the winner of ODI series between the women’s teams of Australia and New Zealand since 1985, has now been expanded to include T20Is as well.
New Zealand’s three match T20I tour of Australia, which begins on Sunday at the North Sydney Oval, will be the first T20I edition of the Rose Bowl. The teams will get to face off again for the trophy in March 2027 when they meet again for three ODIs, also in Australia.
For Rose Bowl series that include matches in both white-ball formats, the trophy will go to the team with the most wins overall. In case of a drawn series, the current holder will retain the trophy.
“The Rose Bowl is a prestigious trophy that holds a lot of meaning to current and past players, and it’s a series we’ve always taken a lot of pride in competing in,”Catherine Campbell, NZC’s chief cricket operations officer and a former New Zealand player, said. “With so much T20I cricket now being played, this is a brilliant opportunity to keep the Rose Bowl relevant and to build on the history between us and our Australian rivals.”
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr was excited by the broadening of opportunities to compete for the Rose Bowl.
“We’re all aware of what the Rose Bowl represents and the importance it holds in the White Ferns whakapapa [genealogy],” said Kerr. “Great players and teams have fought for it over the years and we’d love the opportunity to claim our own piece of that history.”
Australia have held the Rose Bowl continuously since wresting it back from New Zealand in 2000. Since that 3-0 win, Australia have won 18 times with one series – in 2008-09 – shared 2-2. Overall, Australia have won 26 of the 31 ODI series played for the Rose Bowl, with New Zealand winning three times and three series drawn.
North Sydney will host all three T20Is of the upcoming Rose Bowl series, on October 18, 20 and 22.
[Cricinfo]
The inaugural Sastralian Premier League (SPL), a T10 cricket tournament aimed at strengthening the cricketing fortunes of Ananda Shasthralaya National School, Matugama, will get underway next month, bringing together eight teams.
Organised by the Old Sastralians Cricket Association in collaboration with the school, the tournament is designed to provide a platform for emerging talent while generating much needed financial support for the school’s cricket development programme.
Each franchise will be required to assemble a squad of 16 players, excluding the captain, with the competition featuring a unique set of regulations aimed at encouraging participation across different age groups.
Cricketers from other schools in the Matugama area will also have an opportunity to showcase their skills under the ‘Guest Players’ category. Each team can recruit up to six guest players, with four required to feature in the playing XI.
In a move designed to nurture the next generation, every team must include two current school cricketers in its squad, with at least one guaranteed a place in the playing XI.
The tournament will also accommodate experienced campaigners, with teams permitted to select five players over the age of 20 and three over 40. The provision to use an ‘Impact Player’ is another feature of the competition.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups. Group A comprises JSD Challengers, Jagath Express, Liveka Power Lions and Rexhill Warriors, while JPI Royals, Five Star Heroes, Marine Titans and Finnk Falcons make up Group B.
A total of 16 matches will be played across November 7, 8 and 15, with November 16 set aside as a reserve day.
Beyond the action on the field, organisers hope the tournament will provide a financial boost to school cricket while forging stronger ties between past and present cricketers.
Squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
Squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
[Cricbuzz]
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