Sports

Mandhana and Harmanpreet top Wolvaardt and Kapp in landmark 646-run contest

Published

2 years ago

2024/06/20

Priyan

Smriti Mandhana brought up back-to-back centuries [BCCI]

Four centuries, a first in women’s ODI’s . A total of 646 runs. The spectators in Bengaluru were treated to as entertaining a game of 50-over cricket as they could have imagined, and the result went their way too: India clinched a last-ball win over South Africa to secure the series 2-0 with a match in hand.

It came down to Pooja Vastrakar’s final over where she had to defend 10 runs after India had posted 325 for 3. After conceding five off the first two balls, both full tosses, her next two deliveries fetched her two wickets with Laura Wolvaardt, one of four century-makers in the game, stranded at the non-striker’s end. The equation became five off the final delivery, and Wolvaardt, finally on strike, was beaten by Vastrakar’s back-of-the-hand slower delivery.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, India scored their third highest ODI total with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur smashing 136 and 103 not out respectively. While it looked out of reach after South Africa were reduced to 67 for 3 in the chase, Wolvaardt and Mariazanne Kapp’s 184-run partnership took the game deep.

Not long ago, South Africa were at the receiving end of the highest successful ODI run-chase of 302 by Sri Lanka. On Wednesday, they came close to breaking that record but fell just short of it.

The way South Africa started with the ball, one would have expected India to stop at around 230-240.

The second ODI was played on a different strip to the series opener, with a patch of grass and visible cracks on it. The new-ball pair of Ayabonga Khaka and Masabata Klaas extracted everything they could from it, exerting pressure on Shafali Verma and Mandhana with a lot of movement. A bit of variable bounce also meant runs were hard to get initially. Mandhana, in fact, got off the mark after 18 deliveries.

As for Shafali, she showed glimpses of patience in her 38-ball innings but it was short-lived. After smashing a four straight down the ground off left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, she tried to go across the line next ball and holed out to Klaas at mid-on.

After 15 overs, India had huffed and puffed to 47 for 1, hitting just five fours. In this period, they had faced 72 dot balls.

Along with Dayalan Hemalatha, the No. 3, Mandhana stitched a steady 62 runs off 68 balls. Hemalatha fell for a 41-ball 24, and it was only after Harmanpreet walked out that runs started flowing.

The pitch had also eased out by then, and Harmanpreet and Mandhana put on a huge partnership – 171 runs off 136 balls. Their centuries not only helped India overcome their sedate start but also batted South Africa into a corner (though not out of the game, as it emerged).

Mandhana oozed class and Harmanpreet showed what power and deft touch can do.

Mandhana picked up pace, getting herself from 31 off the first 48 balls to her seventh ODI hundred in 103 balls, and went on to add 36 more. When the bowlers varied their lines, she moved around the crease and either slashed it to deep point or pulled to the square-leg area. Along the way, Mandhana also became the first Indian to score back-to-back centuries in women’s ODIs.

Harmanpreet didn’t have to start slow, unlike her deputy. After racing to a run-a-ball 24, she got quicker as her innings progressed. Unlike Mandhana, who scored on both sides of the wicket, Harmanpreet scored predominantly on the leg side. A total of 70 of her runs came on that side, with four of her nine fours and two out of three sixes hit in the midwicket region.

Meike de Ridder, who played in place of South Africa’s first-choice wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta after she suffered a mild concussion on the eve of the match, missed a stumping chance when Harmanpreet was on 88, off the second delivery off the final over. It gave Harmanpreet a chance to complete her sixth ODI century, the first in almost two years, and she smoked 4, 6 and 4 to get to three figures.

South Africa ran out of steam, with Wolvaardt even bringing on legspinning-allrounder Sune Luus – who was bowling in ODIs after a gap of two years – into the attack. However, they couldn’t contain India, who scored 118 runs in the last ten overs.

At the other end, Richa Ghosh, batting at No. 5, plundered a 13-ball unbeaten 25, comprising three fours and a six, and was key in the unbroken 54-run stand with Harmanpreet.

Kapp and Wolvaardt, the senior pros, were resolute and unwavering in their focus.

This being South Africa’s second-last series in the 2022-25 Women’s Championship cycle, they need a couple of wins out of six to ensure automatic qualification for the World Cup next year in India. They had already lost the opening game, and needed points here. They play England next at home.

South Africa didn’t get off to an ideal start, losing three wickets for 67 inside 15 overs. However, unlike on Sunday, the pitch was helping the batters during the chase with the Indian spinners not getting enough grip and turn under lights. That helped Wolvaardt and Kapp settle in and then go big in the last 15 or so overs.

Initially, they kept the scoreboard ticking over, putting away the loose deliveries and taking singles off good ones. That clarity and patience saw both the set batters converting their starts and getting to half-centuries.

Kapp, playing as a pure batter with her workload being managed following a back injury, thrived under pressure and hit 11 fours and three sixes in her 94-ball 114. Wolvaardt, who became the first South Africa batter to score 4000 runs in women’s ODIs on the night, took calculated risks and paced her innings well to stay till the end. Her knock had 12 fours and three sixes.

With 148 runs needed from the last 15 overs, the pair accelerated. Even after Kapp was dismissed in the 43rd, courtesy a superb catch from Vastrakar at long-off, Wolvaardt kept going hard, striking the ball effortlessly.

Nadine de Klerk’s cameo of 28 also helped South Africa get closer. Till, in the end, they fell just short.

Brief scores:
India Women 325 for 3 in 50 overs (Smirti Mandhana 136, Shafali Verma 20, Dayalan Hemalatha 24, Harmanpreet Kaur 103*, Richa Ghosh 25*; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2-51) beat South Africa Women 321 for 6 in 50 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 135*, Marizzane Kapp 114, Nadine de Klerk 28; Pooja Vastrakar 2-54, Deepti Sharma 2-56) by four runs

[Cricinfo]

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Sports

West Indies seal consolation win in ten-over shootout

Published

7 hours ago

2026/02/1

Priyan

File photo: Gudakesh Motie claimed three quick wickets [Cricinfo]

West Indies claimed a consolation win in a match reduced to 10 overs a side at the Wanderers, to hand South Africa defeat in their first T20I in pink. With no ODIs scheduled in South Africa this summer, the annual fixture to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer treatment took place in the shortest format, and was made even shorter after prolonged delays for lightning.

Still, the sell-out crowd got their money’s worth in an entertaining encounter as both teams left everything on the field in their final competitive fixture before next month’s T20 World Cup.

With the series already won, South Africa may not be too unhappy with the outcome, especially as their middle order, untested in game one and two, had a hit out while West Indies’ ability to hold their nerve under pressure will stand them in good stead ahead of a major tournament. They secured a narrow win after two heavy defeats to leave South Africa with something to smile about.

West Indies’ innings started 75 minutes later than the scheduled 6pm start time after lightning strikes were spotted by the pilot in the flyover just before play. The match was reduced to 16 overs a side at that stage and West Indies came out swinging.Shai Hope carved the first ball through the covers for four and Johnson Charles also tried to take it on but Aiden Markram put a short over in place and Charles hit Ngidi straight to him for a three-ball duck.

Hope kept driving but it was Shimron Hetmyer, who arrived at the crease with neither a helmet nor a cap, who turned it on. He sent Ngidi into the stands and onto a spectator’s forehead for six (sidenote: the fan received a medical check-up) and then cleared deep backward square for six more. Hope hit Keshav Maharaj’s opening over for 18 but Markram kept faith in spin and brought himself on in the firth over. Hetmyer cut his first ball for four, then sent him over deep square leg for six and then Hope, off the last ball of the over, pulled Markram into the stands.

Linde delivered a tight second over but West Indies were in a strong position on 66 for 1 after six before the players were forced off again, as more lightning was spotted. Another hour’s delay reduced the match to 10 overs a side, which meant West Indies had just four overs left to bat when play resumed.

Corbin Bosch’s death-bowling was on display early with an over of good length deliveries before Hetmyer and Hope took on Maharaj again. His second over cost 20 but had some success when Hope hit him to Bosch at long-off. Rovman Powell sent Kwena Maphaka’s first and fifth ball for six and then gave Brevis a catch at deep cover before Hetmyer finished off. He ended the innings with his sixth six to finish on 48* off 22 balls. West Indies scored 114 for 3 in 10 overs and South Africa’s target was adjusted up to 125.

Quinton de Kock, fresh off of century at SuperSport Park, got South Africa to a perfect start with 19 runs off the opening over but Markram couldn’t get going in the same way. He top-edged Akeal Hosein straight up and Hosein did well to take the catch as Hetmyer ran in from extra cover and the pair were fortunate to avoid a collision. South Africa sent in Dewald Brevis ahead of Ryan Rickelton at No.3, and it was almost an early mistake. Brevis was dropped on 2 by Romario Shepherd at midwicket – making it West Indies’ third big-name drop in as many games (Markram in match one, Rickelton in match two) – and they would have wondered how costly it would be.

At first, they got rewarded at the other end. De Kock could not clear long-off and was caught on the rope by Powell to give Gudakesh Motie his first wicket of the series. Then, Rickelton and Brevis then combined for a 28-run stand off 11 balls, with two sixes each, but neither could sustain the momentum. Rickelton picked out Holder at long-on to become Motie’s second and Brevis, on 17, got a taste of his own medicine when he fell to a relay catch between Powell and Holder in the same over. South Africa were 63 for 4 after six overs, and needed 62 runs to win off the next four.

Jason Smith, picked as a finisher for the T20 World Cup, made his case with 20 off the first seven balls but did not get any strike in the penultimate over. South Africa needed 27 off 12 balls and Tristan Stubbs reduced that to 15 off the last five balls before he gave Smith strike to try and finish off. Shamar Joseph, in his first appearance in this series, was tasked with the final over. He went yorker length and took out Smith’s middle stump with his third ball, to leave South Africa needing nine runs off two balls. Bosch was dropped off the second last ball of the match when he skied Joseph to Powell at long-on and broke his bat in the process. He also didn’t ground the bat as he ran so South Africa were one-short, had to score eight off one and lost by six runs.

Brief scores:
West Indies 114 for 3 in 10 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 48*, Shai Hope 48, Rovman Powell 13; Lungi Ngindi 1-19, Keshav Maharaj 1-38, Kwena Maphaka 1-12) beat South Africa 118 for 6 in 10 overs (Quinton de Kock 28,Dewald Brevis 17, Ryan Rickelton 15, George Linde 17, Jason Smith 26, Tristan Stubbs 10*; Jason Holder 1-30, Akeal Hosein 1-25, Gudakesh Motie 3-17, Shamar Joseph 1-23) by 6 runs – DLS

[Cricinfo]

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Pathirana: ‘My body just automatically changed the release point’ after injury

Published

8 hours ago

2026/02/1

Priyan

Matheesha Pathirana bowls, his release point still higher than it used to be [Cricinfo]

If there was one positive from Sri Lanka’s defeat to England in the first T20I, it was how well their bowlers kept England’s batters in check on a batter-friendly surface. Particularly Matheesha Pathirana.

Pathirana, the 23-year-old slinger, returned figures of 1 for 18 across his four overs – and it might have been two had Pathum Nissanka not grassed a chance in the deep – but his impact was immense, as evident in ESPNcricinfo’s MVP index, where he was only behind Adil Rashid, whose 3 for 19 ripped through Sri Lanka’s batting.

The target of 134 off 17 overs (later revised to 115 in 15) proved too low to defend, but the margin of defeat – 11-runs via DLS – was not as wide as it might have been given the nature of the pitch.

On a good batting surface, seamers in particular suffered – Sam Curran and Eshan Malinga went at around 12 an over, while Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton both went at over seven. But Pathirana ticked along at an economy rate of 4.5.

He did so bowling his entire repertoire, from quick yorkers – he was hovering in the mid-140s, with his quickest delivery clocking 148kph – to pace-off length deliveries and spicy short ones. Even more impressive was the fact that he bowled two of his overs inside the powerplay. Pathirana is renowned for his death-overs exploits, but here, with a sub-par total to defend, Sri Lanka called on their strike bowler to take the new ball.

“Even though I’ve practiced to bowl in the powerplay, there was no plan as such for me to bowl there today,” Pathirana said after the game. “It just so happened that our score was lower than we wanted, so it was decided that I would bowl in the powerplay.”

Pathirana’s control was impressive. Wides have been an issue in the past – a common trade-off for a slingy action such as his – but on Friday night, there were just three across his spell.”Honestly I didn’t do anything major, just simple, basic things. The main thing was increasing the number of repetitions in practice. If there is any improvement, that’s the reason”

“Over the last year, year-and-a-half, along with my injuries, it was a challenging period,” he said. “I lost my rhythm. I’ve worked very hard to get back to this level. And then more recently Mali aiya [Lasith Malinga] was here in Sri Lanka helping out, as well all the coaches at SLC – not just one – all of them helped me get here.”

The impact of fellow slinger Malinga cannot be understated. Malinga has long been a proponent of target-based training drills, and hours of repetitive practice. And most recently he has been working as Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling coach in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.

“Honestly I didn’t do anything major, just simple, basic things,” Pathirana said. “The main thing was increasing the number of repetitions in practice. If there is any improvement, that’s the reason. In terms of practice I increased it greatly.”

It’s a sharp turn in fortunes for Pathirana, who had only played two T20Is for Sri Lanka in 2025 – owing to a combination of poor form and injuries – and had been released by Chennai Super Kings [CSK] following IPl 2025. He had since been picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but that was more of an educated punt than anything based on tangible data.

Among the criticisms levied at Pathirana during this period was that his release point was not as low as it used to be. Stephen Fleming, the CSK coach, in fact pointed out this very fact when talking about the quick bowler’s decline in IPL 2025.

On Friday, Pathirana’s release point was lower than in recent times but still not as low as during his breakout season. He explained that his change in action had largely been involuntary, and down to a fairly serious shoulder injury he had been nursing.

“Yes,” he responded when asked if his release point had changed. “In the recent past, I was playing with a fairly major shoulder injury. So I think my body just automatically changed the release point. Even now I am doing rehab in between matches, and I think that’s why I’m seeing an improvement, and so you can see that the release point is getting to what it used to be.”

A fit and firing Pathirana is crucial for Sri Lanka, and with Dushmantha Chameera waiting in the wings, as well as Eshan Malinga ticking along well – he picked up two wickets on Friday with clever variations – Sri Lanka’s seam contingent at least looks in rude health heading into the World Cup.

[Cricinfo]

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U 19 World Cup: Emon five-for gives Bangladesh consolation win against Zimbabwe

Published

11 hours ago

2026/02/1

Priyan

Iqbal Hossain Emon ran through the Zimbabwe line-up [Cricinfo]

A clinical five-for from Iqbal Hossain Emon set up a consolation win for Bangladesh in their final match of the Super Six and this edition of the Under-19 World Cup. Chasing 254, Simbarashe Mudzengerere’s 70 was the only meaningful contribution in a chase that fizzled out with Zimbabwe reduced to 54 for 5, then 104 for 7.

Emon took out both the openers in his opening spell en route to scalping four of the first five wickets to fall in the Zimbabwe chase. Al Fahad complemented him with the new ball and thereafter, taking three wickets for 39 runs in his own spell – this included the final wicket of the chase as well, when he knocked over Webster Madhidhi.

The most significant resistance in Zimbabwe’s innings was the 64-run partnership between Mudzengerere and Shelton Marzvitorera – the highest for the ninth wicket for them in Youth ODIs. However, by then, the required rate had long climbed out of reach, and Al Fahad’s slow bouncer dismissed Mudzengerere to snuff out any hopes of a miracle.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings had been set up by captain Azizul Hakim’s 59 off 87. His steady knock, from No. 3, came to an abrupt end when Tatenda Chimugoro had him nicking behind to the keeper. Rizan Hossan came close to a half-century himself, but was prised out on 47 by Michael Blignaut. Bangladesh were reduced to 153 for 4, then 211 for 8 with less than four overs to go.

The Zimbabwe bowlers, who had kept control of the economy rate throughout a disciplined bowling effort, gave away 22 runs off Webster Madhidhi in the final over of the innings. Emon and Fahad were at the forefront of this attack too: they hit him for 4, 4, 2 wides, 4 and 6 to close out their innings, with the momentum swinging back to Bangladesh in their most productive over of the day.

The duo’s burst with the new ball ensured Bangladesh remained on top for the rest of the contest. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are both knocked out of contention for the semi-finals at this World Cup, but by the time Fahad took the final wicket of the defense, the latter had something to celebrate.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh Under 19s 253 for 9 in 50 overs (Azizul Hakim 59, Rizan Hossan 47; Tatenda Chimugoro 2-49, Shelton Mazvitoerera 2-44, Michael Blignaut 2-41) beat Zimbabwe Under 19s 179 in 48.4 overs (Simbarashe Mudzengerere 70, Shelton Mazvitorera 42*; Iqbal Hossain Emon 5-24, Al Fahad 3-39) by 74 runs

[Cricinfo]