In overcast Headingley conditions, an all-round performance from Shafali Verma, who scored her first fifty at a T20 World Cup, then took 3 for 20, headlined a 95-run win for India.  India were meeting Netherlands for the first time in a women’s T20I, and their pedigree on the big stage proved too much for a Netherlands outfit fresh off a close final-over finish against Bangladesh on Sunday. There would be no close contest here.

Put in to bat first, India tonked their way to 209 for 5 – their highest-ever total at a T20 World Cup, Smriti Mandhana top-scoring with a 47-ball 74. Then, Shree Charani’s  spell of 4 for 19 polished off a spirited Netherlands batting effort for 114.

India sealed their second consecutive win, zooming past Australia to the top of Group 1, courtesy a higher net run-rate. Netherlands, on the other hand, remain winless.

Shafali and Mandhana set the tone for India when they put on a 115-run opening partnership. Their stand was a study in illusion. On the pitch, they kept their shots grounded, barely taking any risks against the Netherlands bowlers through the 11.4 overs they spent in the middle together. On the scorecard, they still ticked away at a run-rate close to 10 per over.

In part, this was because of the unforced errors by the Netherlands bowlers. They frequently missed their radar, with Myrthe van den Raad bowling a 12-ball over, featuring seven runs off extras. However, it was emblematic of Netherlands’ performance with ball in hand that she still ended up conceding just 11 off the over. When she was not spraying wides down leg, she stuck to the good length area. In total, Netherlands gave away 16 runs in extras.

Shafali began upping the run rate by taking the aerial route. She brought up a 34-ball fifty – it was her first at a T20 World Cup, having made her debut in the tournament six years ago. Still, she had to depart soon after, against the run of play, when she holed out to long-on in the 12th over, mistiming a pull off Heather Siegers.

Netherlands had already racked up extras in the double-digits, and then, they dropped three chances to let India get away to an insurmountable total in the final four overs of the contest.

In the 11th over, Shafali had been dropped at cover, on the ball she got to her fifty. More missed chances were to come for Netherlands, who had mounted a mini-comeback: Caroline de Lange plucked out Mandhana at the end of the 16th over, then at the start of the 17th, van den Raad got Jemimah Rodrigues edging behind on the scoop.

At this point, India were 162 for 3. van den Raad looked set to put her extras troubles further behind her with a second wicket in the 17th, when Richa Ghosh bunted an edge up in the air. However, Phebe Molkonboer – running in from extra cover – shelled the catch right next to the stumps. Off the same delivery, with no fielder backing up the stumps, Netherlands missed out on a run-out chance at the non-striker’s end as well.

Two more drops ensued: Silver Siegers dropped Ghosh in the 18th over, the ball bursting through her hands and going for four. Then in the final over, Harmanpreet Kaur was put down by Robine Rijke at mid-off. Ghosh took full toll of her second chance, scoring an unbeaten 8-ball 20, as India ransacked 41 runs off the last three overs.

You could not fault Netherlands for their bravery with bat in hand. Opener Heather Siegers scored four fours during her 16-ball 21. She boshed drives through the ‘V’, even stepping deep into the off side at one point to Shafali in the fourth over, pulling her to long leg in a display of power and timing.

However, India’s spinners combined on a pitch that kept low and slow through the second innings to keep a stranglehold on the Netherlands batting line-up. Molkenboer, the other opener, played pristine drives of her own, but more often, failed to time her shots past a packed covers cordon. In the end, she perished on 15 off 20 in the eighth over, Netherlands just about going at a run a ball.

One of India’s spinners, however, had her day on the field cut short by an unfortunate ankle injury. In the sixth over, Molkonboer timed an on-drive to Shreyanka Patil’s right, where she went to field the delivery but ended up twisting her right ankle. In the end, she had to be stretchered off the field, and played no further part in the contest.

Even as the required rate ballooned past the realm of the plausible, Netherlands’ batters skipped down the track to attack India’s bowlers. Captain Babette de Leede was stumped a long way out of her ground, looking to loft Nandani Sharma down the ground. Sterre Kalis, too, heard her stumps rattle when she swung across the wrong line against Shafali, whose slow deliveries through the air kept puzzling the opposition.

Netherlands’ wickets kept falling in the same vein post the halfway mark of their chase. Batting against Shree Charani, Frederique Overdijk holed out to long-on, Rijke was pinned lbw looking for an extravagant sweep, and Iris Zwilling was out looking for a slog sweep too, handing the India left-arm spinner a fourth wicket.

Netherlands collapsed in the end, losing their last five wickets for just one run in the space of nine deliveries. Fittingly, with just one wicket left to take, Shafali was the one with ball in hand when Isabel van der Woning looked to swing down the ground. Rodrigues ran in from long-on to complete an excellent catch and take India to the top of their table.

SCORES:
India Women 209 for 5 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 74, Shafali Verma  55, Jemimah Rodrigues 19, Richa Ghosh 20*, Harmanpreet Kaur 12, Deepti Sharma 10*; Iris Zwilling 1-41, Heather Siegers 1-31, Myrthe van dem Read 1-37, Caroline de Lange 2-32) beat Netherlands Women  114 in 17.3 overs  (Heather Siegers 21, Phebe Molkenboer 15, Babette de Leede 28, Sterre Kalis 18: Nandani Sharma 2-22, Shree Charani 4-19, Shafali Verma 3-20, Deepti Sharma 1-26) by 95 runs

[Cricinfo]

A gutsy half-century by middle-order batter Nilakshika Silva helped Sri Lanka upset defending champions New Zealand in their Group ‘A’ fixture of the Women’s World Cup at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday, keeping their semi-final hopes very much alive. It was the first time Sri Lanka Women had beaten the White Ferns in a World Cup encounter after seven successive defeats.

New Zealand started as overwhelming favourites and appeared to be cruising towards another victory when they reduced Sri Lanka to 55 for four while defending a target of 151.

But Nilakshika, showing nerves of steel and years of experience, produced a splendid innings, forging crucial partnerships with the lower order to guide Sri Lanka home just before rain threatened to intervene.

Batting at number six, the 36-year-old veteran remained unbeaten on 54 off just 37 deliveries, striking five fours and a six, as Sri Lanka completed a remarkable recovery and sealed victory with two balls to spare.

The revival was first engineered by Nilakshika and Kavisha Dilhari, who added 50 runs for the fifth wicket. Just when Sri Lanka had begun to regain control, Dilhari was run out attempting a risky second run. But Nilakshika was not prepared to throw in the towel.

Together with wicketkeeper Kaushini Nuthyangana, she added an unbeaten 48 run stand for the sixth wicket to ensure that Sri Lanka secured a memorable come from behind victory.

After suffering a crushing 87 run defeat to England in their opening game, Sri Lanka’s bowlers responded magnificently to restrict New Zealand to 150, although their fielding once again left plenty to be desired.

Chamari Atapattu and Vishmi Gunaratne provided a rollicking start during the Powerplay, but the captain’s dismissal triggered a collapse as Sri Lanka lost four wickets for the addition of just ten runs.

The victory owed much to Nilakshika, who has been serving Sri Lankan cricket with distinction for the last 13 years and delivered when her side needed her most.

Sri Lanka now head to Bristol for crucial encounters against West Indies and Ireland before wrapping up their group campaign against Scotland in Manchester.

Sri Lanka women have never reached the semi-final stage of an ICC event and their clash against West Indies has now assumed enormous significance. Another victory could put Chamari Atapattu’s side on the brink of history.

There will, however, be plenty of focus on improving the fielding over the next few days, as it was once again a major concern against New Zealand.

Rex Clementine in Southampton

Rumesh Tharanga will arrive at Friday’s Doha Diamond League as the athlete to beat following a commanding victory at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting on Tuesday.

‎Fresh from his recent record-breaking exploits, Tharanga once again asserted his dominance on the international stage, winning the men’s javelin with three throws beyond the 85-metre mark. Remarkably, any one of those efforts would have been sufficient to secure victory in the Czech Republic.

‎The 23-year-old produced his best throw of 86.57 metres in the third round to finish ahead of two-time world champion Anderson Peters, who placed second with a best effort of 84.27 metres.

‎Tharanga’s consistency throughout the competition underlined his status as one of the world’s leading javelin throwers. The victory further strengthened his credentials ahead of the Doha Diamond League, where he is expected to challenge a field featuring world champion Keshorn Walcott, Peters and world bronze medallist Curtis Thompson.

‎Tuesday’s triumph continued a remarkable season for the former Peterite, who has emerged as a genuine title contender on the global circuit with a string of world-class performances.

‎The men’s javelin is expected to be one of the highlights of the Doha Diamond League, with the entire podium from the 2025 World Championships returning to action. Walcott, Peters and Thompson will renew their rivalry in what promises to be a highly competitive contest.

‎Tharanga heads to Doha as the world leader after his stunning Sri Lankan record throw of 92.62 metres in Rome earlier this month. That performance elevated him to eighth place on the world all-time list and established him as one of the sport’s biggest stars.

‎Adding further intrigue will be the South Asian rivalry involving Tharanga, 2021 Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, should the Pakistani star make a rare appearance on the Diamond League circuit.

‎Tharanga has won six of his seven competitions this season. His narrow defeat to Peters in Rabat during his Diamond League debut remains his only setback of the year.

‎Doha has a reputation for producing outstanding javelin performances. Chopra joined the exclusive 90-metre club in the Qatari capital with his personal best of 90.23 metres, while Peters (93.07m) and Jakub Vadlejch (90.88m) went beyond the 90 metres mark during their memorable duel there in 2022.

‎Prior to Ostrava, Tharanga said he was not targeting a massive throw in the Czech Republic but hoped to produce something special in Doha. With the world’s best converging on a venue known for big distances, another thrilling contest could be on the horizon.

‎The Doha Diamond League was originally scheduled for early May but was later moved to June.

by Reemus Fernando