Tag: (ICC)

Dubai, March 06, 2022 (PPI-OT):Mithali Raj admits the pressure is building on India’s batting big guns as her side were bailed out by their all-rounders against Pakistan.

The 2017 runners-up leant on hefty contributions from Deepti Sharma, promoted to No.3, Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar in a 107-run win over their arch rivals.

But with Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur and Raj herself dismissed inside single figures, the skipper isn’t resting on her laurels at ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.

“I’m relieved that we won the first game but there are a few things we’d like to work on,” said Raj, appearing at her sixth World Cup.

“When you lose wickets in a row like that in the middle order, it definitely puts pressure and we needed a very important partnership between Sneh and Pooja to get up to that total.

“That is something we’d like to address because when you start playing the tournament, it’s important your top order scores runs.

“When you have all-rounders like these, you would like to use them not only in the bowling department but the batting because it strengthens us and means we bat deep.

“That’s what we got to see in this game.”

The total of 244 for seven, buttressed by Rana and Vastrakar’s seventh-wicket stand of 122, proved way beyond Pakistan in front of a sell-out crowd in Tauranga.

Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof rued a sloppy second half of the innings with the ball for letting India surge past the 200 mark.

“We bowled well in the first phase and we were in the game,” said Maroof.

“We leaked runs in the middle and didn’t make the most of the momentum we had. We bowled bad balls, gave them easy runs and we were sloppy in the field.

“We dropped too short of a length when we had to replicate what we did at the start to make sure the target would be lower.

“Credit for the way their batters capitalised and took the game away from us.”

Bismah is one of eight mothers playing at ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 and this was her first appearance at the tournament after the birth of Fatima last August.

A photo of Bismah’s arrival at the ground with Fatima in her arms went viral on social media and she is the first Pakistan cricketer to return to the fold after becoming a mother.

“It was a bit emotional for me today to have my daughter with me,” she said. “I really want to make it count in this tournament for her.”

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 06, 2022 (PPI-OT):Six follows seven and as Mithali Raj played in her sixth World Cup, two of her lower order put on a record seventh-wicket stand to defeat Pakistan.

When India fell to 114 for six with 16.5 overs still to go, Pakistan sensed the chance at a first World Cup victory over their arch rivals, and India’s choice to go with an extra bowler looked to be backfiring.

Enter Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar.

Rana had made a match-defining 80 in last year’s Test against England but had never scored more than 30 in a one-day game.

Vastrakar had a fifty to her name but something similar seemed unlikely with Pakistan’s bowlers well on top with all but Fatima Sana having taken a wicket.

The right-hander was not fazed as she struck the first boundary for 15.4 overs, a sign of what was to come as the next five overs all went for five runs or more.

But Rana and Vastrakar were only just getting going, as India reached 40 overs and 160 runs the next three overs all went for at least 10.

Vastrakar would then go down with what seemed to be an injury to her left leg, but it halted her progress only temporarily.

India’s 200 was brought up in the 46th over with Rana on 39 runs from 37 balls and Vastrakar producing a run-a-ball 44.

The 22-year-old then delivered an excellent paddle shot to send Anam Amin’s delivery to the short fine leg boundary.

The India fans in a sell-out crowd had been making their voices heard all afternoon but fell silent with Vastrakar just two runs short of a half-century.

A single was all that would come off the next ball but the cheers returned, with the India team joining in, as she brought up her fifty off 48 balls.

Two more runs off the next ball saw Vastrakar move past 51, setting a new high score in one-day internationals.

In doing so, she matched Rana who had already well-eclipsed her high score, moving to 41 when their 100 partnership was brought up off just 83 deliveries.

With 16 balls of the innings remaining Vastrakar was dropped on 55 from 51, Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof chasing it down at full tilt as the ball flew over her head, her outstretched hands not able to latch on.

Rana’s fifty came up off a poor length delivery from Diana Baig, which was made to hit to the boundary, Rana did just that to reach her half-century off 45 balls.

Vastrakar pulled out all the shots as the innings neared its end, a reverse scoop was played with her hand supporting the underside of the bat, before four more came off the very next ball.

Just as it looked like Vastrakar would end the innings not out, Sana got her first wicket.

The leg stump knocked clean over, not for the first time today, despite having made 67 from 59 balls Vastrakar swayed her bat in frustration.

Her mood may have been lightened as her teammates clapped her back to the dressing room, a reminder of the rescue effort Rana and herself had put in.

And while their backs-to-the-wall partnership came to an end, their achievement will live on, their partnership off 122 the highest-ever for the seventh wicket.

It eclipses Nicola Browne and Sarah Tsukigawa’s stand for New Zealand against England in 2007 and comfortably beats Katherine Brunt’s 85-run partnership with Jenny Gunn in 2017, the previous best at a World Cup.

Her partner was still there at the end, finishing with 53 not out but was a spectator for the final ball as Jhulan Goswami pulled out the cut shot to send the ball to mid-wicket for four.

Rana and Vastrakar had almost single-handedly rescued India to 244 for seven.

Vastrakar would not take the field for Pakistan’s innings, the adrenaline from her batting performance perhaps wearing off, but captain Mithali Raj said after the match it would not keep her out of their next game against New Zealand.

Swapping bat for ball, Rana took two for 27 as India bowled Pakistan out for 137, their run chase never got going.

Despite a collapse to 98 for seven for Pakistan, there was still time for another record to be broken, Richa Ghosh taking five dismissals, the first time a wicket-keeper had done so on World Cup debut.

It epitomised India’s afternoon – new talent producing performances far beyond their years – while Rana came good on her time in the wilderness with injury, showing it is never over until it is over.

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 06, 2022 (PPI-OT):India recorded an impressive 107-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan despite an off-colour performance from their batters, thanks to a record seventh-wicket partnership between all-rounders Pooja Vastrakar and Sneh Rana at the Bay Oval in Tauranga on Sunday.

India were struggling at 114 for six at one stage and seemed to be under pressure when Vastrakar and Rana blasted their highest ODI scores to lift India to a competitive 244 for seven much to the delight of their fans who shouted in support and encouragement.

In reply, Pakistan never got going as they slipped to 98 for seven, wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh taking a record five dismissals on World Cup debut as India earned their first win in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.

India won the toss and chose to bat with the Bay Oval bathed in glorious sunshine, but there was a storm brewing in the middle as Shafali Verma was dismissed for a duck. Diana Baig cleaned up her leg stump as Verma’s issues in the one-day format continued on to the World Cup stage.

Fellow opener Smriti Mandhana would provide the release, scoring the first boundary with the 25th ball of the innings. Mandhana was timing the ball beautifully but boundaries still proved hard to come by, a pre-meditated strike down the ground in the final over of the power play landed so forcefully it plugged short of the boundary.

She didn’t let that stop her as two balls later the ball sailed over the boundary to bring up India’s first six and end the powerplay with India 33 for one.

Pakistan’s fielding had been accurate with singles cut off and boundary hopes reeled in, but at the 20 over mark the field settings grew more and more defensive.

Mandhana’s fifty would soon come bringing it up off 71 balls to register her 25th score over fifty, but a first against Pakistan.

There would be little time to celebrate as Deepti Sharma was bowled by Nashra Sundhu with the very next ball.

A collapse was beginning as Mandhana fell for 52 as Anam Amin produced a stunning caught and bowled to leave two new batters at the crease,

Those batters were still to be feared even if they were on nought, Harmanpreet Kaur now joined by Mithali Raj as she embarked on a record sixth World Cup campaign.

Kaur would not threaten though as she was given out lbw for five from 14 as Nida Dar became the fourth bowler to take a wicket and India slipped to 108 for four.

The young star Richa Ghosh could not succeed where her elders had failed as she went for a five-ball duck with Dar picking up her second as Ghosh chopped onto her wickets.

Pakistan were on top as Fatima Sana earned a maiden over before Sundhu got her second as Raj was forced to go, walking off as slowly as she has scored, her nine coming from 36 balls.

It felt like India’s tail was set to wag quickly with the Women in Blue on 114 for six but Pooja Vastrakaer joined Sneh Rana with other ideas.

With 34.4 overs gone, Vastrakar showed her intent by scoring the first boundary since the second delivery of the 17th over.

The duo brought up their fifty partnership off 43 balls and they hadn’t even got properly going as overs 40 to 42 went for 10 or more runs.

The fact that Sundhu then bowled an over that only conceded six felt like a success to show how far Pakistan had let the game slip

.Both batters brought up their highest ODI scores before Vastrakar had to go for 67 from 59 balls ending a World Cup record seventh-wicket partnership of 122.

Jhulan Goswami would end the innings with a four to bring India to 244 for seven, which seemed unlikely 16 overs before.

Goswami would then open the bowling in her fifth World Cup as Pakistan made a slow start, making just 26 from the first 10 overs.

The fact they had not lost a wicket was a silver lining that soon disappeared as Javeria Khan was caught by Goswami off the bowling of Gayakwad.

Out came captain Bismah Maroof, but she could make only 15 from 24 balls as she was caught behind with Pakistan slipping to 53 for two.

After her heroics with the bat, Rana then dismissed Omaima Sohail with her second ball before Goswami got her first to dismiss anchor Sidra Amin for 30 from 64 balls.

Doing so brought out Aliya Riaz who ended both warm-up games not out with scores over 40, but not this time.

Riaz would make 11 from 23 balls before being stumped by Ghosh, her fourth involvement of the innings to make amends for her batting performance.

Sana was next to fall as Pakistan lost their seventh wicket for just 98 runs, no matching Rana and Vastrakar.

Another small partnership was made for Pakistan as Baig joined Sidra Nawaz in the middle before Gayakwad got her fourth of the afternoon, an Indian spinner again doing the business.

While Gayakwad had to wait another over to attempt her five-fer, Ghosh picked up hers as she caught Sundhu for a duck becoming the first wicket-keeper to take five dismissals on World Cup debut.

With Gayakwad getting the chance to bowl her final over, each delivery was met by chants and cheers that had boomed round the ground all afternoon.

Baig played with no fear taking six runs off her to deny her a five-fer but she still earned figures of four for 31.

A seventh-wicket partnership had not materialised but it looked as though a tenth-wicket one was forming as Baig and Anam Amin frustrated India’s push for victory.

Kaur would take the final catch as Baig had to go for an entertaining 24 from 35 balls as India got their World Cup campaign up and running with Pakistan all out for 137.

Scores in brief

India beat Pakistan at Bay Oval, Tauranga by 107 runs

India 244/7 in 50.0 overs (Pooja Vastrakar 67, Sneh Rana 53 not out; Nashra Sandhu 2/36, Nida Dar 2/45)

Pakistan 137 in 43.0 overs (Sidra Ameen 30, Diana Baig 24; Rajeshwari Gayakwad 4/31, Jhulan Goswami 2/26)

Player of the Match: Pooja Vastrakar

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 06, 2022 (PPI-OT):Suzie Bates will finally get to see if there really is no place like home as she plays her first game for New Zealand on her home ground of Dunedin.

The University Oval is hosting its second match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 as the White Ferns face Bangladesh with both sides searching for their first win.

Bates will play her 163rd international match for New Zealand and despite all that experience, she will appear at the venue for the first time tomorrow.

She said: “It will be really special and I guess the fact that I have never played here for the White Ferns makes it that much more special.

“In a home World Cup I will be able to have some of my family and friends up on the bank.

“I talked about it with Katey Martin [White Ferns wicket-keeper] this morning, Steve Martin and Wendy Martin have been like second cricket parents to me and they sit on the same spot whether we’re playing age-group cricket, or whether we’re playing for the Otago Sparks and now for New Zealand.

“We’ll just have that real comfort of knowing what this ground is about and looking up and seeing the people that have been there since we were under 15.“It’s going to be a pretty cool moment to sing the national anthem and be at your home ground, especially for the first time, I’m sure tomorrow will be a pretty cool day.”

Bates will feature alongside fellow Dunedin native Martin whose innings of 44 almost saw New Zealand home as they fell three runs short against the West Indies.

Opening batter Bates was run out for three as Chinelle Henry directed Sophie Devine’s drive back down the ground onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

She’ll be hoping for more time in the middle tomorrow.

“I’m just hoping that that little bit of bad luck just means tomorrow I get all the luck,” Bates admitted.

“Bob Carter [head coach] did say I was quite far out of my crease but Sophie hits the ball quite hard straight so maybe I can just sit back on my heels if I see her shaping that way.

“It is what it is and that happens in cricket. Obviously I was disappointed to not get more of a bat but there’s plenty more cricket to come and I just can’t wait to get out there tomorrow.”

Bangladesh came unstuck against South Africa falling 32 runs short after restricting the world No.2 side to 207 all out.

It marked a promising debut in the tournament for the Tigresses, and one their captain Nigar Sultana hopes they can build on.

She said: “I think we don’t have any pressure right now because this is the stage we were trying to show ourselves on nd because there are a lot of things that we can get on from here.

“So still, we do have a lot of chance to do well here and show our potential to the whole world.”

Bangladesh have settled well into Dunedin, where they also faced the Proteas, despite te World Cup marking their first time on New Zealand soil.

Sultana added: “I think still we had a lot of practices here, even though we have only played a couple of matches. We adapted to the wicket very well and with the conditions as well. We’re just trying to give our best and trying to deliver our best in the next match.”

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 06, 2022 (PPI-OT):India captain Mithali Raj has become the first woman, and only the third cricketer ever, to appear at six ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups.

In doing so, Raj is ensuring the record enters a new decade – Javed Miandad appeared in the first six Men’s Cricket World Cups between 1975 and 1996 with Sachin Tendulkar beginning his World Cup career in 1992.

By the time Tendulkar’s fairytale finish came in 2011, Raj had already captained India at a World Cup after having made her tournament debut in 2000.

As skipper the records keep coming, the right-hander now equals Australian legend Belinda Clark by captaining at her fourth ICC WWC, Clark’s tenure spanning from 1993 to 2005.

Clark and Raj stand as the only two players to have captained their country at more than two World Cups.

But Raj also eclipses her fellow batter as the span between first captaining her country and last doing so stretches to 17 years, the Australian’s tenure as skipper came across 12.

And it is not just her captaincy that is breaking records – her World Cup career now spans more than two decades with no women ever having played in ICC Women’s World Cups 20 years apart.

It was New Zealand Debbie Hockley who previously held the record having made her debut on 10 January 1982 with her last match the 2000 final on 23 December, 24 days after Raj’s debut.

And it is this standard that the 39-year-old continually finds herself amongst – only Hockley (45) and England’s Jan Brittin (36) have played more World Cup games.

In moving to six World Cup appearances, Raj leaves behind the company of England duo Charlotte Edwards, Clare Taylor and Hockley as the only other women to have made five appearances at a Women’s World Cup.

The momentous occasion further cements Raj’s place as one of the greatest players to have ever graced the World Cup stage.

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 05, 2022 (PPI-OT):Australia clung on to defeat England by 12 runs, starting their quest for a seventh ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title with a nervy win at the Seddon Park in Hamilton on Saturday.

Opener Rachael Haynes’s perfectly played 130 helped Australia set England an imposing 311 to win but a superb batting performance from the defending champions kept them in the hunt for what would have been a great chase.

Opener Tammy Beaumont gave England a chance of chasing down the huge total before leg-spinner Alana King swung the pendulum back Australia’s way. Nat Sciver then produced a stroke-filled century that again threatened to take the game away but the asking rate proved just a little too high in the end overs.

England fell short of a record chase and Australia emerged victorious in another battle for the ages between the old adversaries and what was another engrossing match early in the eight-team tournament.

Australia were sluggish at the start. Alyssa Healy, whose last act at an ICC event was to hit 75 from 36 balls in the T20 World Cup final in 2020, was out for 27 from 32 this time, her reprieve from an lbw dismissal lasting only four balls.

Instead, Sciver would force Healy into sending a shot straight to the hands of Katherine Brunt to leave Australia at 37 from one from the powerplay. Healy had been leading the scoring and despite captain Meg Lanning and her deputy Haynes having over 6,000 ODI runs between them, they struggled to get going.

Their frustration was laid bare when Haynes flailed at a Kate Cross delivery and by luck rather than design it found the gap between two fielders. But a sign of what was to come emerged two balls later when Lanning dispatched a short ball from Cross to the cover point boundary.

Five overs later it was Katherine Brunt’s turn to scowl, as Sophie Ecclestone dropped Lanning in the deep with captain on 27 from 51. Australia then comfortably passed milestones, Lanning’s 18th ODI fifty coming from 75 balls and Haynes’s own half-century from two fewer deliveries.

It was their seventh century partnership together in one-day cricket and their 150 would be brought up not long after as the ruthless Australians smelled blood.

Despite Brunt seeing a review for lbw not given, a calm head prevailed as she rallied her England side while the big screen flashed up the outcome.

She regained her composure only momentarily as in the next over she bowled back-to-back wides before Lanning hit the first six of the game, a beautiful pull shot that sailed over the deep mid-wicket boundary.

Brunt would get revenge of sorts as Lanning had to go after finding Tammy Beaumont at point, the fielder recovering from an injured shoulder the over before to hold on to the forceful shot.

Lanning headed back to the hutch having made 86 from 110 balls and despite Australia being 231 for two with seven overs remaining, the captain knew there was a century to be had.

Haynes would get the job done three balls later, bringing up her second ODI hundred from 115 balls with 11 fours.

Haynes would eventually depart for 130 from 131 balls as she produced a rare mistimed shot and sent the ball to Danni Wyatt in the deep.

Mooney and new batter Ellyse Perry closed out the innings with four fours from seven balls to take the Australian total to 310 for three.

England’s reply got off to the worst possible start, as struggling opener Lauren Winfield-Hill was out for a fourth-ball duck after replays showed Annabel Sutherland took the diving catch cleanly.

Her dismissal brought out the captain Heather Knight and her rebuild alongside Tammy Beaumont, the player of the tournament in 2017, was emphatic.

While the first boundary came 23 balls into the innings, England scored freely, the two experienced batters rotated the strike with ease.

England had introduced spin in the 19th over, but Jess Jonassen came into the attack for Australia with only nine overs gone. Knight showed exactly what she thought of that decision clubbing her over long-off for the first six of the innings.

Another bowling change brought another important moment for England as Tahlia McGrath’s first over saw Tammy Beaumont bring up her 15th ODI fifty, six balls later her 3000th ODI run would be chalked up too.

There would be no milestone for Knight as she fell for 40, caught by Lanning at cover of the bowling of McGrath, England slipping to 92 for two.

The most poignant moment of the game came as leg-spinner and Shane Warne fan Alana King got her first wicket of the evening.

A turning delivery bewitched Beaumont as Healy whipped off the bails, King pointed to the black armband, a tribute to her idol.

Amy Jones would fall to King too before Danni Wyatt was bowled by McGrath for 177 for five to leave England in trouble and Sciver needing to produce a miracle only she would be capable of.

Sophia Dunkley was an able partner until King bowled her for 28 before Katherine Brunt wound back the years as her and fiancée Sciver dreamed the impossible dream.

Sciver’s 100 was brought up off 79 balls with 12 fours with England’s hopes surviving thanks to a straightforward drop from Darcie Brown.

Jonassen was tasked with defending 17 from the final over and produced a remarkable caught and bowled to dismiss Katherine Brunt.

With that England’s hopes were extinguished as the defending champions lost by 12 runs.

Scores in brief

Australia beat England at Seddon Park, Hamilton by 12 runs

Australia 310/3 in 50.0 overs (Rachael Haynes 130, Meg Lanning 86; Nat Sciver 2/68, Katherine Brunt 1/54)

England 298/8 in 50.0 overs (Nat Sciver 108 not out, Tammy Beaumont 74; Alana King 3/59; Tahlia McGrath 2/51)

Player of the Match: Rachael Haynes (Australia)

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