ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup: Round Four wrap as Aussies stamp their authority
WITH the fourth round of matches complete in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, here’s a quick snapshot of the who, where, how and when of the last week.
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THE business end of the World Cup is nigh. Teams sit on the precipice of elimination, some may have tipped over the edge. The top nations are edging nearer to deciding where and when they’ll be playing semi-finals.
Four rounds have passed and three remain and there is just a little over two weeks before the champion is decided.
Big scores have been posted and meagre ones made, but the cricket has been first class throughout as women’s game continues to surge.
Some blockbusters lie ahead in the coming days, but let’s see what’s been happening the past few.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
After South Africa’s blitz of West Indies in the third round, they were brought quickly back to reality when they took on England in a record-breaking match at Bristol.
The home nation have shaken off the early jitters and been in incredible batting form since their opening round loss to New Zealand and they set to work on South Africa who had bowled the Windies out for 48 the previous match.
Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor combined to post the second-highest partnership in World Cup history, adding 247. Just one run separated the two with Beaumont making 148 and Taylor 147 as the English posted their second 300-plus score of the Cup, reaching 373.
Shabnim Ismail will have nightmares about Taylor, who smacked her for five fours in a row in the 39th over.
England only lost five wickets. Ismail finally claimed Taylor in the 46th over, then Marizanne Kapp missed her hat-trick by one ball the next, getting Nat Sciver, then Beaumont and catching Katherine Brunt off her own bowling a ball later.
South Africa gave the chase a good crack, falling short by 68 runs. The total score of 678 was the highest in a women’s World Cup. Lizelle Lee (72), Laura Wolvaardt (67) and Chloe Tryon (54) all posted half-centuries, but it wasn’t enough.
Sri Lanka continued to give the competition a push but again fell short, India claiming their fourth victory with a 16-run win in Derby.
As the only other side thus far to have won all its matches, India are shaping as a real threat for Australia and their match next Wednesday in Bristol could be to decide first place.
The Indian bowling attack gave nothing away against Sri Lanka, Dilani Manodara top scoring with 61, the next highest Shashikala Siriwardena on 37. Jhulan Goswami (2-26) and Poonam Yadav (2-23) the standouts.
The loss for Sri Lanka means they are still on zero competition points and semi-finals are no chance now.
New Zealand took on West Indies at Taunton and cruised to an eight-wicket win.
The target of 151 set by the Windies was a walk in the park for the Kiwis, who passed the post after just 18.3 overs.
Rachel Priest smashed 90 off 50 balls and she was ably supported by captain Suzie Bates who finished with an unbeaten 40.
The West Indies have struggled all tournament and are yet to put up a fight in any match. Many expected a far better showing from the World T20 champions, who upset and dethroned Australia last year and appeared to be growing as a force. But the 50-over format has tested their staying power and they’re yet to produce an answer.
Kiwi bowler Leigh Kasperek had a dream World Cup debut, finishing with bowling figures of 3-17, including six maidens.
HOW THE AUSSIES FARED
It was another easy win for Australia when they played Pakistan in Leicester, despite a shaky start to their innings at the start of the match.
Even without captain Meg Lanning, who sat out with a shoulder injury, the Aussies cruised to victory, a rapidly increasing run rate seeing them home to a total of 290 by the end of the first 50 overs.
Pakistan had them at 2-7 early in the match, with Beth Mooney dismissed for a third-ball duc and fellow opener Nicole Bolton out for three in the sixth over. But the arrival of Ellyse Perry and stand-in captain Rachael Haynes to the crease calmed the tide and swung the momentum back.
It was the deepest Australia had batted all tournament, losing eight wickets all up, but they showed why they possess the most feared batting line up in women’s cricket.
Elyse Villani took player of the match honours courtesy of her 59 off 40 balls. Villani smacked four sixes, having only previously hit two her entire career.
Perry (66) and Alyssa Healy (63*) helped ensure their total was going to be hard to topple.
The Pakistan side have been hard to dismiss and so it proved once again, forcing the Aussies to bowl the full 50 overs before they could claim victory.
Australia took the 10th wicket on the final ball of the match, Kristen Beams running out Diana Baig. Beams finished with figures of 3-23 while Ash Gardner took 3-28.
The real highlight was the debut of Sarah Aley, who at 33, became the third oldest player to debut for the women’s team, but with the older two happening some 40 years ago and in the first-ever ODI Australia played, Aley’s achievement stands on its own.
Things couldn’t have gone much better for her. She delivered 15 runs from eight balls while batting alongside Sixers teammate Healy, then took a wicket with just her second ball, Villani taking the catch at mid on to make it a match worth remembering.
WHO’S NEXT?
Australia’s first real test is in-form England at Bristol. Australia have already played two matches at the ground but England has been in fine batting form, with four players having posted 100s to date.
Doubt lingers around the fitness of Lanning, though it’s likely she’ll take her place in the side for this one. A longer rest period between matches should give her enough recovery time to be ready to lead the side again.
Lanning has battled a chronic right shoulder injury since tearing cartilage last year. Unable to throw properly, the management of it is said to be game to game and she will surely miss another match before the finals.
This game against England is a crucial one for Australia. Victory will guarantee a spot in the semi-finals, their final two games, against India and South Africa simply to decide positioning.
For England, a loss could drop them into the danger zone of possibly missing finals. Their opening round loss will be hanging over them, with New Zealand also with losses but with the benefit of a rainout.
Australia v England starts Sunday, July 9 at 7.30pm (AEST). Live on Fox Sports.
The three other matches:
* Saturday: New Zealand v Pakistan at Taunton. Should be a win for the Kiwis. Pakistan has a very capable bowling attack but their batting has let them down. Content to simply stay at the crease and gain some experience, their innings can be dour as they play defensively and protect their wickets. They made just 131 in 50 overs against Australia and 74 runs in nearly 40 overs against India. New Zealand should be able to win comfortably.
* Saturday: South Africa v India at Leicester. India has been in great form with bat and ball, but this is still a danger game, South Africa with the best bowlers in the world and this tournament. On form, you’d expect India to win, but it’s one of those matches that on the day, anything could happen.
* Sunday: West Indies v Sri Lanka at Derby. The final rounds start to produce some of the also-rans facing off with each other, this being the first. Sri Lanka has shown enough with the bat to be able to dispose of West Indies, who have struggled in every match so far. A more evenly matched game, but Sri Lanka should be favourites.
Australia v Pakistan scoreboard
Australia Women won the toss and elected to bat.
AUSTRALIA: 8-290 after 50 overs.
Fall of wickets: 1-1 Beth Mooney (c: Nawaz b: Khokhar, 0.3 OV), 2-7 Nicole Bolton (lbw: Baig, 5.4 OV), 3-60 Rachael Haynes (c: Nawaz b: Mir, 19.3 OV), 4-143 Elyse Villani (b: Iqbal, 30.4 OV), 5-175 Alex Blackwell (b: Mir, 36.5 OV), 6-203 Ellyse Perry (c: Mir b: Yousaf, 41.5 OV), 7-211 Jess Jonassen (c: Mir b: Yousaf, 43.2 OV), 8-239 Ashleigh Gardner (c: Khokhar b: Mir, 46.1 OV),
Bowling: Amavia Iqbal Khokhar 1-27 (8 overs), Diana Baig 1-56 (9 overs), Sana Mir 3-49 (10 overs), Nashra Sundhu 0-59 (9 overs), Sadia Yousaf 2-66 (9 overs), Marina Iqbal 1-32 (5 overs).
PAKISTAN: 131
Fall of wickets 1-4 Bibi Nahida (b: Jonassen, 1.3 OV), 2-16 Ayesha Zafar (c: Villani b: Aley, 8.2 OV), 3-23 Marina Iqbal (c: Aley b: Beams, 11.3 OV), 4-39 Syeda Nain Fatima Abidi (c: Mooney b: Beams, 17.4 OV), 5-62 Iram Javed (c: Bolton b: Gardner, 24.3 OV), 6-77 Amavia Iqbal Khokhar (b: Beams, 31.1 OV), 7-97 Sidra Nawaz (c: Healy b: Aley, 36.4 OV), 8-130 Nashra Sundhu (lbw: Gardner, 47.6 OV), 9-131 Sana Mir (b: Gardner, 49.5 OV), 10-131 Diana Baig (run out (Beams), 49.6 OV).
Bowling: Ellyse Perry 0-24 (10 overs), Jess Jonassen 1-12 (10 overs), Sarah Aley 2-29 (10 overs), Kristen Beams 3-23 (9 overs), Ashleigh Gardner 3-28 (9 overs), Elyse Villani 0-8 (2 overs).
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