And I never have a punctutation, let alone an exclamation mark in my post titles, so you know it is.
It’s finally happening. Years of struggling and going unnoticed, and it’s finally happening. It’s taken, what, ten years, to get this far? To get as far as… coverage. I could cry.
Women’s cricket has made it to TV. It’s not a World Cup match either, women’s cricket, on its own accord , has made it to the telly. (Too bad I’m about ten days away from my last school exams ever, meaning super important tests, to be able to watch it completely, but that doesn’t take away the momentousness.)
All images from today’s game courtesy CSA’s Twitter.
The BCCI had agreed to stream the first few T20Is on its website, which was all nice, but the performances couldn’t just be ignored, not when they’re this good!
So today, folks, I proudly (would have liked to) bring to you, South Africa women vs India women, live from Wanderers, live off my telly (but I can’t because if I watch it, I’m headed towards an F grade. Not happening.) but the facts that you (probably) have a TV set (or an Internet connection) which you can put to good use, and the match is finally being broadcasted, means I don’t even need to do this.
Go on, head to the real thing, it’s really heating up (and I know, because you can’t stop me from checking the score every fifteen ten minutes), so happy watching, it’s live now!
I know, after my last post, I’m not even supposed to be here. I wasn’t planning to, the idea was to keep my phone off all week. Or more.
But today is 5th February, and as close as that is to my exams, I have actually been waiting for this for, what, seven months? However long it’s been since the end of July.
Today begins the (for me, and hopefully a lot more people too,) long-anticipated India vs South Africa women’s ODI series. It’s not inconsequential. The winners get to qualify directly for the 2021 Women’s World Cup! No qualifiers cup like last year.
Unlike a lot of other cricket boards, the Indian board hadn’t had any cricket lined up for ever national team for seven months. It’s true, the girls have welcomed the period, there being a lot of fatigue and injuries in the team, but it does seem a bit too long. But they’ve put up with a lot more in past decades, so oh well.
In the meantime, we have had some pretty interesting clashes around the world, the women’s Ashes and the New Zealand White Ferns triumphs in and away from home have been amazing to watch.
But when a team that was pretty dominant last year, with a very impressive win percentage throughout the calendar year, the World Cup finalists from the 2017 Cup, who lost the finals by but a margin of 9 runs, finally returns to the international circuit, don’t you think it’s a LITTLE exciting?
An opponent in the feisty South Africa, whom India only narrowly beat in all their encounters last year (save one), makes for a super-anticipated clash.
In all honesty, it’s a real bad time to be out of the cricket loop, with so many interesting series coming up!
There are both, the men’s and women’s India-South Africa ODI series going on right now in South Africa, the Tri series in Australia between Australia, New Zealand and England, and the upcoming White Ferns-West Indies clash in March. (I spent all afternoon (Okay, more like ten minutes) syncing both the Black Caps and White Ferns’ annual schedule, or as much as has been planned, to my phone.
It’s an altogether different amount of time I spent trying to figure out how I’ll be able to watch them all… not a good time to be having exams, I guess!
But New Zealand cricket is how I relax. I’m a fan, I’ll find a way!)
Now, what I’m here to rant about.
This is such an anticlimax.
The only reason I switched on my phone today was to watch (parts of) the Ind-SA women’s game.
I check all the usual sites, I look for unconventional sites, and I turn up blank.
I thought they were broadcasting.
After all the interest women’s cricket garnered in the World Cup, it should’ve been a default next step.
But no, it’s not being streamed, it’s not being televised. Please tell me if I’m wrong, I wouldn’t mind wasting a whole rant-post if I could still get the highlights.
Every once in a while though, I do get this. Thank goodness for twitter!
Come on, if no one else will do it, I should! All I need now is a good camera and an intercontinental flight ticket. Asking for much?
But from my, ahem, sources (I’ll always have those!) Indian captain Mithali Raj has won the toss and is batting first.
India are currently 135-1 in 31 overs, having lost opener Poonam Raut early on, for 19 runs. Ayabonga Khaka, who took her wicket, is the only South African bowler to have taken a wicket yet.
Opener Smriti Mandhana (of a hundred in India’s WC opener against England fame) is going steady on 79 off 89 balls, with 8 boundaries to help along the way. Skipper Raj is at the other end on a 31 off 52, 2 neat fours.
Now wouldn’t this make for a wonderful watch??
Not only is that grammar awful, but so is its contents!
Searching for sources to follow a game can be exhausting. Drinks break has been called!Bless the ICC, I guess.
Just spoke of blessings, here comes a curse for the Indian team!
Mandhana’s just gotten herself out, Khaka nailing her second victim of the day, and the game goes on!
(I’m happy, honestly, I am. I’m getting the game in some form. And I really am trying to study too. Just in five minutes.)
Back then, the Indian women’s team was something no one spoke of much. Women’s cricket was not too high on people’s lists. Most people did not know a single player from any of the women’s teams, perhaps barring, in India at least, Indian captain Mithali Raj. (And that mostly from a Moov advert she had done on TV a few years ago.)
The only thing some people could understand about the very concept of women’s cricket, was that the boundaries were shorter than in the men’s game. (On being told, of course.)
But one month has changed the face of women’s cricket forever.
All of a sudden, the game’s level has been raised.
The matches have been getting closer, more nail-biting, individuals have been stepping up, teams have been clicking together like clockwork, and boy, have the people been noticing.
Has too much changed apart from the fact that for the first time, the general public has been provided multiple platforms and opportunities to watch the game, rather than notice a tiny Brief Scores card in a tiny corner of a newspaper dominated by what ONE person may think of his coach?
The ICC’s decision to necessarily stream all matches of the World Cup, including warm ups, and to televise respective relevant matches has definitely had a hand to play.
The other hand, however, was the one that swung the bat and spun the ball.
The tournament was perhaps not one that could have been predicted at the start.
Will Australia win their 7th title? With how much ease? was no longer the question.
And that may be proven by the fact that Australia did not make it past the semifinals, courtesy a blistering knock by India’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored 171* runs off just 115 balls, smashing 20 boundaries and 7 sixes, clearing the ropes and the field, landing a few of them into the stands. Her knock came at a strike rate of 148, and took India up to a total of 281-4 from their 42 overs in a rain reduced clash, and was helped with support at the other end from the captain Raj (36) and with blitzkrieg knocks from Deepti Sharma (25) and Veda Krishnamurthy (16).
For Australia, Alex Blackwell (90 off 56, 10 x 4, 3 x 6, SR: 160) and Elyse Villani (75 off 56, 13 fours) almost had Australia home, but Rajeshwari Gayekwad (1-62) broke the 100 run stand the two batters shared, followed by good spells from Deepti Sharma (3 wickets), Jhulan Goswami (2) and Shikha Pandey (2).
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Australia ultimately fell short by 36 runs, managing only 245 by the 40th over, losing all their wickets.
The finals, now were charged as ever.
England had been on a roll.
After their opener-loss to India by 35 runs, England was a changed side.
With scores of 377, 373, 284, 259, 246, and a lowest team total of 206, England had become the team to watch out for with the bat.
Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver, Sarah Taylor, Tammy Beaumont, Fran Wilson, all had posted hundred or near-hundred runs an individual score.
The match was slated to be a big one, and an unpredictable one.
Would England be able to win their third World Cup, here on home soil? (Something that they had done in 1993 as well, defeating New Zealand in the finals after having lost badly to them in the robin round stage: a situation England found themselves facing again)
Or would it be the once underdogs, strong and resilient India, having barged into the semis and finals after their storm through their final game (vs NZ), following two back to back losses to Australia and South Africa, who would rise to the occasion and claim their first ever World Cup title, breaking into the exclusive winners list comprising of but three of the many nations who played the sport around the world: Australia (6 times), England (3) and New Zealand (1)?
Would this be the breakthrough moment for Women’s cricket, in another way?
Neither team made it easy on the other.
There was no clear winner, even five overs from the end of the second innings. It was a hard fought match.
Luck was with English skipper Knight, who called right and chose to post a total, something England had done very well this tournament.
Having the English down to 63-3 by the 17th over, the Indian bowlers were playing with conviction.
But then walked in Nat Sciver (51) and put on an 83 run partnership with opener Sarah Taylor (45), who was back into the English team following months of injury, and small smashing cameos by Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn took England up to a decent score of 228.
At the halfway stage, it looked like the game was slipping away from England.
Experienced in big match situations, senior bowler Jhulan Goswami rose to the occasion, picking 3 wickets in a fiery spell, finishing with 23-3 from her 10.
In reply, India found themselves in trouble early on, losing opener Mandhana (0) cheaply yet again, leaving India 6-1.
Captain Mithali Raj tried to consolidate an innings, but was run out for 17 in an unusual manner.
At 43-2, this brought the star of the previous match, Harmanpreet Kaur to the crease.
Together with opener Punam Raut, she stitched together a 95-run partnership.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s wicket fell in the 33rd over, she scored 51, and the immense importance of her wicket was large writ on bowler Alex Hartley’s face, and in what seemed a big release of pressure for England. But in came a confident, carefree Veda Krishnamurthy.
At the 40 over stage, India looked comfortably in for the win, being 173-3.
Tossing the ball up in the air and smacking 5 fours in the process, the flamboyant Veda Krishnamurthy, with the rock solid Punam Raut batting at the other end looked like the perfect combination to produce India’s much anticipated Cup victory.
But then Anya Shrubsole struck.
England’s much talked about batting could take a backseat. It would have to be the bowlers who’d have to pull the game back, and boy, did Shrubsole did.
Singlehanded lay picking Raut’s wicket and ending the partnership, she cleaned up the Indian tail.
The match-winning likes of Deepti Sharma, Raut and Krishnamurthy could do nothing as the batting order crumbled like a pack of cards, losing by just 9 runs.
For one team, the dream was over, the tears were flowing.
For the other, though, it was only the beginning of a lot of good things.
Hopefully, the English team is looking at a lot of benefits, love, following, and a spring in their step.
(PS: Google scores has finally recognised the England women’s team as well.)
In interviews later, the Indian team expressed the pain of losing such a close match.
The captain admitted that the pressure of the situation got to them, and that the players were in tears in the dressing room, post the awards ceremony.
Harmanpreet Kaur has said that she wishes she had batted longer.
But with the cup slipping away from them by single digit numbers, not all is lost.
For the first time in the longest of times, the Indian women’s cricket team is a team with recognisable faces in their country.
People have seen the power the women cricketers of all participating countries, and are getting behind them in big numbers.
The final was viewed by a record million viewers, the Lords’ tickets were sold out.
Indian captain Mithali Raj says one of her biggest personal achievements this tournament is the fact that “the team is being referred to as Mithali’s girls. I am very proud of that fact.”
Raj became the highest ever scorer in women’s ODIs this tournament, taking over the record held by ex-England captain, Charlotte Edwards.
Whether it’s a first of firsts, or one of many fads, only time will tell.
But for now, all we can say is that it’s a most interesting time.
We stand on the threshold of a whole new outlook on the women’s game.
With DRS being introduced for the first time, televisation, streaming and excessive coverage, the high interest being garnered, hopefully, women’s cricket is looking to be expanding beyond a schedule of five to ten matches a year, and cricket becoming a full time job for women cricketers.
The acceptance of our women’s cricketers too, as the national team.
(About the ongoing pay issue that Cricket Australia is having with their men’s team, a dejected Australian fan and a friend of mine complains, We don’t have a cricket team anymore!
All I have been doing is telling him to shut up and look carefully, there is an Australian team, the women’s team, and the Ashes are so on.)
So congratulations to England on proving to be the best there was at hanging on this tournament and winning the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.
And hard luck to India, Australia, South Africa, and all the teams that fought so hard, but narrowly missed out.
You may have lost the cup, but you won many hearts and supporters.
This was truly a tournament where at the end of the day, it was the game of Cricket that ultimately won the match.
Four matches today, and real interesting clashes too.
Australia, high on confidence after their relatively easy wins against West Indies and Sri Lanka face off against their rivals across the ditch, New Zealand, who’d be hoping for a game, and a win today after their disappointing washout against South Africa.
Likewise, South Africa would hope the rainclouds stay away as they face a winless West Indies.
England face Sri Lanka today. Sri Lanka would be hoping to take confidence from Chamari Athapaththu’s ton against Australia, and counter the English batting that notched up 377 against Pakistan last week.
The subcontinent boils with anticipation and excitement as India take on rivals Pakistan at Grace Road. India are on a high, Smriti Mandhana and captain Mithali Raj have been in fine form, and the bowling seems to have clicked as India restricted WI to just 183 in 50 overs their last match.
Pakistan haven’t had a win yet, but will be hopeful of opening their account. Ayesha Zafar’s fifty against England before the rain sealed the result was a knock that showed class and endurance.
Who will cement their positions up the points table, and who will end up in a dicey situation?
This World Cup has been one of surprises and shockers, so don’t sit back making predictions, get up, get online and watch your matches!
Wasting absolutely no time, the two opening matches today are India vs England, and New Zealand vs Sri Lanka.
England have won the toss and elected to field first, New Zealand have won the toss in Bristol and appear to think the same.
Indian openers are in to bat, Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana, and Mandhana is on fire. The swashbuckling 20-year old opener from Mumbai has faced 19 balls and sits on 36, with 5 boundaries and a six already, while Raut is playing the stabilising role from the other end.
Natalie Sciver Katherine Brunt have been singled out by Mandhana for the choicest of shots, including three identical cover drives off the back foot off Brunt, all going for boundaries, off consecutive balls.
Fun fact: 8.4 ov: This is the first single of the match. All runs for India so far have been either boundaries or twos.
India stand at the end of 9 overs with 53 for no loss. Mandhana moves on to 40 off 25.
9.1: Shortish ball from Sciver, Raut chips it up, it lands safely; two runs.
9.2: Raut joins the run fest! Now she opens the face of the bat, good shot to the covers for four!
The captain chills with a book, and rightly so. India are going well at 59-0 at the end of 10 overs.
10 overs up, and spin’s been introduced! Danielle Hazell is who England turns to now.
The match is available online, and on telly, depending on where you stay.
11 overs up, India 63-0!
12 overs up, 66-0. Mandhana moves to 43 (31).
A run rate that was once flying at 7.5 has been pulled back to 5.4. England are keeping things quiet.
12.2: In the air, and missed it! That was a dropped chance there for England, bowler Hazell is disappointed, what will be the cost?
End of 13, India 69-0.
Gunn returns. She’s given just 3 in her 1 and a half overs.
In the other game, New Zealand have snagged their first wicket already, 14 overs on, Sri Lanka are 49-1.
14 overs are completed here too, India stand 70-0. Mandhana 45(37), Raut 21(45).
The Indian batters have slowed down after their flyer of a start. But they’re the calmest things on the field here.
15th over, and Hazell will bowl it.
Speak of calm, the kids in the audience are not! Spirited, painted up and full of energy, they’re making no bones of who they’re backing, they’re shouting out their support! Nice to see.
15 overs up, 71-0.
Gunn it is, and Mandhana swings away, for just one.
2.2: Mandhana goes up, chipping, and the ball stays up, and up… And Tammy Beaumont’s made a hash of it! She misjudged the length, and the ball just lands behind her as she falls.
15.5: Well timed, and it’s four, and a fifty for Smriti Mandhana!
45 balls, and gets it with a drive to the fence!
16 up, 79-0!
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All heart. Bad photography. Real bad. Apologies.
Run rate’s down to 4.82.
18 overs up, it’s 86 for no loss.
The drinks come on.
21 overs up, and India’s first 100 comes up!
Mandhana 65, Raut 33.
There’s a bowling change from England now, Alex Hartley comes on to bowl.
21.2: Danielle Wyatt makes a dive to stop what could’ve been a four on the boundary. A cheer from the crowd.
21.3: slower one, with a little width from Hartley, gets carefully batted away by the batter.
22 overs, 108-0. Heather Knight is brought into the attack!
Little fans.
23 overs, 113-0.
Alex Hartley takes the ball again, the second batting powerplay is in effect.
23.1:
23.2: Slogged, and four! Down on a knee, and great stuff from Raut!
24: Mandhana’s at it again! Two back to back four’s for her in the last two balls. The swings and sends the first to the third man boundary, the second through the covers to the fence.
She moves to 88 in 68 balls, India 135-0 in 24 and a half overs.
Nervous nineties!?
Smriti Mandhana moves onto 90 off 71, India 139-0 (26)!
And now Punam Raut gets to her 50!
Taking on Knight for a boundary, she’s reached the milestone in 86 balls.
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Oh dear, oh no, Mandhana’s been caught! Her innings ends on 90, caught in the covers by a delighted Wyatt. Smiles around the English camp and applause from the crowd, Mandhana is out. Captain Mithali Raj is the new batter.
146-1 in 27 overs.
The catchBowler’s delightA memorable innings comes to an end.
The captain is taking her time to settle in. India 149-1 in 29.
29.3: 150 comes up for India! Where can they get from here?
All roads lead somewhere.
Consolidation and acceleration:
41 overs are done, India have crossed 200 and are looking for a big score here.
220-1 in 41.3 overs, Mithali Raj is on 42, Punam Raut is on 85, off 129 balls.
Shots have been scored, all around the ground, running has been tight, but could have been better, catches have gone down twice. The score predicted is near 270, and England are going to try to set a field to stop that.
42.3: AND THEYVE DONE THAT! Danielle Wyatt stationed on the ropes gets a catch right before her from Punam Raut, easy one, and she has to go! Danielle Hazell picks one up, Raut goes for 86, it’s a Nelson, India 222-2.
Harmanpreet Kaur is the new batswomen in. 43 overs, 223-2.
7 overs to go, and two world class batters at the crease. Can India post a score that will really trouble the English batting lineup?
Raj moves on to 44.
43.3: Oh, double misery for England. A misfield in the circle, and it’s a no ball too. Jenny Gunn has to rebowl that one.
The free hit yields just one, keeping it tidy. India 227-2 in 43.5.
Kaur on strike, a careful play to the midwicket region. Two runs to end the over, India 229-2 in 44.
A boundary to Raj this over, and it also brings up her 50! It’s come off 57 balls.
46 overs, India 241-2.
India’s highest score against England ever has been 244. Red letter day, today, eh?
Mithali picks another one for a boundary, and India have crossed their highest previous total against England. 46.3, it’s 246-2.
46.4: A widish ball from Hazell, it slips through behind Kaur and the keeper, and not only is it four runs behind that’s slipped away from England, it’s a wide too. Five wides, in all.
250’s up, it’s a good day! (Weather wise too. It’s still overcast, but there’s been no rain today. Something that marred the Champions Trophy earlier this month.)
It’s 252-2! (47)
47.3: Classic Harmanpreet Kaur. Swings it back and a follows with a powerful hit, straight down the ground, it’s four runs off captain Knight.
Every ball is resounding off the bat, India will want to make the most of the last two overs.
262-2.
48.2: BIIIG SIX BY HARMANPREET! The ball’s tossed up, Hazell’s the bowler, Kaur goes down on a knee and paddles it up and up and the result is a monster six! She moves to 20 off 19 balls.
Raj on 66. Hazell’s made half a century too, but with runs scored against her.
One over to go! India 274 -2.
That’s one way to keep amused, of course.
Last over now.
Knight has the ball.
Raj is picking the ball up, and keeping it there!
First ball, two runs.
49.2: Lofted again, down the grounds for four this time!
49.3: Single. Kaur thinks of going for two, but Raj sends her back in time.
49.4: Tap, fump. Played back to the bowler, dot ball.
50: Mithali lofts it again, and it’s caught. Katherine Brunt takes a good catch ahead of the boundary, Raj (and Kaur) walks off, India have set a score of 281-3.
England will now need 282 in 50 overs to win, the game is on!
And when the dust settles, India emerge as winners.
A strong bowling performance by India held England back to only 246 runs, England losing all their wickets in the chase. They lost early wickets, they took some risks; some worked, others didn’t, all in all, India can credit themselves for four successful run outs of the English batting, and pulling things back, not pushing the panic button when England were looking to break free and score.
Fran Wilson played a lovely knock, and the highest scoring one for England today, looking very dangerous and able to take England over the line at a time when the required rate was pushing past 8 an over. She batted up an 81 off just 75 balls, slogging just about everything she could slog the way. Captain Heather Knight (46) put on a partnership worth 67, bringing down the asking rate to just above 7.
The breakthrough came in the form of a run out, time and time again, in fact.
In the 32nd over, with England starting to look comfortable, Harmanpreet Kaur took the ball. England were pushing hard for a single off everything they could hit, and a direct hit from the bowler to the captain’s end, who was going for a run that was never there, broke the partnership.
Fran Wilson continued on in fine form, notching up her first ODI fifty and sweeping fearlessly to put on partnerships with Wyatt and Brunt, both being broken by Deepti Sharma, catching a ball she bowled, and affecting one of the run outs that won India the game, bowling wise.
Wilson was finally run out at the non striker’s end by Ekta Bisht, just falling short of returning to her crease after a tap-back-to-bowler by the on-strike batter.
Veda Krishnamurthy took a very good catch, a skied ball-six-attempt by Anya Shrubsole to wrap things up for England and hand India a 35 run win in their first World Cup 2017 game.
In the other game, New Zealand won by 9 wickets, chasing down Sri Lanka’s 188 with ease. Holly Huddleston took a fifer, captain Suzy Bates carried her bat through scoring 104, Amy Satterthwaite ending on 78.
2 more games today, and to sum up today, it was short. And it was the bowlers’ day.
The two matches today were South Africa vs West Indies at Oakham and Australia vs Pakistan in Leicester.
At neither venue were a full 100 overs bowled.
Winning the toss and choosing to bat against SA, 19 runs was the highest individual score West Indies could manage. Losing their first wicket with 35 runs on the board, West Indies could never recover. From being 4 wickets down for 60, they lost their next six wickets for only three runs, winding up for 63 in 24 overs. Masabata Klaas picked 4 wickets and affected a run out.
In response, South Africa started decently but then looked to be losing their way in the middle, they lost four quick wickets in the space of 4 overs (and 10 runs). (FoW: 45-1 (12.3), 47-2 (14), 56-3 (16.3), 56-4 (16.5))
Things might have been different if WI had more runs to play with.
As it was today, the result was that South Africa beat West Indies by 6 wickets with 31 overs to spare.
In the other game at Leicester, Australia flipped right and put Pakistan in to field.
Captain Bismah Maroof (39) and opener Nahida (51) scored for Pakistan.
Sarah Aley (4-16) and Jess Jonassen (3-23) picked majority of the wickets to restrict Pakistan to 156 in 46.4 overs.
There were hardly any hiccups for a neat Australia today, as they chased the total down in 23.2 overs. (Meg Lanning 40* (34), Beth Mooney 63 (72)).
Australia beat Pakistan by 8 wickets.
There are no matches tomorrow, this concludes the warm up matches, the real games are all set to begin on 24th, with England facing a much more confident India, and a formidable New Zealand gearing up to play Sri Lanka.
Matches begin 0930 GMT, so whichever part of the world you are in, set your watches, this should be a cracker of a tournament.
Let the games begin!
A short note: All matches will be streamed. Woo hoo.
Trans-Tasman fans, mark 2nd July on your calendars.
The same date goes for anyone looking for The Subcontinent clash (particularly in light of the Champions Trophy finals): India vs Pakistan.
The World Cup is just three days away, and are fortunes swinging already. Keep your money in your pocket, sir, there’s no obvious winner here!
Today’s warm up fixtures are include India taking on Sri Lanka at Chesterfield and New Zealand facing England in Derby.
India have bounced back nicely from their complete defeat to New Zealand, taking the opportunity to test the wicket and test their batting, putting up 275-8 in their 50. (Sri Lanka are yet to bat.)
Captain Mithali Raj top scored with a fluent 85, Poonam Raut scored 69 along with opener Smriti Mandhana (44) to put on an opening partnership of 92 runs.
In the other warm up, New Zealand have been skittles out for 130 by England. Laura Marsh was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets and giving 7 runs in just 4 overs that she bowled. Gunn, Shrubsole and Hartley picked 2 apiece.
New Zealand lost opener Priest in just the 2nd over (6-1) and never were able to recover from that. England cruising for a victory here, 51-1 in 11 overs, needing 80 to win in 38 overs.
On a side note, I am in shock. I did not know Charlotte Edwards retired. When did this happen!? Heather Knight is now captain.
While we wait for the innings break to end at Chesterfield, here’s some thing to occupy y’all.
When you say ‘Purple patch’, it hardly gets better than this.
And we’re back. Shikha Pandey takes the ball. First over. Tidy. Just 2 from it. Nipuni Hansika and Hasini Perera open for Sri Lanka here.
England still need 63 runs from 34 overs.
Aside: I found BCCI women’s Twitter! https://mobile.twitter.com/BCCIWomen
I’ll do my share of sharing. Here’s me setting off to find all the femme cricket accounts. The official ones, of course.
Nat Sciver goes! She’s caught on 38, b Lea Tahuhu c Katie Perkins. England 110-2, needing 21 off 27 overs.
Early wicket falls for Sri Lanka, just 2 and a half overs in, SL lose Nipunika for 3, it’s 6-1.
(a while later): 11 overs done and dusted, SL 24-1. Need 252 from 39.
Eng vs NZ: Danielle Wyatt goes for a duck! It’s Leigh Kasperek with the ball, Perkins takes another catch, 23 overs up, it’s 115-3. 15 to go, 26.3 overs left.
One’s done. A half century comes up for Tammy Beaumont and England have reached their target. Beaumont remains not out on 51. England 123-3 beat New Zealand by 7 wickets.
India making inroads in the other game. 28 overs gone, Sri Lanka 90-3.
Scorecard so far. (Courtesy icc-cricket.com
Three-fifths of this innings are done!
30 overs up, SL 97-3. Need 179 to win from 20 overs. Gettable? Or will India prove their bowling might?
Over 31 and 100’s up for SL! 176 needed off 19 overs.
33 overs done, and a 50 runs partnership has been put on for the 3rd wicket. SL’s highest so far. 111-3 after 33.
SL’s current Run Rate is 3.4, the required rate is creeping close to 10 an over. (9.93). 159 needed off 16 overs.
SL now need 151 in 14 overs.
Okay, as is promised. A quick Google search, and here’s all the official team Twitters I can provide.
The rest can be found on their Board’s handles, and are people coming out to support their teams!
13 overs to go, victory 148 runs/ 7 wickets away!
39th over: Weerakodi (39) goes, Shikha Pandey bowls her through and breaks the partnership, 135-4.
136-4. 11 overs to go, 140 needed.
SL 144-4. Almost Nelson, eh? 9 overs to go, 132-4.
And it’s broken! Siriwardena goes, and Ekta Bisht is the cause! 8.5 to go, SL 144-5!
150 comes up and another one goes. SL 152-6, 7.4 overs to go.
6 overs, 123 runs remain to be scored.
120 needed off 5 overs, India warming up clinically.
Oh, dear, Dilani Mandora has got herself out on 49! lbw Rajeshwari Gayekwad, the 7th wicket’s down, it’s 158-7!
162-7, 3 overs to go, the run deficit is 114.
2 more wickets have fallen, an over and a half to go, 165-9.
Wel, that’s the game! 1.2 overs left, but Sri Lanka have lost their last wicket, Mahadevi has been run out, and out of this match.
SL 166 all out.
Good batting, good bowling, India completely outplayed Sri Lanka today. Very decent practice for the women in blue, And that’s it from me for today! Adios!
Kia ora! Only just a few days to go for the Women’s World Cup!
The warm ups are already underway, one that’s going on right now is the India wn vs the White Ferns (or the New Zealand wn).
India called right, batted first, and put up 130 in 45 overs, Poonam Raut high scoring with a 33, Mona Meshram the next highest with 30, eventually running out of partners at the other end.
Clinical bowling from New Zealand, they kept picking wickets at regular intervals, never really letting India accelerate. Hannah Rowe, Bermingham and Peterson picking 2 apiece. With a required Run Rate of 2.89 RPO, the kiwis look to chase this down.
I’m not going to talk about the Champions Trophy. I went in supporting 2 teams, and watched them both crash out embarrassingly.
When your campaign goes shit, eyeball it.
Now, the unrelated stuff.
Everyone loves a good GIF. The lovely spams, the trash that fills your phone memory and 25 SD cards, that’s all over the goddamned Internet, that my friend can’t send me enough of, that now there’s a whole page of on my Whatsapp keyboard.
Lovely things.
So I asked my sister if she remembers a time when GIFs used to be Nokia wallpapers.
Well, she blanked out. No was her answer. But let me hear from y’all, do you remember the moving Nokia wallpapers? The ones with the blue and purple planets, and the red streaks (not a Flash reference) and a really annoying bright green one called Juniper? (No, wait, I can swear Juniper was a .png…)
What else do you remember about the non-touch screen phone times? Tell me about it!
(NO, at seventeen, I am not old or nostalgic, just curious!)
PS: In reply, so far (12 overs) New Zealand are 56-0, and going strong.
PSS: New Zealand chased the target down, Sophie Devine finishing with a six as New Zealand won by 7 wickets and with 23 overs to spare.
Half an hour or so of the 2nd CT 17 semifinal in pictures.
India vs Bangladesh, semi final 2 of the Champions trophy at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, where India, having won the toss are bowling first, and after cracking part of the top order of taking 2 wickets, are wicketless for about 20 overs hence. Bangladesh have put on a 100-run partnership for the 3rd wicket, (currently reached 150-2 in 26.2 overs, both Iqbal and Mushfiqur have crossed 50s).
That’s that from the cricket part.
In the stands, an enthusiastic Bangladesh fan, all done up from head to toe in the yellow and black tiger colours, painted, is dancing around and pumping fellow fans up with chants of “Bangladesh!”.
An Indian supported seated nearby is looking at him with a look that says, “That’s cute,”.
More to come!
OOOOH, IS THAT THE BREAKTHROUGH, IS IT HERE!?
28th over, just the last ball, and Kedar Jadhav, just introduced this over, has taken the wicket! Tamim Iqbal goes, bowled through his stumps, scoring 70 off 82. Bangladesh 154-3!
Shakib Al Hasan is the new batsman in. He was the of Bangladesh’s great upset of New Zealand along with Mahmadullah, both of them scoring a century apiece to take Bangladesh home in a comfortable chase after being down 33-3 to New Zealand’s Southee and Boult, what can show us today?
31 overs, Bangladesh 164-3!
Fans in action.Shots going around.The match in pictures.
Ov 34: Not this time! Jadeja sneaks one last Shakib, and he gets some bat on it, simple catch behind the stumps for Dhoni, and Shakib has to go!
Fans rejoiceAnd the man himself.Not this time.
35.3: Bangladesh losing their once-tight grip. They’ve lost set batsman Mushfiqur! It’s now gonna be 2 new batsmen at the crease, in the 36th over too, when Bangladesh would have been looking to start accelerating towards a possible 300+ score. Stats at this ground favour the team batting first. Will exceptions defy the rule?
The victorious catcher.
And the victorious bowler.
Brothers in Arms
Kumble dances.
The catch.
The catch.
That is disappointment.
Back again, much later in the game.
India batting to chase down 264 set in 50 overs by Bangladesh, losing 7 wickets in the process.
India doing the job with the bat.Class on and off the pitch. (Or is it absurdity?)
Fans in action.
Scores thus far.
Rohit nearing the nervous nineties… Will he get to a century?
Not only in response to the fact that summer is finally over and I reached school drenched, but because matches are soo dull without some right old rain to perk everyone up! Keeps us on our toes. Healthy stuff.
Change room glasses are frosting
With bated breathing
As the pleas of many
The rain ain’t heeding
Drama and suspense:
The rain’s succeeding
With minutes turning to hours
Overs are bleeding
Stick to your phones, ma’am,
Twenty minutes it’s exceeding
Boredom reigns
But the clouds still rain
Spectators’ money gone down the drain?
But oh, look there! Under the plastic sheets
Around that lower stand;
There seems to be some meet
Fans, join hands! And the drinks will flow
We’re here for the fun, and we’ll wait it if we have to
But will the wait be exceptionally draining
As we stand under umbrellas till it stops raining?
No sir, we will not, if that’s what you think
You’ve clearly never seen fans at stadiums do their thing!
MattWilliamsonLive 