Ireland had another disappointing day in Bangladesh in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 World Cup. Isobel Joyce, leading an unchanged team, won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan. Clare Shillington was caught for a duck in the first over, but Cecilia Joyce and Jill Whelan took the score to 47 in the thirteenth over, when Joyce was caught off Sadia Yousuf for 19. Wickets then fell regularly to Sadia Yousuf (4/19) and Nida Dar (2/28), Whelan making 35, Isobel Joyce 23 and Eimear Richardson 15 as Ireland slumped to 114-8 in the 33rd over.
Keeper Mary Waldron battled for ten overs for 6 until Bismah Maroof (3/22) took the last two wickets, Ireland all out for 140 in the 45th over, Laura Delany unbeaten on 16. Ireland needed an early breakthrough, but didn't get it: instead, Qanita Jalil and Sana Mir put on 50 inside ten overs. Then Jill Whelan dismissed Qanita Jalil for 28, but Javeria Khan helped her skipper take the score to 85 in the 21st over, when Sana Mir nicked Elena Tice to keeper Waldron for 34. Pakistan needed only twelve more overs to get home, Javeria Khan unbeaten on 41 and Bismah Maroof 22*.
In the other match in Group B, Japan were blown away by Bangladesh. Japan elected to bat, and put on 21 for the first wicket, but when Yamamoto was lbw to Salma Khatun for 12 in the twelfth over it was a prelude to collapse. Salma Khatun (9-6-5-5) and Suktara Rahaman (7.3-0-9-5) worked their way through the Japanese side to bowl them out for 38 in 28.3 overs. Bangladesh needed only 4.4 overs (and ten wides) to reach 39 without loss, Ayesha Akhter 13* and Suktara Rahaman 16*.
The matches in Group A were equally one-sided. Netherlands lost three early wickets to the Sri Lankan opening bowlers (Prabodhani 7-3-6-2), and after a long, slow rally led by Kerry Anne Tomlinson, lost Lanser lbw for 10. Tomlinson (15) and Hannema (12) were each run out, and 55-4 became 61 all out in 41.3 overs. de Alwis took 2/10 in 9 overs and Ravikumar 2/8 in 5.3 overs. Sri Lankan openers Jayagani and Mendis put on 46 before Mendis was bowled in the 9th over for 26. Kaushala went for a single and Jayagani was stumped for 20 with the scores level before Sri Lanka won by three wickets in 14.2 overs.
There was another double century opening partnership as South Africa won the toss and batted against the USA. With the score on 200, Chetty fell five runs short of her ton in the 34th over, and three runs later Fritz departed seven shy of three figures. Brits (43), du Preez (40), van der Westhuizen (30*) and van Niekerk (19) filled their boots as the Proteas reached 343-5 in their 50 overs.
Dane van Niekerk (3/29) took three early wickets as the USA were reduced to 41-4 in the 16th over. Alexander-Serrano (29) and Das (23) put on 58 for the fifth wicket, when four wickets fell for ten runs, one of them to skipper Mignon du Preez, who took off the pads to have Alexander-Serrano caught. USA number 8, Erica Rendler, ground it out for 26* as the Americans made 145-9 in their 50 overs. Loubser took 2/33 in her ten overs, and du Preez finished with a very respectable 8-3-13-2.
Wednesday is a rest day, and on Thursday Ireland meet Japan. Should Ireland win comfortably, while West Indies thump Pakistan, then a victory over Bangladesh could be enough to keep Ireland in the mix. In Group A on Thursday, USA meet Netherlands and Zimbabwe take on Sri Lanka.
Cheers,
Stu.
www.studaultrey.com
