Nov

Women's World Cup Qualifying: Final Day Roundup

Ireland fell again to the Bangladeshi spinners, and so finish sixth out of ten in the Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Salma Khatun won the toss for the host nation and decided to bat. Her openers rewarded her with a century partnership, Sharma Akhter Supta being run out by Jill Whelan for 52 off the last ball of the 30th over. Over the next ten overs Ireland got themselves back into match, Whelan bowling Suktara Rahaman for 53, and Laura Cullen, in for Laura Delany, having Farjan Hoque caught behind by Mary Waldron then bowling the captain. But Lata Mondal and Rumana Ahmed took the game away again, putting on 61 in nine overs. In the final over, bowled by Whelan, Lata Mondal was stumped for 27, Shathira Jakir caught and bowled and Panna Ghosh run out (by Whelan). Rumana Ahmed was 36* out of 210-7. Eimear Richardson (0/32) and Elena Tice (0/41) each completed ten overs. Laura Cullen took 2/34 off nine, Jill Whelan 3/31 off 8 and Louise McCarthy 0/29 off 7.

Ireland made a promising start, Cecilia Joyce back as opener with Melissa Scott-Hayward. The pair added 41 in 13 overs before Scott-Hayward was caught off Salma Khatun for 11. Jill Whelan was run out for 3, Clare Shillington bowled for 7, but Ireland reached 79-3 in the 24th over when the wheels fell off. Richardson was run out for 11, Isobel Joyce run out next ball without facing, Kim Garth bowled by Khadiza Tul Kubra for 1 and Louise McCarthy stumped for a duck to leave them 87-7 in the 28th over. Cecilia Joyce was bowled by leg break bowler Rumana Ahmed for 42 in the 32nd over, when Laura Cullen joined keeper Waldron for a defiant eleven over stand of 23 before Cullen was bowled by off spinner Salma Khatun for 9. Elena Tice kept Waldron company for three more overs and a dozen more runs, but became the fourth run out victim, Ireland all out for 128 in 45.4 overs, Mary Waldron 25*. Salma Khatun took 3/34 off her ten, Player of the Match Rumana Ahmed 2/10 off 10 and Khadiza Tul Kubra 1/16 off 7.

The competition was won by West Indies, who outplayed Pakistan in the final. Merissa Aguilleira won the toss, opted to bat, and watched Stafanie Taylor score 32 out of 45, when she was bowled by Asmavia Iqbal in the tenth over. Shanel Daley scored 20 of the next 31 runs in ten overs before she was caught and bowled by Bismah Maroof. Juliana Nero completed her fifty and was third out for 63 out of 135 in the 37th over. The skipper didn't last long, run out for 5, allowing in Stacy-Ann King (27 off 28 balls) to put on 94 in less than ten overs with Deandra Dottin (95 off 83 balls, with five fours and seven sixes). The Windies closed on 250-5, Bismah Maroof taking 2/32 from nine overs, Asmavia 1/36 from 8 and Sana Mir 0/39 from her ten.

Daley had Nida Dar lbw in the fifth over, but the Pakistanis worked themselves into a useful position, reaching 65-1 in the 14th over. Marina Iqbal was caught off Taylor for 16, then off spinner Anisa Mohammed got her first wicket, Bismah Maroof lbw. Taylor had Javeria Khan stumped by Aguilleira, then Qanita Jalil was caught off Mohammed for 53, and Pakistan were 81-5 in the 21st over. Nain Abidi (20) and Sana Mir (17) resisted for a dozen overs, but Mohammed took the last five wickets in her seventh, eighth and ninth over to finish with a Magnificent Seven for 14 as Pakistan were bowled out for 120 in 37.3 overs. Taylor took 2/19 and the Player of the Match award, and Daley 1/13.

The third place play-off between South Africa and Sri Lanka went right down to wire. South Africa won the toss and decided to set a score. Trisha Chetty was bowled by Weerakkody in the fifth over, then Dane van Niekerk scored 27 in 23 balls before being caught behind off Kaushalya in the 13th over. Cri-zella Brits joined Shandre Fritz, and the pair got South Africa to 92-2 after 21 overs, a great launch pad from which to get to a 250 total. But Brits was run out for 14, skipper Mignon du Preez caught off de Alwis for 4, Kapp caught off Ravikumar and Kirstie Thomson caught off de Alwis to leave the Proteas on 104-6. Sunette Loubser stopped the rot, adding 53 in 13 overs with Fritz, but was lbw to Dolawatte for 24 in the 41st over, then Fritz was caught in Dolawatte's next over for 68, Akhona Nyiki lbw second ball, and the Saffies were 158-9 in the 43rd over. Shabnim Ismail struck three sixes in a 37 ball 31, caught off the final ball of the 50th over. South Africa finished on 192, a decent total but not out of sight. Dolawatte took 3/23 in four overs, de Alwis 2/33 in her ten, Siriwardene 1/28 in nine and Ravikumar 1/25 in seven.

Jayangane and Mendis put on 116 for the first wicket, and when Mendis was caught off Nyiki for 47, Sri Lanka needed only 77 more runs in 22.4 overs. But Jayangani was caught off Marizanne Kapp for 60, Nyiki trapped de Alwis lbw for 5, Kapp had Siriwardene lbw for 5, skipper Surangika was caught off Loubser for 3, and Sri Lanka were 143-5 needing 50 more runs in 14.3 overs. Kaushalya and Dolawatte got them most of the way there, but Kaushalya was stumped for 25 with eight still needed, Weerakkody caught four runs later, and victory achieved by three wickets with two balls to spare, Player of the Match Dolwatte unbeaten on 29. Loubser took 1/25 in 10, Kapp 2/32 in 10, Nyiki 2/32 in 9 and Ismail 1/29 in 7.

South Africa, having won Group A with four straight wins, finished with two defeats and fourth place.

In the 7th/8th place play-off, Netherlands were far too strong for USA. American skipper Doris Francis and asked the Dutch to set a score. They duly obliged, running up 293-7 in 50 overs. The top five filled their boots, Miranda Verigmeier with 48, Denise Hannema with 39, skipper Helmien Rambaldo with 53, Kerry-Anne Tomlinson with a 65 ball 73 (eight fours, two sixes) and Esther Lanser with a 29 ball 34. Only Arora (0/40 off 10) of the American bowlers went for less than fives. Erica Rendler and Nadia Gruny ground out an opening partnership of 61, Gruny being caught behind off Tomlinson for 6 (off 74 balls) in the 24th over.

Tomlinson had both Ramautar and Shebani Bhaskar first ball for a hat-trick, then Francis belted four fours in a 9 ball 17 before the game went back to snooze mode. Ritu Bhargava was bowled by Lanser for a duck, Rendler was run out for 36 and Delkash Shahriarian caught off Leonie Bennett to make it 87-7 in the 31st over. Trinholder Marshall (36*) and Anahita Arora (32) put on 72 before Arora was bowled by Tomlinson in the 47th over. USA closed on 167-8. Tomlinson took 4/42 and the Player of the Match award. Laura Brouwers bowled her ten overs for ten runs, Lanser took 1/22 in her ten and Bennett 1/24 in 7.

Cheers,

Stu.