Smriti sparkles, India top group
Opener scores 83 to set up a 48run win over Australia in a battle between two already qualified teams
NEW DELHI: Young opener Smriti Mandhana struck a brilliant 55-ball 83 as India upstaged Australia by 48 runs top top Group B in the Women’s World T20 game at Providence, Guyana on Saturday.
India notched up their highest total against Australia in the shortest format by scoring 167/8 before their spinners took over Radha Yadav, Deepti Sharma and Anuja Patil (off-spinner) doing most of the damage, in what could be a prelude to the final if the teams win their respective semifinals.
India won by 48 runs after the Australia innings at 119/9. Alyssa Healy, who got a knock on her head following a collision while keeping, did not come in to bat.
Left-handed Mandhana’s 31-ball half-century (83 –55b, 9x4, 3x6) and Harmanpreet Kaur’s typically explosive 43 (27b, 3x4, 3x6) and their 68-run thirdwicket partnership lifted India.
Though both teams had qualified for the semi-final with three wins each, there was no dearth of intensity. Australia held a 11-3 head-to-head advantage over India going into the game, but the teams have built a strong rivalry.
India were without Mithali Raj, nursing a knee injury, and Anuja Patil came in. Taniya Bhatia, opening in her place, fell for two runs and though Jemimah Rodrigues raised 44 runs with Mandhana, she was out for six. However, Mandhana and Harmanpreet provided the innings momentum.
Aussie seamer Delissa Kimmince provided two breakthroughs, including Harmanpreet, who top-edged to be caught. Mandhana fell in the 19th over, caught by Ellyse Perry off seamer Megan Schutt.
However, Australia suffered a scare in that over when Schutt collided with Alyssa Healy going for a catch on her follow through. The wicketkeeper, in top form after scoring two fifties, didn’t bat, in keeping with Australia’s concussion
Anya Shrubsole (Eng) protocol.
Ellyse Perry, the first Aussie to play 100 T20s, took 3/16.
Brief Scores: India 167/8 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 83, Harmanpreet Kaur 43, Delissa Kimmince 2/42, Ellyse Perry 3/16, Ashleigh Gardner 2/25) beat Australia 119/9 in 19.4 overs (E Perry 39no, Anuja Patil 3/15, Deepti Sharma 2/24, Radha Yadav 2/13, Poonam Yadav 2/28).
WI, ENGLAND IN SEMIS
Anya Shrubsole took a hattrick as England thrashed South Africa by seven wickets in Saint Lucia to enter the semi-finals.
Hosts and reigning T20 champions West Indies also entered the last four with an 83-run win over Sri Lanka. Opting to bat, the Windies rode opener Hayley Matthews’ 62 and quickfire knocks from Deandra Dottin (49) and skipper Stafanie Taylor (41) to post 187/5. In reply, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 104 in 17.4 overs.
Brief Scores: South Africa 85 in 19.3 overs (Chloe Tryon 27; Natalie Sciver 3-4, Anya Shrubsole 3-11) lost to England 87/3 in 14.1 overs (Danielle Wyatt 27) by seven wickets.
Brief Scores: Windies 187/5 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 62) bt Sri Lanka 104 in 17.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 44; Hayley Matthews 3-16) by 83 runs.
South Africa