Harmanpreet sinks New Zealand
NEWDELHI: Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur gave the Women’s World T20 an electrifying start on Friday, smashing 103 off 51 balls to power India to a 34-run win over New Zealand in Group B at Providence, Guyana.
The 29-year-old took off from where she had left in last year’s 50-over World Cup, when her unbeaten 171 sank Australia in the semi-final. This time, India were desperate after early setbacks and their power-hitter delivered in style.
The 29-year-old elected to bat but saw India down to 22 for two in the fourth over and then 40/3 . But the all-rounder found an ally in Jemima Rodrigues (59) and the pair tore into an increasingly clueless bowling attack.
India bowlers then restricted New Zealand to 160/9. Opener Suzie Bates (67 - 50b) was solid, but spinners D Hemalatha and Poonam Yadav took three wickets each and their rivals caved in under pressure.
POWER PLAY
Harmanpreet smashed eight sixes and seven fours as she dominated a 134-run fourth-wicket stand off 76 balls, Jemima scoring 59 (45 b, 7x4).
The skipper underlined her status as a leading all-rounder in the game and her awesome hitting lit up the game.
Sixes flew over midwicket and long-off from Harmanpreet’s bat as New Zealand skipper Amy Satterthwaite, teenage spinner Amelia Kerr and Jess Watkin were all punished. She went from 85 to 97 with two sixes before completing her maiden T20 international century in the final over.
Harmanpreet was caught nicking a wide ball with one delivery left in the innings, but New Zealand were downcast by then.
Jemima played a solid hand, rotating the strike and hitting all around the wicket. She was eventually stumped off Watkin in the penultimate over.
The pair transformed the mood in the dugout after openers Taniya Bhatia (9) and Smriti Mandhana (2) fell cheaply to experienced seamer Lea Tahuhu, reducing last year’s 50-over finalists to 22 for two in the fourth over. Hemalatha (15) followed, making it 41/3.
Harmanpreet and Jemima rebuilt the innings. Jemima attacked while the skipper initially was content to rotate the strike. Amelia Kerr fed a few full tosses and Jemima drove through extra-cover for four, taking care not to hit it in the air.
The skipper soon got into the groove.from 76/3 after 10 overs, India were unstoppable. She received attention for cramp, but showed no discomfort after that. Brief scores: India 194/5 in 20 overs (J Rodrigues 59, H Kaur 103; L Tahuhu 2/18) bt New Zealand 160/9 in 20 overs (S Bates 52, D Hemalatha 3/26, P Yadav 3/33) by 34 runs.