ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – England, South Africa and India qualify for finals, but which of Australia and New Zealand will join them?

The impending Australia versus New Zealand clash is set to decide which of these two Group A teams makes the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup play-offs, and which team misses out.

 

No doubt it would be a huge blow to the tournament organisers as well as the hosts themselves, should the White Ferns upstage their Trans-Tasman rival.

 

By the same token, India and England and South Africa would be thrilled to see the Australians exit the tournament.

 

We’ll soon find out if that happens.

 

Meanwhile, England and South Africa have sewn up the top two spots in Group B while India has secured top spot in Group A with four wins from as many contests.

 

Here we take a look at the six most recent contests.

 

The South Africa versus Thailand match was predictably one-sided, with the Proteas amassing 3-195 before Thailand was dismissed for 82 with five balls to spare.

 

South African opener Lizelle Lee led the way with 101 off 60 balls while Sune Luus made 61 not out from 41 balls. Luus followed up with three wickets, while Shabnim Ismail also bagged three scalps.

 

Thailand’s best performer was Onnicha Kamchomphu with 26 off 21 balls, after Ratanaporn Padunglerd had economical figures of 1-19 from three overs.

 

England’s comfortable 42-run win over Pakistan may not have eventuated had Heather Knight not been reprieved four times.

 

England’s captain made the Pakistanis pay as she scored 62 off 47 balls, while Natalie Sciver also made an impact with 36 off 29.

 

Aiman Anwar took 3-30 for Pakistan, but England’s total of 7-158 looked imposing enough.

 

Pakistan lost regular wickets and could not keep up with the required run rate, although Aliya Riaz’s 41 off 33 balls added some respectability to the total.

 

England duo Anya Shrubsole and Sarah Glenn claimed three wickets each, while Sophie Ecclestone and Katherine Brunt nabbed two apiece.

 

The New Zealand versus Bangladesh battle was unusual in that the bowlers dominated in both innings, with both teams dismissed for a total below 100. Who said cricket was worse off when runs were at a premium? Not me, says the author of this article.

 

Four Kiwi Ferns made double figures but opener Rachel Priest, who scored 25, was the only one to score more than 15.

 

Bangladesh duo Mst Ritu Moni (4-18 off four overs) and Salma Khatun (3-7 off 2.2 overs) had brilliant figures, as New Zealand lost its last eight wickets for 25 runs to be all out for 91 in the 19th over.

 

Bangladesh’s batters fared worse as just three of them reached double figures, with Nigar Sultana Joty (21) the only one to pass 11.

 

Two run-outs hurt the Bangladeshis as the score fell from 2-31 to 4-37, before slumping to 9-59. The last pair added 15 runs, before the final wicket fell with the penultimate ball of the last over.

 

Hayley Jensen and Leigh Kasperek took three wickets each, while Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine were economical while also taking one wicket apiece.

 

Sri Lanka struggled to 9-113 in its 20 overs before the Indians raced past the target in just the 15th over for the loss of three wickets.

 

Sri Lankan opener Chamari Atapattu was again dismissed when well set, this time with 33 runs off 24 balls to leave her team 3-48 in the ninth over.

 

Were it not for Kaveesha Dilhari’s unbeaten 25 from 16 balls, Sri Lanka would surely have made less than 100, as she arrived at 7-80 before the next two wickets fell at 104.

 

Radha Yadav (4-23) and Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2-18) were India’s best bowlers, showing that the team didn’t have to rely too strongly on wondrous leg-spinner Poonam Yadav, who had respectable but not brilliant figures of 1-20.

 

Teenage star Shafali Verma gave India another flying start, hitting seven fours and a six in her 47 from 34 balls. When she was run out, India was 3-88 in the 11th over and on the path to an easy win.

 

Sri Lanka’s Udeshika Prabodhani escaped the carnage as she had 1-13 from her four overs, while four of her team-mates conceded more than 10 runs per over.

 

Check out the post-match press conference here.

 

The Proteas overcame a shaky start to post 6-136, before containing Pakistan to 5-119. South Africa was 2-17 following the loss of the openers, and Pakistan would have been happy with the score of 3-54 at the halfway stage of the innings.

 

Marizanne Kapp scored 31 at a run per ball before her departure made the score 4-64. But a lively 53 not out from Laura Wolvaardt, who faced just 36 balls, gave the Proteas a much needed boost.

 

Pakistan struggled at 3-26 in the seventh over before the loss of the fifth wicket left the team needing 65 runs off the final 33 balls.

 

Aliya Riaz made 39 not out off 32 balls while Iram Javed faced 18 balls for her unbeaten 17, but they never looked like posing a serious threat.

 

The occasional boundary was struck during the run chase, but otherwise the Pakistanis pushed too many singles when more twos and boundaries were needed.

 

Check here to watch highlights of the South Africa versus Pakistan match.

 

With England’s openers having struggled lately, Tammy Beaumont was promoted to open with Danni Wyatt. But the move backfired as Beaumont was out for a second-ball duck in the first over against the West Indies. Check England’s lead-up for this contest here.

 

Wyatt showed something of a return to form as she made 29 off 27 balls, while Sciver continued her great tournament with 57 off 56.

 

Having been relegated to number six, Amy Jones struck 23 not out off 13 balls while Brunt’s unbeaten 10 off four balls included fours from the last two deliveries of the innings.

 

Needing 144 runs to keep their tournament hopes alive, the West Indians were on the back foot thanks to disciplined bowling and fielding from England.

 

After the first wicket fell with 12 runs on the board, the next three fell with the total at 42, while the biggest blow came as West Indies captain Stefanie Taylor sustained a groin injury and was removed from the arena on a stretcher.

 

Leann Kirby top-scored with 20 as the West Indians were rolled for 97 with 17 balls to spare. The total would have been even less were it not for a couple of dropped catches, one of which went for six.

 

It was another example of the below-par standard of catching that has been a little too prevalent in the tournament, although credit must be given to England off-spinner Mady Villiers who held a brilliant return catch. Check it out here.

 

Left-arm orthodox spinner Ecclestone claimed 3-7 from 3.1 overs while leg-spinner Glenn snared 2-16.

 

 

 

 

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About Liam Hauser

A Queenslander through and through, Liam went out of his comfort zone as he had a thoroughly worthwhile time in Tumut and Gundagai from 2008 to 2016 before enjoying a year in Gunnedah. His strongest sporting interests are State of Origin, Sheffield Shield, Test cricket and the NRL. His sporting CV doesn’t have many highlights, although he once top-scored in a warehouse cricket match with 54 not out at number 10, and shared in an unbroken last wicket stand of 83 with the number 11 who scored an undefeated 52. Liam has written books including State of Origin 40 Years, A Century of Cricket Tests, A History of Test Cricket, The Immortals of Australian Cricket, The Immortals of Australian Rugby League, and The Great Grand Finals: Rugby League's Greatest Contests. Also a huge fan of Electric Light Orchestra.

Comments

  1. Ian Hauser says

    Yes, it’s all set up for a great game this afternoon. I see that the bookies have Australia as strong favourites and, on paper, I suppose that’s probably fair enough. But with Perry under an injury cloud and cricket being a funny game, who knows? I, for one, won’t be in the least surprised if the Ferns spring an upset but you’d have to favour the Aussies. As you point out, Liam, poor catching has cost several teams dearly in recent games, so let’s hope it’s not a factor today. Instead, bring on a fine afternoon and an enthralling clash!

  2. Steve Frances says

    Liam, not relevant to cricket, but I heard ELO “Living thing’ played on 612 last night, I thought of your profile. BTW, please advise when your next book is released.

  3. citrus bob says

    Australia through but only just. At least they played Wakeham and Sutherland. As predicted the gir from the bush Georgie bamboozled the batsman, ably assisted by keeper Healy. Just wish they would give Sutherland a chance with bat and/or ball.
    Lanning still has not clicked and Healy must temper her shot making. The semis will be great matches and it will be the likes of Wareham and Yadav who will have a big say.
    Keep it up Liam – great stuff.
    Lovely to see such a good crowd at St.Kilda today. Very nostalgic ground for many of us.

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