Australia’s women staged a dramatic comeback to go one better than the men after holding their nerve in a low-scoring final in Barbados. New Zealand deserved to be confident after restricting Australia to 106 for 8, but they could not deal with the suffocating pressure and fell four runs short to suffer their third loss in a row in a global final.

Alex Blackwell’s side captured the early wickets they desperately needed and when Ellyse Perry struck twice in two overs New Zealand were a horrible 29 for 4. Perry, the fast bowler, added another late in the game and delivered a cool final over, allowing 10 when 14 were required. She finished with a highly impressive 3 for 18 and the player of the match prize, while the result ended Australia’s six-match losing streak to Aimee Watkins’ team in this format.

Australia added the trophy to their five global 50-over prizes and succeeded in front of the men’s squad, which was beaten by England earlier in the afternoon. Michael Clarke, David Warner and Mitchell Johnson were among those to stay and watch the women, and the performance helped lift the mood of the green-and-gold supporters.

Suzie Bates pulled the first ball of the chase for two and launched a six over long-on in an effort to settle the nerves, but Watkins was an early casualty. She fell to a superb leaping catch from Alex Blackwell after pulling to midwicket and Blackwell was also responsible for running out the powerful Sara McGlashan for 1.

Australia started to believe when Bates (18) tried to hoick Perry down the ground and was caught by Sarah Elliott running around from mid-off. Perry followed up by knocking out Amy Satterthwaite’s off stump and Australia were suddenly the ones firmly on top.

The spin of Shelley Nitschke (1 for 10 off four) and Lisa Sthalekar (0 for 19) added to the problems and at the half-way stage of the pursuit the batsmen were struggling to score at three an over. There was briefly an even greater concern for New Zealand when Rachel Priest was given out stumped, but the third umpire Asad Rauf had pressed the wrong button and “not out” quickly re-appeared on the big screen. Priest’s reprieve was short-lived and she departed after hitting out at Nitschke and an easy catch ballooned to Blackwell.

Sophie Devine, who was unbeaten on 38 off 35, held firm and gained a helpful partner in Nicola Browne as they kept New Zealand in with a chance. However, even they were limited once they got settled and struggled to find the boundary or rotate the strike.

Browne (20) became Perry’s third wicket with an edge behind while Devine hoped for some late intervention. Devine hit a four and a six off Rene Farrell’s penultimate over to leave them wanting 14 from the last six balls.

Perry grabbed the ball and gave up a single off the first one before Devine got four consecutive twos. Devine required five off the last offering to win and she struck strongly straight but Perry, a talented footballer, stuck out her boot to deflect the ball to mid-on and New Zealand finished on 103 for 6. The Australians screamed in their huddle and their male counterparts applauded proudly.

It was a sad end to the event for New Zealand, who lost the 50-over World Cup and World Twenty20 finals last year. From the moment Browne gained two wickets in her opening spell, leaving Australia 20 for 3, New Zealand seemed destined for victory. Browne starred while taking 2 for 11 in four consecutive overs as she enjoyed the extra pace on offer while Devine collected 2 for 21.

Brown forced the opener Elyse Villani (6) to miscue a drive to cover for her first breakthrough. Another key wicket came with Blackwell’s exit for 0 after she cut a rising ball to Devine, who took a sharp catch in the gully.

Not only did New Zealand’s attack keep taking wickets, but they also restricted the runs, just as Australia’s bowers did when it was their turn. The situation was so bad that Australia actually did well to reach three figures and a match-winning score. Sarah Elliott, who was unbeaten on 19, and Sthalekar (18 off 13) provided the much-needed boost at the end of the innings with a crucial stand of 27.

Leah Poulton, the No.3, tried to rebuild initially, putting on 30 with Jess Cameron, but the batsmen could not escape and found only four boundaries. In the reply New Zealand managed two fours and two sixes.

Poulton went to a catch at cover off Devine for 20 off 28 balls, while Cameron was bowled by Kate Broadmore’s opening effort for 14 off 24. That dismissal left them at 51 for 5 and there were further problems when Alyssa Healy (10) was run-out chasing a two after McGlashan had dropped her at square leg.

The innings ended with a stunning one-handed catch by Watkins, who leapt high at cover to remove Farrell and stop a boundary. New Zealand had all the momentum at that point and Australia were left seeking a miracle in the field. They delivered it in wonderful style to end a mixed afternoon for their country on a high.

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

New Zealand will resume their long-term rivalry with Australia in Sunday’s Women’s World Twenty20 final after Sara McGlashan’s stunning half-century earned a 56-run win over West Indies. McGlashan crunched a magnificent 84 from 55 balls as New Zealand raced to 180 for 5 and the bowlers backed up by restricting their opponents to 124 for 8.

Australia beat India by seven wickets on Thursday to reach the decider for the first time, but New Zealand will start as favourites following their dominant form in the format. They have also beaten Australia six times in a row and are the only team Alex Blackwell’s side fears in Twenty20.

McGlashan showed why during her powerful performance and she gained excellent help from Sophie Devine as they delivered the highest score of the tournament. After being 49 for 2, McGlashan and Devine put on a speedy 93 at almost 11 an over to eliminate West Indies’ chances.

Showing power and poise, McGlashan blasted two sixes down the ground and six fours, while Devine chipped in with 27 from 22. McGlashan fired a brutal boundary clearance to long-on from the offspinner Anisa Mohammad and in the same over Devine launched her into the stand at backward square leg. Those six balls cost 19 and New Zealand quickly went further ahead.

McGlashan brought up her half-century with a force for four through mid-on and followed next ball with a boundary to fine-leg. She also cleared the rope straight off Shemaine Campbelle before Devine produced a clever late cut for four.

West Indies had no answers despite trying spinners and medium pacers to stop the flood of runs. Devine fell in the 17th over, giving Shakera Selman (2 for 27) her second wicket, but McGlashan continued to plunder until she was beaten by Selman’s direct hit from short third man. Nicola Browne thrashed a six to midwicket in the last over to finish unbeaten on 15 and provide a late surge.

The start of the match was disrupted by a heavy shower, which sent the players off after 10 deliveries, and Suzie Bates (7) was the first casualty on the resumption. The visitors suffered another early loss when their captain Aimee Watkins (20) tried to lift the rate and miscued.

West Indies’ chase started brightly against two spinners operating with the new ball, but Watkins soon forced a legside edge from Pamela Lavine. With her side needing to score at nine an over, Stafanie Taylor provided some muscle as she targeted the legspin of Erin Bermingham. Taylor collected two sixes and Cordel Jack brought up the team’s fifty in the sixth over with another clearance off the slow bowler, who gave up 28 in three overs.

Jack departed on 18 with a soft pull off Browne to midwicket and Taylor went in the following over when run-out for 40 off 33 by McGlashan. Deandra Dottin then managed a single before swiping at Browne and edging behind to Rachel Priest, leaving the hosts in serious trouble at 76 for 4.

West Indies tried to hit their way out of trouble but the assignment was too difficult and their flame went out. Watkins benefitted from the late thrashing to collect 3 for 26 while Browne and Lucy Doolan both finished with 2 for 20 off four overs.

New Zealand reached the final at last year’s event but were beaten by England at Lord’s, so the players are desperate to go one better this time. Only Australia stand in their way.

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

The captain Alex Blackwell posted a career-best 61 as she pushed Australia into the final of the Women’s World Twenty20 with a seven-wicket win over India. Chasing India’s below-par 119 for 5, Australia surged early through Blackwell and Shelley Nitschke and cruised to victory with seven balls to spare.

Australia were knocked out by England in the semi-finals in last year’s tournament and are desperate to add this trophy to their five 50-over World Cups. They face the winner of New Zealand and West Indies, who play in St Lucia on Friday, in Sunday’s final in Barbados and will hope the men’s side will also be there.

India thought they had a chance when Elyse Villani was bowled fourth ball by Jhulan Goswami, but Nitschke struck a couple of fours in the second over and Blackwell punished the legspinner Priyanka Roy to grab control. Blackwell powered three boundaries in a row from Roy’s opening offerings, which were all full tosses, and the over eventually cost 15.

After 24 deliveries Australia were 35 and they continued to steam ahead through Blackwell and Nitschke, who put on an impressive 74 for the second wicket at more than seven an over. Nitschke fell on 22 trying to hit over mid-off but Blackwell made sure there were no major hiccups.

She collected eight boundaries – a cut off Goswami at the start was so crisp – and was classy throughout her 49-ball stay, which ended when she charged at Roy (2 for 27) and was stumped. Blackwell had already added some more pain to India when she hit the ball hard into the knee of Rumeli Dhar, who was fielding at silly point. Leah Poulton made sure of the result with 30 off 26 while Jess Cameron was unbeaten on 6.

Wanting a total of at least 130, India found it difficult to increase the pace following their early setbacks and managed only eight fours and a six. The opener Poonam Raut was the anchor with 44 off 51, including three of the boundaries, before becoming one of three wickets in the 17th over.

Raut added an important 57 with Harmanpreet Kaur to give the side a decent base but they needed more. Kaur, who collected 24 off 27, was run-out by a clever flick from the bowler Ellyse Perry (1 for 19) after backing up too far.

Goswami was also caught short in the same over by Blackwell’s direct hit and next ball Raut found Cameron running in from long-on. Amita Sharma, who hit a six in the final over, collected 17 off 11 and Dhar chipped in with 12 from nine to provide a late boost.

The key breakthrough came when the offspinner Lisa Sthalekar was called in the eighth over and had the brilliant Mithali Raj (16) stumped, dropping India to 31 for 2. Rene Farrell (1 for 22) also struck a crucial blow with the third ball of the game when Sulakshana Naik cut to Cameron at backward point. Australia’s three fast bowlers kept things tight and then the spinners Sthalekar and Nitschke built the pressure to set up the success.

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

India’s women booked their place in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 by surging past Sri Lanka in their winner-takes-all Group B encounter in Basseterre. Chasing 145 for victory after fifties from Sulakshana Naik and Mithali Raj, Sri Lanka stumbled to 73 for 9 in their 20 overs, with Diana David claiming 4 for 12 with her offspin.

With a victory apiece against Pakistan and a defeat to the in-form New Zealand, both sides entered this contest with everything at stake, but the powerful Indian line-up scarcely took a backwards step. After winning the toss, they were given a solid base by Naik and Poonam Raut, who added 34 for the first wicket before Raut was bowled for 12 by in the seventh over by Udeshika Prabhodhani.

That brought Naik and Raj together, and they quickly put India in the ascendancy by adding 86 in 10.3 overs for the second wicket. Naik eventually fell for 59 from 54 balls with three overs remaining, and though Jhulan Goswami was run out for 10 in the final over, Raj kept up the impetus to finish unbeaten on 52 from 39 balls, with five fours.

Sri Lanka endured a calamitous start when Chamari Atapattu was run out without facing in the first over, and their situation scarcely improved. David’s early introduction was devastating, as she struck with her first ball to bowl Suwini de Alwis for 4, before picking up a second in the same over as Dedunu Silva was caught by Goswami.

David made it four in 12 balls when Chamari Polgampola and Sripali Weerakkodi fell to consecutive deliveries, and when Dilani Manodara ran herself out to make it 19 for 6, the contest was over. Deepika Rasangika batted through the remainder of the innings to save some face with an unbeaten 31.

Source: CricInfo

The White Ferns outclassed Pakistan to go through the group stage unbeaten in the Women’s ICC World Twenty20 at Warner Park, St Kitts.

An economical opening spell by spinner Erin Bermingham and seamer Sian Ruck ensured the White Ferns held a firm grip on the game from the very start after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat.

Strike bowler Nicola Browne then ripped out both openers to initiate a collapse that saw Pakistan reduced to 30 for seven.

Browne snared two more wickets to finish with excellent figures of four for 15 while Kate Broadmore, Lucy Doolan and Sophie Devine chimed in with one apiece.

Tail-ender Sania Khan managed to hit Pakistan’s top score of 15 at the end of the innings as they struggled through to 65 for nine.

The White Ferns only needed 8.2 overs to complete the rout but did lose the wickets of Suzie Bates (4), Aimee Watkins (15), Sophie Devine (23) and Rachel Priest (2) along the way.

Sara McGlashan hit an aggressive unbeaten 16 off 13 deliveries to seal the win.

Speaking after the match White Ferns captain Watkins said, “It’s obviously good to know we’ve finished top of the group but to be facing West Indies is going to be a challenge in the semi-finals in St Lucia.

“They are the kind of team that are so unpredictable at Twenty20, one day they could make 80 all out and another 180 for four so I’m not taking the upcoming fixture lightly.

“Hopefully they’ve watched today’s game and seen what kind of a bowling attack we’ve got in our side.”

Source: New Zealand Cricket

Australia’s women maintained their 100% record, and booked themselves a slot in the first semi-final in St Lucia on May 13, by seeing off West Indies by nine runs in a tight contest in Basseterre.
There was little at stake except for pride, with both sides already assured of their progression to the last four, but it was Australia who finished the group stage the stronger, thanks to a disciplined allround display.

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Australia posted a solid but unspectacular 133 for 7 in their 20 overs, with seven of their eight batsmen reaching double figures. The captain, Alex Blackwell, was the top-scorer with 28 from 26 balls, while Shanel Daley and Anisa Mohammed, with three wickets apiece, were the pick of the West Indies attack.

In reply, West Indies suffered an early setback when Juliana Nero and Cordel Jack were both dismissed within three balls of one another (16 for 2), but Stafanie Taylor led the revival with an unbeaten 58 from 54 balls, adding 46 for the third wicket with Britney Cooper, who made 27.

However, Australia’s bowlers held their nerve and kept their discipline, with Ellyse Perry claiming 2 for 19 in three overs to peg West Indies back in mid-innings. Her wickets included Deandra Dottin, who fell for her second first-ball duck in consecutive matches, having launched the tournament with a 38-ball century.

Source: CricInfo

England women gained a consolation ICC World Twenty20 victory over South Africa, by 56 runs in St Kitts.

The defending champions went into the Group A game knowing it would be their last of the competition, having lost out to Australia and West Indies.

However, Charlotte Edwards’ side did not let that huge disappointment affect their display as they emulated their male counterparts’ triumph against the Proteas yesterday.

Let down by their batting in the first two matches, England produced a solid effort after winning the toss to post 141 for six – their highest score of the competition.

Lydia Greenway top-scored with 34 not out from 22 balls, while Laura Marsh fell one short and both Claire Taylor and Jenny Gunn made twentysomethings.

Youngster Danielle Wyatt, making her tournament debut, and Nicky Shaw then ripped through South Africa, claiming seven wickets between them.

Wyatt took 4-11 from three overs and Shaw 3-17 from four to dismiss their opponents for 85 in 17 overs.

Edwards, whose side finish third in the group, said: “Whilst we are pleased with today’s performance, it came too late for us; we are bitterly disappointed to be out of the tournament.

“A positive from today was the opportunity for young players like Danielle to perform successfully on the world stage.

“We will now be focusing on the summer ahead where we will play New Zealand in three Twenty20 matches and a one-day-international series in England.”

In the other Group A match, Australia women beat West Indies women by nine runs to maintain their 100 per cent record in the tournament.

Australia successfully defended their 133 for seven total as West Indies could only manage 124, despite Stafanie Taylor’s 58 not out at the top of the order.

Source: ECB

Suzie Bates hit a half century and the spinners collectively took three for 31 as the White Ferns overpowered Sri Lanka by 47 runs in their second match of the Women’s ICC World Twenty20 at Warner Park in St Kitts.

Sri Lanka were limited to 107 for eight from their 20 overs and never threatened the White Ferns 157 for seven with victory guaranteeing the New Zealanders a semi-final spot.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, openers Bates and Aimee Watkins set the tone at the top of the order with a 54 run opening stand.

Bates top scored for the White Ferns for a second consecutive match, hitting 50 runs off 43 balls while Watkins struck 20 off 21.

The solid platform allowed the rest of the batting line up to play freely with Sara McGlashan (31 off 23), Elizabeth Perry (19 off 12) and Nicola Browne (20 off 12) propelling the score.

The Sri Lankan reply started positively with Chamari Atapattu striking 21 at the top of the order but the introduction of spin combined with some excellent fielding from the White Ferns meant they were always behind the chase.

Leg spinner Erin Bermingham was the most destructive, taking two for 15 while fellow tweaker Lucy Doolan chipped in with one for 16. The third spinner, Watkins, only bowled two overs and went for ten runs.

The White Ferns have one final group match against Pakistan before facing either Australia or the West Indies in the semi-final at St Lucia.

Source: New Zealand Cricket

India cruised to a nine-wicket win over Pakistan in St Kitts to give themselves a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. Pakistan slid to their second defeat in as many games as a result of a poor performance by their top order and some miserly bowling, led by Priyanka Roy’s leg spin, from India. Their score of 104 for 6 proved woefully inadequate in the wake of a dominating batting display from Player of the Match Poonam Raut, who finished with an unbeaten, run-a-ball 54, and Mithali Raj, who supported Raut in a match-winning 79-run stand.

After opting to bat, Pakistan started badly, losing their first five wickets for 45 inside the first ten overs. Roy nipped out three of those, backed up by the left-arm spin of Gouher Sultana and the medium-pace of Rumeli Dhar. Captain Sana Mir lent some respectability to the Pakistan innings, scoring steadily to post 35 off 41 balls with three fours. She was assisted by Urooj Mumtaz in a partnership of 53 for the sixth wicket which helped take Pakistan past 100 and give their bowlers something to defend.

India, however, were unforgiving and the high of dismissing opener Sulakshana Naik with the score on 27 was washed away by Raut and Mithali, who struck nine fours between them and saw to it that the target was reached with 20 balls to spare. Mithali scored at better than a run-a-ball and her experience, combined with Raut’s equally attacking innings, sealed India’s success.

Source: CricInfo

England women’s defence of their ICC World Twenty20 title is over after they crashed out of the tournament following a two-run defeat to West Indies in St Kitts.

Charlotte Edwards’ team looked set to get their campaign back on track after an opening defeat to Australia.

At 65 without loss from nine overs, they were well placed to overhaul a target of 123 against the hosts.

But the loss of openers Sarah Taylor for 33 and Edwards for 31 instigated a desperate collapse as England slumped to 66 for four.

They struggled to regained the early momentum as wickets fell regularly.

Lydia Greenway, who finished unbeaten on 26, tried her best to steer England home but, with victory possible from the final ball, Katherine Brunt was run out to leave England agonisingly short on 120 for nine.

Laura Marsh had earlier taken 3-17, including the wicket of top-scorer Juliana Nero for 32, to restrict West Indies to 122 for eight.

England captain Edwards said: “A lot of credit has to go to West Indies. I thought they bowled really well in periods and some loose shots means the pressure builds up in Twenty20 and time runs out in the end.”

Coach Mark Lane said: “We’ve played some brilliant cricket over the last two years, but we’ve come across a bit of a stumbling block over here in the West Indies.

“The standard of women’s cricket has really kicked on over the last 12 months.”

Australia – England’s conquerors on Wednesday – booked their place in the semi-finals alongside West Indies with a 24-run win over South Africa that ended the Proteas’ hopes of progressing.

Shelley Nitschke hit 44 off 32 balls at the top of the order and Leah Poulton 39 off 25 as Australia were bowled out 155 with three balls unused.

South Africa never threatened to match the required run-rate, though, and fell some way short despite Mignon du Preez’s unbeaten 53.

Source: ECB