WOMEN'S WORLD CUP MOMENTS
Follow UsAs the Women’s ICC World Cup 2022 heads towards the business end, apart from Australia, no team has qualified for the semi-finals as yet. South Africa with four wins out of four, are almost at the final step of qualification. For the other two spots, West Indies (6 points), India (4 points), England (4 points) and the hosts New Zealand (4 points) are in contention.
As for the individual contributions, among the batters, Australia’s Rachel Haynes leads the chart with 320 runs at an average of 80 in five innings. Among the bowlers, Ayabonga Khaka, Marizzane Kapp, Hayley Matthews and Lea Tahuhu are leading with 10 wickets each.
The highlight of this edition of the Women’s WC has been Australia and South Africa's unbeaten run and cliffhanger finishes. The ongoing edition has witnessed three last over chases, five matches where teams have won by single digit margin, one win through one wicket remaining and one win through two wickets in hand. Also, not to forget, a few stupendous catches. Here are a few top moments between Match 9 to Match 20. In case you missed it, find the top moments from the first eight matches in the preceding part:
The flying Maddy Green
If Deandra Dottin’s catch at point against England wasn’t enough, Green came up with another stunning catch against Australia in Match 11.
Elyse Perry batting on 68, went for a big hit down the ground. The connection was so good that Perry felt it would go all the way and stood her ground. However, Green stationed at long on came running towards her left and leaped across to cling on the ball and complete an astounding catch.
Mandhana opts to share her Player of the Match trophy
Cricket is known for its sporting spirit and Smriti Mandhana's gesture at the end of Match 10 underlined the same.
Batting first against West Indies, India rode their way to a mammoth total of 317 in 50 overs on back of centuries from Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur. For the first time in a WC match, two of India’s women batters scored a century in the same innings. However, the commentators felt, Mandhana’s 123 had a better weightage than Kaur’s 109. But, Mandhana in the post-match presentation opted to share the trophy alongside Kaur.
Another record embedded in Bangladesh’s history books
Just three months have gone by in 2022 and it has already been a year to rejoice for Bangladesh cricket. Starting off with a win against New Zealand in the Tests, the men’s team won an international match against New Zealand in New Zealand for the first time. Then, in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa, they won their first ever international match against South Africa in their backyard.
The women’s team added to their joyous year when they won against Pakistan on March 14th, 2022. Making their debut in the ODI World Cup event this year, Bangladesh registered their first win in Match 12.
Sidra Ameen – First Pakistan Women batter to a century in WC
In the match Bangladesh made history, there was one batter who scripted history for her team in the opposition. Sidra Ameen led a lone battle in that match and Pakistan’s only hope of a win relied on her. However, her run out in the 48th over left Pakistan with 21 runs off 19 balls with one wicket in hand. Eventually, the Bangladeshi bowlers managed to pull it off.
Though her century ended up in vain, it was the first ever ton for a Pakistan woman batter in World Cup matches. Overall, she was only the third to hit a ton in Women’s ODIs for Pakistan. Javeria Khan has hit two centuries and Nain Abidi with one century is the other batter.
South Africa stun the defending champs
Heading into Match 13, South Africa had played two and won both while England had suffered opposite results in their two fixtures. Historically, South Africa had lost the previous four WC encounters against England, giving the defending champs the advantage.
South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp, helped her team to restrict England for 235 with a five-wicket haul (5/45). Laura Wolvaardt led the chase with a 101-ball 77, but it was Kapp’s innings of 32 that helped South Africa clinch a victory. Though she was dismissed in the penultimate over, South Africa were left with 10 runs only. It went down the wire, but South Africa prevailed with three wickets and four balls to spare and stunned England. The dressing room atmosphere after a win suggests it all.
As safe as Beth Mooney
Australian fielders have been quite safe in this tournament. Their catching efficiency of 86.2 percent is the third best in this tournament. Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney are the leaders with six catches in the edition, the joint most in this WC alongside Matthews.
Mooney in particular, has bagged some blinders. In Match 11, the one in which Green held on to a screamer, Mooney’s catch of Amelia Kerr was overshadowed. Kerr went for a drive against a delivery that was wide and caught the edge. The ball flew to the right of Mooney stationed at second slip. Diving to her right, she took it one-handed to complete a sensational catch.
Against India, she held on to another stupendous catch at backward point. Shafali Verma looking to slice the ball, hit it to the left of Mooney. Alert at backward point, she tumbled to her left and converted another half-chance into Australia’s way.
Australia chase the highest WC target to enter semi-final
After a heartbreak against India in the 2017 edition of the World Cup, Australia had the backing of their form heading into their contest against India. But thanks to half-centuries by Yasthika Bhatia (59), Mithali Raj (68) and Kaur (57), India posted a fighting total of 277/7.
Australia had to rewrite history if they were to win this and their openers provided the impetus. Though India managed to break the 121-run opening stand and pick another wicket in quick succession, Australia’s skipper Lanning took the game away with a 107-ball 97. Inevitably, Australia won the contest with three balls to spare and recorded the highest successful chase in Women’s WC.
The agony of the defending champs
The champions of the 2017 edition of the Women’s WC, England came into the tournament as one of the favorites. However, they were off to their worst possible start that has jeopardized their chances of making it to the semi-finals despite their wins against India and New Zealand.
Starting off their campaign against Australia, England fell short by 12 runs chasing 311. In their second encounter against West Indies, they once again failed to chase a target of 226 as they were short by 7 runs. The salt to their injury came against South Africa in their third, when they failed to defend 236 and lost in the last over. For the first time in the history of the World Cup, men’s or women’s, ODIs or T20Is, the defending champions lost their first three games of the follow-up event.
Pakistan’s first win in WC after 18 matches
A bruised Pakistan Women’s side finally got off the mark with a win over West Indies in the 20th match of the 2022 edition of WC.
Including their loss against Bangladesh, Pakistan had lost their first four matches of this edition. Two heavy defeat margins (against India and Australia) and two narrow losses (against South Africa and Bangladesh). In fact, heading into the WC, Pakistan had lost 14 consecutive matches in WC. This tournament, they stretched the streak to 18 matches. However, they broke the jinx today with a win against West Indies. Coincidentally, their last win in WC was also against West Indies in 2009.
