India beats Australia by three wickets in third-fourth position play-off

India recorded its second successive victory over Australia when it defeated the dethroned world champions by three wickets in the third-fourth play-off at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 at Bankstown Oval on Saturday. 

In a match reduced to 46-over-a-side, due to rain, Australia was all out for 142 in 44.4 overs. India reached the victory target with 13 balls and three wickets to spare. 

Batting first after winning the toss, Australia was in trouble at 27-2 when heavy rain came down and stopped play. When the match resumed, the umpires decided to reduce the match to 46 overs per side but Australia plunged into deeper trouble when play started as it slipped to 63-5 in 27 overs. 


At that stage, captain Karen Rolton and Lisa Sthalekar rescued their side with a gutsy 60-run partnership that allowed the home team to reach 144 all out in 44.4 overs. Rolton finished as the top scorer with a fine 52 that came off 93 balls and included a six and a four while Sthalekar contributed 30 from 32 balls with two fours.


For India, wickets were evenly shared between Jhulan Goswami (2-21), Priyanka Roy (2-21), Rumeli Dhar (2-24) and Gouher Sultana (2-27).

India, in its target chase, put together small but useful partnerships to achieve the target in 43.5 overs. Sulakshana Naik finished as the top scorer with 28 while Rumeli Dhar chipped in with a priceless 24 not out. 

In the fifth-sixth play-off, the West Indies avenged for its four-wicket defeat last Saturday when it defeated Pakistan by three wickets in the fifth-sixth play-off. By virtue of this win, the West Indies retained its fifth-placed ranking while Pakistan jumps from eighth to sixth spot. 

The star of the match was West Indies’ Shanel Daley who claimed her career-best 4-29 to dismiss Pakistan for 131 all out in 46.3 overs. She then returned to contribute 24 with the bat as the West Indies achieved victory with 3.3 overs to spare.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 21, 2009 5:54:49 AM

Australia downs Pakistan to keep its final hopes live

Shelley Nitschke and Lauren Ebsary stroked fine half-centuries as defending champion Australia defeated Pakistan by 107 runs in a Super Six stage match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009, keeping alive its hopes of reaching the final. 

Nitschke scored a flawless 56 while Ebsary hit a dogged 51 as Australia scored 229-5 in its allotted 50 overs after electing to bat first. Pakistan, in turn, always looked like it was struggling against an experienced and penetrative bowling attack and was eventually bowled out for 122 in 45.1 overs, despite having been 65-1 at one stage. 

It was Pakistan’s highest score against Australia after it was bowled out for 23 and 27 in the previous two matches against the five-time champion in Melbourne and Hyderabad, India, in 1997. 

The victory has put Australia on four points along with India and New Zealand who have played one fewer match but go head to head at the North Sydney Oval on Tuesday in front of ESPN STAR Sports cameras. The winner of tomorrow’s match will strengthen its claims for a place in the 22 March final as both the teams will then play their last matches on Thursday against lower-ranked sides, with New Zealand facing Pakistan and India meeting the West Indies. 

Two-time champion England is sitting pretty on six points with games against the West Indies and Australia still to come. A win over the West Indies at Drummoyne on Tuesday will guarantee it a place in the final for the first time since 1993 and will also equal Australia’s world record of 17 consecutive women’s ODI victories. 

Nitschke, who was later declared player of the match, admitted Australia’s fate rested on the other results which was not what her team had expected in the lead-up to the tournament. 

“I guess we probably have been a little bit (disappointed up till now),” she said. 

“It’s been a good build-up for years, it’s the World Cup, it’s in Australia, we’re the favourites and wanted to do well and we obviously find ourselves in a position where we are relying on some other results to get us through. So from that prospective, it probably has been a little bit disappointing, but now we’re just trying to stay positive and play good cricket and keep winning,” she said. 

“We are taking one step at a time at the moment. We are just happy to come here, play some good cricket, get a good win and now we’ll start looking forward to the England match and planning for that. 

“Pakistan showed that it has improved and the same with the West Indies. Both the teams have some good players, so if they can go well you never know. 

“We probably haven’t won as convincingly as we would have liked in some of the other games so to win that today quite convincingly like that was really good for us as a team. (We just need) to keep rolling and to keep winning and do what we can from this point,” she added. 

At the Bankstown Oval, Sydney, in front of more than 1,000 spectators, including school children and local residents, Australia showed its bench strength when it rested captain Karen Rolton, Lisa Sthalekar, Delissa Kimmince and Emma Sampson but still batted well to reach 229-5 against an ever-improving Pakistan bowling which was once again well supported by the fielders. 

Nitschke held the top order together in the first half of Australia’s innings which saw the home side score 108-1, while Ebsary took the charge in the second half of the innings to ensure the home team collected a further 121 runs to reach a winning score of 229-6, including 32 runs in its batting PowerPlay which it took between the 41st and 45th overs. 

Nitschke put on 100 runs for the first wicket with Lauren Poulton (47 off 86 balls) while Ebsary added 69 runs for the fourth wicket with Jodie Fields (36 off 41 balls). Nitschke’s 64-ball knock included five fours and a six while Ebsary, dropped twice by Sana Mir off her own bowling when she was seven and 19, hit two fours in a 71-ball knock. 

Pakistan, playing its fifth match since the tournament began on 7 March, was sharp in the field despite dropping two catches. The bowlers also made the Australia batters work hard for their runs when they bowled straight and according to the field. 

Pakistan started off nicely despite losing Nain Abidi when the score was on 19 to reach 65-1 in 17.2 overs before it lost its last nine wickets for 57 runs to be bowled out for 122 with 4.5 overs to spare. 

Wickets were evenly shared between Leah Poulton, Ellyse Perry and Rene Farrell who shared two wickets apiece. 

Scores in brief: 

At Bankstown Oval, Sydney, Australia 229-6, 50 overs (Shelley Nitschke 56, Lauren Ebsary 51, Leah Poulton 47, Jodie Fields 36; Sana Mir 2-36) 

Pakistan 122 all out, 45.1 overs (Asmavia Iqbal 36, Bismah Maroof 24; Leah Poulton 2-9, Ellyse Perry 2-16, Rene Farrell 2-23) 

Australia won by 107 runs

Fixtures for Tuesday 

17 Mar – India v New Zealand, North Sydney Oval 

17 Mar – England v West Indies, Drummoyne 

Points table 
TEAM         PLAYED  WON  LOST  POINTS   NNR
England             3          3            0              6          +0.62
Australia           4          2            2              4          +0.91
India                   3          2            1              4          +0.32
New Zealand    3          2            1              4           -0.62
Pakistan            4           1           3              2           -0.99
West Indies      3          0           3              0           -0.16


 
Forthcoming matches:

19 Mar – Australia v England, North Sydney Oval
 
19 Mar – India v West Indies, Bankstown
 
19 Mar – New Zealand v Pakistan, Drummoyne
 
21 Mar – third-fourth position play-off, Bankstown
 
21 Mar – fifth-sixth position play-off, Drummoyne
 
22 Mar – Final, North Sydney Oval

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News - Monday, March 16, 2009 7:31:07 AM

Australia shows its class with comfortable victory

Australia’s slim hopes of reaching the ICC Women’s World Cup Final remain alive after a comprehensive 107-run win over Pakistan.

Half centuries from Shelley Nitschke and Lauren Ebsary were the key to Australia’s victory, which was supported by a tidy bowling performance in the field.

Australia’s opening pair of Nitschke (56) and Leah Poulton (47) created a solid base for the home side to build on after an opening stand of 100.

Sana Mir (2-35) then grabbed two quick wickets and was then involved in the run-out of Alex Blackwell to reduce Australia to 130-3.

Ebsary (51) and Jodie Fields (36) then once again combined to add 69 for the fourth wicket, but a disciplined bowling and fielding display by Pakistan restricted Australia to 229-6 off 50 overs.

In reply, some excellent and positive batting from Bismah Maroof (24) and Asmavia Iqbal (36) put Pakistan in contention.

But the lack of depth in the Pakistani batting was again exposed when it suffered a dramatic collapse, slipping from 65-1 to 89-7, with Shelley Nitschke and Erin Osborne both bowling tight spells.

Some brave resistance from skipper Urooj Mumtaz (14 not out from 62 balls) saw Pakistan to 122 all out, with Leah Poulton, Ellyse Perry and Rene Farrell all taking two wickets.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News-Monday, March 16, 2009 2:16:08 AM

Australia tries to keep World Cup dreams alive

Australia will try to get its World Cup campaign back on track when it takes on Pakistan in the Super Six stages on Monday.

It needs to win its remaining two matches, including Thursday’s encounter with England, and then hope other results go its way, if it is to make it to Sunday’s final.

 Pakistan goes into the match on the back of a brilliant four-wicket victory over the West Indies on Saturday.

 It will be hoping to improve on its previous two performances against Australia in ODI matches. At the Women’s World Cup in 1997 it lost by nine wickets after it was bowled out for just 27 all out, while in the first meeting between the two sides it made 23 all out in reply to Australia’s 397-4.

 On Tuesday, England faces West Indies, while New Zealand takes on India in front of the live television cameras at North Sydney Oval.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News -Sunday, March 15, 2009 6:21:35 PM

Spinners combine again in Australian victory

Australia secured its place in the Super Six stages of the ICC Women’s World Cup after a 47-run win over the West Indies, although it was made to work hard for its victory.

Lisa Sthalekar and Erin Osborne once again bowled well, backed up by an excellent all-round performance by Ellyse Perry, but some brave resistance with both bat and ball by the West Indies added to its growing reputation at this event.

Australia again found it tough-going early on, losing the early wickets of Leah Poulton and Lisa Sthalekar, before Shelley Nitschke (45) and Jodie Fields (42) added some stability to the score line.

The loss of Lauren Ebsary and Jodie Fields, in the space of six balls, reduced Australia to 124-5, which got even worse when Karen Rolton (2) fell shortly afterwards.

But some late-order hitting from Alex Blackwell (46 not out) and Ellyse Perry (36) added some respectability to the total, with young off-spinner Stafanie Taylor once again the pick of the West Indian attack with 2-35.

Stafanie Taylor (32) made a bright start to the West Indies innings, although her dismissal left the West Indies struggling on 49-3.

It was the spin attack of Lisa Sthalekar and Erin Osborne who were again the pick of the Australian attack and when they accounted for Stacy-Ann King and Cordel Jack, to make it 85-5, it looked like the game was over.

But once again the West Indies showed some great character and determination as a 56-run stand between Deandra Dottin (51) and Debbie-Ann Lewis gave it hope, with Dottin in particularly destructive form as she smashed four sixes, but in the end it simply ran out of overs as it closed on 164-7.

Australia now faces India in the first of the Super Six matches on Saturday, while the West Indies take on Pakistan. 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Thursday, March 12, 2009 2:45:22 AM

Rolton stars in Australian victory

Australia got its ICC Women’s World Cup campaign back on track with a 61-run victory over South Africa.

The win means that Australia is now level on points with the West Indies, although New Zealand tops Group A after two consecutive victories.

After a disappointing batting display against New Zealand on Sunday, Australia struggled to score in the early morning conditions against some excellent new ball bowling.

But once Shelley Nitschke (87) and Alex Blackwell (22) had dealt with the opening bowlers, they looked reasonably comfortable as they went onto add an excellent 75-run partnership for the first wicket.

A second-wicket stand of 82 between Nitschke and Karen Rolton then put Australia into an excellent position, with the Australian skipper in particularly good form as she made 96 not out off just 87 deliveries.

South Africa showed great character and determination to restrict the Australia score to 258-4 off 50 overs, with all-rounder Alicia Smith adding to her ever growing reputation with 3-42.

After losing Claire Terblanche early on, an excellent 82-run stand between Trisha Chetty (58) and Cri-Zelda Brits (36) meant that South Africa was very much on course for its victory target.

But the fall of two quick wickets dented Sunette Loubser’s side chances, before Mignon due Preez (37) and Alicia Smith (19) led a mini recovery to lead South Africa to 161-3 with 9 overs remaining.

Needing quick runs, South Africa had no alternative but to throw the bat, which resulted in a dramatic collapse to 197 all out, losing seven wickets for 35 runs, with Shelley Nitschke (3-43) the pick of the bowlers.

Australia plays West Indies on Thursday, while New Zealand takes on South Africa.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Tuesday, March 10, 2009 2:11:49 AM

Three-wicket hero believes more is still to come

New Zealand star Kate Pulford has revealed her delight following her performance in Sunday’s win over Australia at the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Her three wickets, including the dismissals of Shelley Nitschke, Karen Rolton and Lisa Sthalekar, set her side on the way to victory by 13 runs (D/L method) at North Sydney Oval, but the 28-year-old still believes she can bowl better.

“It is the best results I have ever had, but I think I can bowl better than that, as there are lot of balls that I would not bowl again, probably including Rolton’s six over my head,” said Pulford, speaking from her hotel in Sydney on Monday.

“With the top batters, it is important to get the ball in the right areas consistently and it worked for me.

“The ball following Rolton’s six was a bouncer and she acknowledged that it was a good ball and it brings out the extra fire in the belly. It is special when you can get on top of somebody of that calibre.”

Pulford, recalled to the national team in February after a six-year absence, admits that she thought only months ago that she had no chance of making selection for this tournament and that she owes her opportunity to Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach.

“Up until December last year I had no thoughts of playing this World Cup at all. Not because I didn’t want to but because I had been out of the frame for so long and perhaps there was a reason, which I didn’t know about, which explained why I wasn’t being picked,” said Pulford.

“I did have an inkling when there was a change in coach that there might be a chance as Gary Stead approached me after the first round of our state league about my availability and that gave me a slight window of hope.

“I am so glad to be back in the team environment as I love playing for New Zealand.”

Pulford, who works as a strategic business analyst, believes that her absence from the international side has made her appreciate the opportunity to play for the national team.

“I appreciate it more for myself as it is just as special as when I made my debut ten years ago. It has given me a bit of perspective being able to focus on my career outside of cricket and life outside of cricket and having that extra bit of life experience and knowing what it is like to fail.”

With the West Indies, who enjoyed an exciting two-wicket win over South Africa on Sunday, the next match for the White Ferns in a busy tournament schedule, Pulford believes that Tuesday’s match will be a tough clash.

 “We are taking each game as it comes and we will respect all our opposition as the West Indies are deservedly in the top eight in the world and we are not going to take them lightly,” she said.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News   Monday, March 09, 2009 12:01:08 AM

Matt Hayden and Layne Beachley's Beach cricket match with female sporting heroes a huge success

They’re skilled, smart, sassy and with the help of the Layne Beachley Aim For The Stars Foundation, a new breed of female sports heroes will have their names on the lips of the nation this season. In a show of camaraderie for women in sport, Australia’s top female cricket and surfing champions battled it out in a beach cricket match to celebrate the ICC Women’s World Cup which kicks off in March as well as surfing’s ASP Women’s World Tour at the LG Mobile Roxy Pro, at Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast this weekend. 

The event was designed to celebrate up-and-coming Australian female sports stars and inspire girls and women across the country to dream and achieve. Teams included representatives from the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars and the ASP Women’s World Tour with world surfing veteran Matt Hoy as umpire. 

Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars Cricketers 


Matthew Hayden 

Ellyse Perry 

Delissa Kimmince 

Sarah Andrews 



ASP Women’s World Tour Surfers


Layne Beachley 

Steph Gilmore 

Jessi Miley-Dyer 

Sally Fitzgibbons 

Sam Cornish 


Promoting women in sport and supporting the dreams of Australian girls is a cause close to the heart of seven time ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley. In 2003, Beachley established the Aim for the Stars Foundation, "encompassing academic, sport, cultural and community pursuits, my foundation offers ambitious and dedicated females an opportunity to receive financial and moral support to help them achieve their goals," said Beachley, " it is important that women sports support one another and what better way than to play some beach cricket, look out Southern Stars!" 

Delissa Kimmince, Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars cricketer and Female Development Officer at Queensland Cricket knows first-hand how inspiration and determination can see young women achieve great things. 

"I grew up in a country town near Brisbane and at 12 I was selected as a shadow player for Darling Downs – but there wasn’t a girls team, so I couldn’t play or go away with them! But I tell the girls in my development 

squad if you work hard and wear a smile anything is possible. And now I’m representing my country at the Women’s World Cup. It’s a dream come true," she said. 

The ICC Women’s World Cup involves the world’s top 8 ranked teams, being Australia, India, New Zealand, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan. Like our men’s team, Australia are the defending champions. 

The tournament involves 25 matches played over 16 days. The opening match of the tournament between Australia and New Zealand will be held at North Sydney Oval on Sunday, 8 March 2009. The group stages will be held from 7 to 12 March, the Super 6 qualification stage from Saturday 14 to Thursday 19 March and the Final on Sunday 22 March 2009

Cricket Australia Media Release
Sunday, March 01, 2009 1:42:12 PM

Australia's World Cup winning captains rally behind Karen Rolton's side

Clive Lloyd tells West Indies not to be over-owed by the big teams in the event 

Graeme Smith says Proteas to follow South Africa’s Sydney progress 

Australia’s World Cup winning captains Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting have sent good-luck messages to Karen Rolton’s side which will be aiming to win the ICC Women’s World Cup for the sixth time. 

ICC Hall of Famer Allan Border, who captained Australia to the first of its four ICC Cricket World Cup titles, hopes the players will give their best performances. 

“If I had one piece of advice for the players it would be this: the World Cup is the pinnacle of any career and you may only get one chance to play in it and win it,” said Border. 

“So on that basis, just make sure you leave no stone unturned, get your preparations right and leave nothing in the locker room. There is no point in having regrets after the event.” 

Border, who played 156 Tests and 273 ODIs scoring 11,174 and 6,524 runs, said the World Cup was the right event to generate momentum for women’s cricket. “I like the way things are heading with the women’s game with the closer ties to the men. 

“The fact that seven matches are also going to be televised is exciting because that will give the players and the ICC a great shop window to sell the sport to the world. It is all about generating momentum for women’s cricket and the World Cup will play a key role in getting the ball rolling.” 

Steve Waugh, who played in 168 Tests and 325 ODIs and steered Australia to victory in the 1999 World Cup, said: “I’d urge the girls to be positive in their approach and everything they do. It’s all about challenging the opposition and getting them out of their comfort zones by doing things they don’t want you to do. 

“I’d also tell the players to enjoy the whole experience. Playing in a World Cup is the ultimate honour, there are plenty of others who would love to get that chance, and so they should take it all in. 

“This is the girls’ chance to really take the game to a higher level than it’s been before, thanks to the global exposure they’ll get from television coverage of matches, and the best way to do that is by playing cricket that’s exciting and draws people in. 

“It’s a great time for the women’s game with a World Twenty20 later in the year and these players can really be standard bearers for the future of the sport.” 

Waugh’s successor Ricky Ponting, who inspired Australia to World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007, also wished Karen Rolton and her side best of luck. “On behalf of the Australia cricket team I would like to wish Karen and her players every success for the ICC Women’s World Cup. We will certainly be supporting them while we are in South Africa. 

“If I can offer Karen any advice at all, it would be to stick to what she has been doing so successfully in the past. Under Karen’s leadership the side has been a very powerful unit and I am sure if she continues to do what she knows works, the team will again be very difficult to beat. 

“There is always a bigger picture than just winning in any event you play. The World Cup is about testing yourself against the world’s best opposition and playing the best cricket possible by a group of players in your squad.” 

ICC Hall of Famer and former captain Clive Lloyd, who powered the West Indies to successive World Cup victories in 1975 and 1979, believes the West Indies has the talent to cause a few surprises. 

“The West Indies women have to go into the tournament with a winning approach. Obviously, there will be shortcomings but they need to back themselves and believe that they can cause upsets,” said Lloyd, who is chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee. 

“They shouldn’t be daunted by the task of playing against formidable teams like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the first round. If they prove to be quick learners, I have all the reasons to believe that they will surprise a few people,” Lloyd said. 

South Africa captain Graeme Smith said: “I know we’ll be following their progress and supporting them while they’re in Australia and when it comes to the ICC World Twenty20 when they’ll be around in England when we are, we’ll be sure to be sharing tips and giving them even more backing. 

“I think their goals should be to play their games with 100 per cent commitment and remember the other teams are in the spotlight. The key for South Africa ladies could be to go along under the radar in order to cause an upset further down the line. 

“I think enjoying the games will always bring some sort of success. It’s a huge opportunity for them and feather in their cap to have made it into the tournament, so I think they should make the most of the tournament and the memories it will bring them.”

ICC Media Release
Sunday, March 01, 2009 11:43:07 AM