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

Almas Akram stars as Pakistan wins again

Three wickets from Player of the Match Almas Akram inspired a fantastic four-wicket win for Pakistan over the West Indies.

 In front of a noisy and passionate Pakistani support, a 61-run sixth wicket stand between Urooj Mumtaz and Armaan Khan guided the team to victory.

 A brilliant opening spell from Pakistan’s Almas Akram (3-7) reduced the West Indies to 24-4, before Stafanie Taylor scored a superb innings of 55, showing her class as she maneuvered the ball all around Drummoyne Oval with great style.

Taylor (55) and Deandra Dottin (23) rebuilt the innings, before Urooj Mumtaz took the first of her two wickets in an excellent display of spin bowling, but some solid late-order resistance from Anisa Mohammed (12 not out) helped West Indies up to 132-9 off 50 overs.

A good all-round bowling display from the West Indies had Pakistan in all kinds of trouble in reply at 55-5, before some carefully placed hitting from Almas Akram and Urooj Mumtaz turned the game around.

 Almas Akram, who hit two leg side sixes in her perfectly timed innings of 43 not out off 48 balls, was in top form, and she took her team to victory with 13 balls remaining. 

ICC Women's World Cup 2009  News- Saturday, March 14, 2009 2:17:23 AM

Rejuvenated Pakistan back on track with victory over Sri Lanka

A rejuvenated Pakistan strengthened its claim for a place in the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 when it defeated Sri Lanka by 57 runs at Manuka Oval, Canberra on Monday.

Even contributions from the batters helped Pakistan reach 161-7 in 50 overs after Urooj Mumtaz won the toss and elected to bat first. In reply, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 104 in 39.4 overs, despite a fighting half-century by captain Shashikala Siriwardena.

While all the players contributed evenly to Pakistan’s cause, fast bowler Qanita Jalil was the star of Pakistan victory’s when she broke the back of Sri Lanka top order and finished with figures of 8-0-33-3 having earlier hit a rapid 19 off 20 balls.

Qanita was very well supported by all-rounder Sana Mir who followed up her priceless 22 not out with 2-18.

This was Pakistan’s first-ever victory over Sri Lanka in 19 ODIs and also its maiden win in the World Cup after six straight defeats. And it couldn’t have come at a better time after it was bowled out for 57 and thrashed by India by 10 wickets in the opener last Saturday. It had required an inspiring and an exceptional performance to keep it chances alive which the green shirts produced at the right time.

The result has now put Pakistan in third place in Group B with one win and one defeat while Sri Lanka is winless from two matches. In the final round of matches in the group stage on Thursday 12 March, Pakistan will play England at the North Sydney Oval which will be covered live by ICC’s broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports while Sri Lanka will play India in Bankstown.

Pakistan has played England only once before in the 1997 World Cup in India where it lost by 230 runs. In contrast, Sri Lanka has lost 15 out of the 16 matches against India with one ending in a no-result.

Urooj said she was happy with the performance. “I am proud of my team. The way it lifted itself after Saturday’s game was magnificent.

“It was a complete team effort and every player played her role to perfection. The batters stayed at the wicket to ensure we played out 50 overs while the bowlers bowled straight and were excellently back up by the fielders.

“However, Qanita and Sana stand out for their contributions. The two played very responsible cricket and today if we can eye a place in the Super Six stage, it is largely because of these two girls.

“All in all, it was a performance to be proud of and couldn’t have come at a better time when we prepare to play England in the last group match. Our feet are still on ground as we know plenty of cricket still has to be played in the tournament and anything can happen.

“There is always a first time and I am glad that we ended our win drought in the World Cup and also against Sri Lanka. I wouldn’t like to make tall claims but we would aim and try to beat teams we have never beaten before.”

On Monday, Pakistan showed it was a quick learning team as evident from the fact that after being dismissed in 29 overs against India, it batted for full 50 overs and managed to collect a decent 161-7.

Opener Nain Abidi was the top scorer with a gutsy 26 that came off 51 balls and included a four and a six. Other notable contributors were Sana Mir (22 not out from 37 balls), Sajida Shah (21 off 67 balls) and Urooj (20 off 43 balls).

Nain’s opening partnership of 47 runs with Bismah Maroof (10) turned out to be the highest partnership of the innings though 35 runs were added for the fourth wicket by Sajida and Urooj and another 30 for the seventh wicket between Sana and Qanita (19).

For Sri Lanka, Suwini de Alwis (2-19), Eshani Lokusooriya (2-28) and Shashikala Siriwardena 92-43) shared wickets.

Sri Lanka, in its target chase, was rocked by Qanita and never recovered after slipping to 28-3. Siriwardena tried to hold the innings together but there was not stopping from the other end as wickets continued to fall.

And when Siriwardena was smartly run out by Javeria Khan to become the eighth batter out after a fighting 58 off 111 balls with eight fours, Pakistan took just 22 balls to wrap up Sri Lanka’s innings, including the wickets of Rose Fernando and Sripali Weerakkody off successive balls.

Scores in brief: 

At Manuka Oval, Canberra: Pakistan 161-7, 50 overs (Nain Abidi 26, Sana Mir 22 not out, Sajida Shah 21, Urooj Mumtaz 20; Suwini de Alwis 2-19, Eshani Lokusooriya 2-28, Shashikala Siriwardena 2-43)

Sri Lanka 104 all out, 39.4 overs (Shashikala Siriwardena 58; Qanita Jalil 3-33, Sana Mir 2-18) 

Pakistan won by 57 runs

Tuesday’s fixtures:
India v England, North Sydney Oval
New Zealand v West Indies, Bankstown
Australia v South Africa, Newcastle

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Monday, March 09, 2009 11:08:21 AM

Pakistan achieves historic victory

Pakistan took a step closer towards the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup after a historic 57-run victory over Sri Lanka.

This was the first time in women’s ODI history that Pakistan had beaten Sri Lanka in 19 ODI matches and it was also Pakistan’s first ever win in a World Cup match.

Batting first, a solid opening partnership of 47 between Nain Abidi (26) and Bismah Maroof (10) set the team on its way.

Although some steady bowling from Suwini de Alwis (2-19) helped restrict the Pakistan total, some solid contributions from Sana Mir (22 not out), Sajida Shah (21) and Qanita Jajil (11) helped it to 161-7 off 50 overs.

Qanita Jalil (3-33) then led a brilliant display by the Pakistani attack, grabbing three early wickets, as the Sri Lankan top order crumbled.

Some brave resistance from Sri Lankan skipper Shashikala Siriwardena (58 off 111 balls) followed, but only one other player, Dedunu de Silva (13), made double figures as Sri Lanka was dismissed for 104 all out.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News   Monday, March 09, 2009 1:30:51 AM

Pakistan captain says her team has nothing to lose and everything to gain

Young and inexperienced but ambitious, the Pakistan team is taking inspiration from its performance in Stellenbosch, South Africa, 12 months ago as it prepares to go head to head with the best in next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 in Australia. 

Last February in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier, Pakistan put up series of strong performances to spring a surprise on eighth-ranked Ireland by 57 runs, Scotland by 252 runs and Zimbabwe by 94 runs before upsetting 10th-ranked Netherlands in the semi-final by 94 runs which won it a place in the main round for just the second time in its history. 

“We can take a lot of heart from our performance in South Africa where not many people gave us any chance. But we showed we were second best in that group and won the right to play against the best,” said Pakistan captain Urooj Mumtaz. 

“There are a lot of expectations on us in the World Cup but we have to be realistic. And the reality is we are the eighth-ranked team in the world, we are short of international experience and exposure, and we’ll be competing against teams who we have either never beaten or never played. 

“It leaves us with the task of scaling a mountain. But if we can turn the tables in Stellenbosch, I have no reasons why we can’t do again in Australia. It needs the same passion, dedication and commitment, and I am happy to say we are not short of those qualities. 

“The bottom line is we have got nothing to lose and everything to gain from the World Cup. We will give our best shot, try to learn and achieve as much as we can so that it could help us become a better team for future tournaments and series. The learning process has to continue. 

“We have short and long-term plans in place and no matter what anybody thinks, we know we are heading in the right direction. The players are gaining experience and learning with every match what it requires to excel at the highest level,” said the veteran of 30 ODIs. 

“Our objective in the World Cup is to improve our current eighth-ranking. We have never beaten Sri Lanka but we sense an opportunity against them as we feel we are not too far behind them. If a couple of our players fire on that day, we could end our win drought against them. 

“A victory against Sri Lanka will ensure we improve our ranking, it will enhance our chances of a place in the Super Six stage which would be a massive boost to the team and women’s cricket in Pakistan,” said Urooj. 

If Pakistan finishes at the bottom on Group B, it will still have a chance to achieve its objective when it will play the bottom-placed team from Group A in the seventh and eighth-position play-off match at North Sydney Oval No. 2 on Saturday 14 March. 

Urooj said it was a lifetime opportunity for her team to play in the World Cup. “Many of us never thought we would ever get this far. But now that we are here, we want to stay. 

“We are taking it as a massive opportunity to learn what it feels to play at the highest level and what it requires to consistently perform at that stage. With ESPN STAR Sports covering the matches at North Sydney Oval, we have, at least, one opportunity (against England on 12 March) to give a good account of ourselves on a global stage and let the world know that women’s cricket in Pakistan has come of age and is on the rise. 

“Our opening match is against India and though many think it will be a match between arch-rivals, frankly speaking there is nothing like this in women’s cricket. We have played quite a few times against each other but those were just games of cricket. We respect India because of what it has achieved in women’s cricket. 

“When we play our opening match, we will try to forget it’s a World Cup match because that thought can unsettle you, make you nervous and prevent you from giving your best. I don’t think cricket is a difficult game if you stick to basics. 

“I think the word ‘ICC’ makes this event prestigious and I feel honoured and privileged to not only wear the green blazer but to also lead my country at the highest level which is a dream for any sportsperson. 

“My team is not different. It is also looking forward to the tournament and is keen to make the nation proud. It is a tough task but not impossible,” said Urooj. 

Pakistan will play two warm-up matches in the lead up to the World Cup. It plays New Zealand at Manly on Tuesday 3 March and South Africa at Village Green on Wednesday 4 March. 

PAKISTAN – Urooj Mumtaz (captain), Sana Mir (vice-captain), Almas Akram, Asmavia Iqbal, Armaan Khan, Batool Fatima, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan, Nain Abidi, Nahida Khan, Naila Nazir, Qanita Jalil, Sajida Shah, Sania Khan, Sukhan Faiz.

ICC Media Release
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 1:22:19 PM

Sri Lanka, Pakistan gear up for much-needed practice

Sri Lanka and Pakistan will join Bangladesh in a triangular series in Bangladesh starting from Friday (tomorrow). The series will not only provide the players with opportunities to make progress in the ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings but it will also give them the chance to make their final touches to their preparations for next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup to be staged in Australia from 7 to 22 March. In the latest rankings, Sri Lanka have two players in the top 20 – Dedunu Silva and captain Shashikala Sriwardena. Dedunu is in 13th place and Sriwardena is in 15th position. On the bowling front, Pakistan’s Sajjida Shah is the only bowler from either side to be in the top 20. She sits in 15th spot, just behind Nicky Shaw of England and South Africa’s Alicia Smith.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s 2-0 lead in the five-match Rose Bowl Series has helped their players to rise in the latest rankings. New Zealand captain Haidee Tiffen has swapped places with team-mate Sara McGlashen and now sits in 10th place while Amy Satterthwaite has jumped 17 places to 25th. Australia’s Alex Blackwell’s dip by two places has allowed her captain Karen Rolton to rise by a place and England captain Charlotte Edwards by two places. Australia fast bowler Kirsten Pike, who is not part of the squad, and New Zealand seamer Aimee Mason have dropped out of the top 10. Pike has slipped three places to 12th while Mason has dropped two places to 11th.

Pike’s and Mason’s drop has benefitted England fast bowler Katherine Brunt who has returned to the top 10 while Nicola Browne of New Zealand has improved one place to eighth. There is no change in the top all-rounders’ which is still headed by Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar though Rolton has dropped one place to seventh position. With three matches still to be played in the Rose Bowl Series, there are plenty of opportunities for the players to make amends and climb up the rankings. For those who have gained after two matches, extra effort would be required to retain those places or to continue their upward movement. Both Sri Lanka and Pakistan are in Group B of the ICC Women’s World Cup, which is the first to be staged under the auspices of the ICC since its merger with the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) in 2005. The group also includes losing finalist in 2005 India and two-time former champion England.

Holder Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies are in Group A. The top three sides in each group will go forward to the Super Six stage where each side then plays the teams which have qualified from the other group. The top two sides from the Super Six go forward to the final.

While Sri Lanka qualified directly for the Australian event by finishing in the top six of the 2005 Women’s World Cup in South Africa, Pakistan and South Africa completed the eight-team line-up by qualifying from the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers which was held in Stellenbosch, South Africa early last year.

The Bangladesh triangular series will be Pakistan’s first outing since the Women’s Asia Cup which was held in Sri Lanka in May while their home series against the West Indies in October was cancelled due to safety and security reasons. In sharp contrast, Sri Lanka last played ODIs in November when they hosted the West Indies and won the series 3-2.

The matches between Sri Lanka and Pakistan will have ODI status as the two sides are in the top 10 of women’s cricket. Apart from the eight teams that will be involved in the ICC Women’s World Cup, Ireland and the Netherlands also have ODI status.

Tri-series fixtures:

6 Feb – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Shaheed Chandu Stadium, Bogra

7 Feb – Pakistan v Sri Lanka (ODI), Shaheed Chandu Stadium, Bogra

9 Feb – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Shaheed Chandu Stadium, Bogra

12 Feb – Pakistan v Sri Lanka (ODI), Khulna Divisional Stadium

13 Feb – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Khulna Division

14 Feb – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Khulna Stadium

17 Feb – Final, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Remaining matches in the Rose Bowl Series

6 Feb – New Zealand v Australia Zealand (ODI), Seddon Park, Hamilton

8 Feb – New Zealand v Australia (ODI), Seddon Park, Hamilton

12 Feb – New Zealand v Australia (ODI), Basin Reserve, Wellington.
Source: Daily Times, Pakistan