Six and Six of the Womens’ BEST in cricket

shasalika SiriwardaneShasalika Siriwardane, Skipper & allrounder -Pic by Solaris

Sri Lankan women cricketers beat England in a thriller at Mumbai

  • Sri Lanka won by one wicket off the last ball of the match – both are firsts in Women’s World Cup.
  • Sri Lanka‘s total of 244 is the highest by any team batting second in the World Cup.
  • It’s only the second successful run-chase of a target of 190 or more in 79 attempts in a World Cup game. The previous one was by New Zealand against India in 2009.
  • Sri Lanka struck five sixes, including the final hit of the match. It’s the first time any side has struck more than four sixes in a World Cup game against England, and the second time in any ODI against them.

SEE http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-womens-world-cup-2013/content/current/story/603037.html  AND http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-womens-world-cup-2013/content/current/story/603046.html

Woman of the Match = LE Kaushalya ++

End of over 48 (16 runs) Sri Lanka Women 226/7 (13 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 4.70, RRR: 6.50)

HMD Rasangika   8* (6b 1×4)   JL Gunn   5-0-32-1
LE Kaushalya   47* (36b 5×4 2×6)   KH Brunt   10-0-36-2
48.1 Hazell to Kaushalya, no run, plays and misses.
48.2 Hazell to Kaushalya, 1 run, driven down the ground to long off.
48.3 Hazell to Rasangika, 1 run, to the sweeper cover.
48.4 Hazell to Kaushalya, 1 run, hit down the ground to long on.
48.5 Hazell to Rasangika, OUT, hit in the air behind point and Elwiss takes the catch.
  HMD Rasangika c Elwiss b Hazell 9 (8b 1×4 0x6) SR: 112.50
48.6 Hazell to Surangika, 1 run, played to deep midwicket.
End of over 49 (4 runs) Sri Lanka Women 230/8 (9 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 4.69, RRR: 9.00)

MADD Surangika   1* (1b)   D Hazell   9-0-44-1
LE Kaushalya   49* (39b 5×4 2×6)   JL Gunn   5-0-32-1
49.1 Elwiss to Surangika, 1 run, gets it to short fine leg.
49.2 Elwiss to Kaushalya, SIX, goes all the way over the fence for a six, over square leg.
49.3 Elwiss to Kaushalya, 1 run, oh! Elwiss has dropped the match, as Kaushalya miscues it high in the air.
49.4 Elwiss to Surangika, OUT, driven to mid-off, and what do we have now, a run out as Kaushalya takes off from the non-strikers end for a non-existant single.
  LE Kaushalya run out 56 (41b 5×4 3×6) SR: 136.58
49.5 Elwiss to Surangika, no run, driven straight to backward point.
49.6 Elwiss to Surangika, SIX, hit well in the air and over the midwicket fence and Sri Lanka win.
Sri Lanka Women win by 1 wicket, a historic win and a thrilling finish. Thanks for tuning in, do join us again on Sunday.Pat: “Get the boys… Who says women cricket is boring. Excellent chase by Sri Lanka and keeping cool under pressure.”
End of over 50 (12 runs) Sri Lanka Women 244/9

MADD Surangika   8* (5b 1×6)   GA Elwiss   7-0-39-2
S Ravikumar   0* (0b)   D Hazell   9-0-44-1

How Sri Lanka turned its women’s cricket around

Alison Mitchell 9 hours, 45 minutes ago in ICC Women’s World Cup 2013

 Sri Lanka celebrate a historic achievement, beating the defending champions England off the final ball © ICC/Solaris Images

I can’t think of a bigger upset in 40 years of Women’s World Cup cricket than Sri Lanka’s win over England. The defending champions lost to a side that had never beaten them before, and who didn’t win a single game at the last World Cup in 2009. It was a match that defied expectations and Sri Lanka have improved beyond recognition from the side I watched in both the 2005 and 2009 tournaments. There was a strength and sense of fight in this team built on a trust of their instincts and ability.

After the game, Sri Lanka players and friends lingered long on the verandah of the dressing rooms at the Cricket Club of India, while small square tables and wicker chairs began to be set out on the edge of the outfield for club members to enjoy dining in the evening sun. It was a happy melee, with team captain Shashikala Siriwardene grinning from ear to ear as she was congratulated by passers-by doing their nightly exercise on the walking track around the boundary.

A chat with team manager and selector ARM Aroos helped to shed some light on just how Sri Lanka have transformed themselves in the last couple of years. He pointed firstly to Sri Lanka Cricket contracts and match fees, which are now awarded at a rate of US$100 for an ODI and US$50 for a T20. The fees aren’t much, but the contracts provide a monthly income.

They were only introduced in 2011 and the injection of spending by SLC appears only to have started in earnest since then, even though SLC had responsibility for the women’s cricket in the country from as early as 2005, when the International Women’s Cricket Council merged with the ICC. Prior to that, women’s cricket on the island was coordinated by Gwen Herath, a tireless former president of the country’s Women’s Cricket Association. She ensured Sri Lanka became a member of the IWCC following the men’s World Cup win of 1996, and in 1997 Sri Lanka’s women played their first international matches. Victory over England is by far their biggest moment since then.

Besides the contracts, the women’s game has a strong domestic structure, based around schools and provincial tournaments. The country’s military plays a huge part in nurturing the best players, as the Sports Clubs of the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force run teams that feature most of the players in the side that beat England. Players are contracted for up to five years at a time, not to work in the military but to play cricket, and those contracts could be worth 35,000 rupees per month (US$277 or £175). It is enough to make a difference.

As for the team’s celebrations after beating the reigning World Champions, Mr Aroos, who sees himself as something of a proud father figure to the players, declared “tonight, dinner is hosted by me!”

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  England Women innings (50 overs maximum) R B 4s 6s SR  
View dismissal CM Edwards* b Kaushalya 9 15 2 0 60.00  
  4.5 the ball was heading down the leg side, the ball deflects off the boots of Edwards onto the stumps. 22/1
View dismissal DN Wyatt lbw b Seneviratna 15 18 3 0 83.33  
  5.4 pitches outside the off stump and spins in to strike the pad in line and Wyatt is gone. 26/2
View dismissal A Brindle run out (SS Weerakkody/Dolawatte) 31 64 3 0 48.43  
  24.3 from Dolawatte, driven through the off side to extra cover, misfield and a chance for a run out and Brindle is out. 93/4
View dismissal LS Greenway lbw b Seneviratna 2 7 0 0 28.57  
  7.5 pitches on leg and middle and strikes the pad in line, another one bites the dust. 29/3
View dismissal HC Knight b Dolawatte 38 62 2 0 61.29  
  30.1 sweeps from outside the off stump and drags it back onto the stumps. 114/5
View dismissal JL Gunn c †Surangika b Kaushalya 52 71 4 0 73.23  
  46.6 Gunn makes room and edges to the keeper. 197/6
View dismissal A Jones b Siriwardene 41 49 4 0 83.67  
  47.5 comes down the track and the ball goes through the gap and hits the stumps. 203/7
View dismissal KH Brunt c Mendis b Siriwardene 12 5 1 1 240.00  
  49.1 mishit in the air to mid-off. 223/8
  D Hazell not out 19 8 3 0 237.50  
   
  HL Colvin not out 4 1 1 0 400.00  
   
  Extras (lb 3, w 12) 15          
           
  Total (8 wickets; 50 overs) 238 (4.76 runs per over)
Did not bat GA Elwiss
Fall of wickets 1-22 (Edwards, 4.5 ov), 2-26 (Wyatt, 5.4 ov), 3-29 (Greenway, 7.5 ov), 4-93 (Brindle, 24.3 ov), 5-114 (Knight, 30.1 ov), 6-197 (Gunn, 46.6 ov), 7-203 (Jones, 47.5 ov), 8-223 (Brunt, 49.1 ov)
                 
  Bowling O M R W Econ    
View wickets LE Kaushalya 9 1 49 2 5.44 (3w)  
  4.5 to Edwards, the ball was heading down the leg side, the ball deflects off the boots of Edwards onto the stumps. 22/146.6 to Gunn, Gunn makes room and edges to the keeper. 197/6
  SS Weerakkody 4 0 20 0 5.00 (2w)  
   
View wickets CR Seneviratna 8 0 35 2 4.37 (1w)  
  5.4 to Wyatt, pitches outside the off stump and spins in to strike the pad in line and Wyatt is gone. 26/27.5 to Greenway, pitches on leg and middle and strikes the pad in line, another one bites the dust. 29/3
  S Ravikumar 9 0 35 0 3.88    
   
View wickets HASD Siriwardene 10 0 62 2 6.20 (2w)  
  47.5 to Jones, comes down the track and the ball goes through the gap and hits the stumps. 203/749.1 to Brunt, mishit in the air to mid-off. 223/8
View wicket SK Dolawatte 10 0 34 1 3.40    
  30.1 to Knight, sweeps from outside the off stump and drags it back onto the stumps. 114/5
               
  Sri Lanka Women innings (target: 239 runs from 50 overs) R B 4s 6s SR  
View dismissal AC Jayangani c Hazell b Brindle 62 72 7 1 86.11  
  23.1 hits in the air straight to Hazell at mid-on. 103/1
View dismissal BYA Mendis c Colvin b Brunt 46 90 6 0 51.11  
  32.2 mistimes the short ball in the air and Colvin at midwicket takes the catch. 142/2
View dismissal HASD Siriwardene* c Greenway b Elwiss 34 45 4 0 75.55  
  35.5 hit in the air behind point and Greenway takes the catch. 153/4
View dismissal PM Weerakkody b Elwiss 1 5 0 0 20.00  
  33.5 plays across the line and gets bowled. 145/3
View dismissal SK Dolawatte c Greenway b Brunt 4 10 0 0 40.00  
  38.1 cut in the air straight to Greenway. 157/5
View dismissal LE Kaushalya run out (Elwiss) 56 41 5 3 136.58  
  49.4 Elwiss to Surangika, driven to mid-off, and what do we have now, a run out as Kaushalya takes off from the non-strikers end for a non-existant single. 238/9
View dismissal CR Seneviratna b Gunn 14 23 1 0 60.86  
  44.6 full and in the block-hole, Seneviratna is gone. 197/6
View dismissal SS Weerakkody c †Jones b Brindle 0 1 0 0 0.00  
  45.5 drives and finds the edge, Jones takes a good catch. 206/7
View dismissal HMD Rasangika c Elwiss b Hazell 9 8 1 0 112.50  
  48.5 hit in the air behind point and Elwiss takes the catch. 229/8
  MADD Surangika not out 8 5 0 1 160.00  
   
  S Ravikumar not out 0 0 0 0  
   
  Extras (w 10) 10          
           
  Total (9 wickets; 50 overs) 244 (4.88 runs per over)
Fall of wickets 1-103 (Jayangani, 23.1 ov), 2-142 (Mendis, 32.2 ov), 3-145 (PM Weerakkody, 33.5 ov), 4-153 (Siriwardene, 35.5 ov), 5-157 (Dolawatte, 38.1 ov), 6-197 (Seneviratna, 44.6 ov), 7-206 (SS Weerakkody, 45.5 ov), 8-229 (Rasangika, 48.5 ov), 9-238 (Kaushalya, 49.4 ov)
                 
  Bowling O M R W Econ    
View wickets KH Brunt 10 0 36 2 3.60 (5w)  
  32.2 to Mendis, mistimes the short ball in the air and Colvin at midwicket takes the catch. 142/238.1 to Dolawatte, cut in the air straight to Greenway. 157/5
View wickets GA Elwiss 7 0 39 2 5.57 (2w)  
  33.5 to PM Weerakkody, plays across the line and gets bowled. 145/335.5 to Siriwardene, hit in the air behind point and Greenway takes the catch. 153/4
View wicket D Hazell 9 0 44 1 4.88 (1w)  
  48.5 to Rasangika, hit in the air behind point and Elwiss takes the catch. 229/8
  HL Colvin 8 0 47 0 5.87    
   
View wickets A Brindle 9 0 38 2 4.22 (1w)  
  23.1 to Jayangani, hits in the air straight to Hazell at mid-on. 103/145.5 to SS Weerakkody, drives and finds the edge, Jones takes a good catch. 206/7
View wicket JL Gunn 5 0 32 1 6.40 (1w)  
  44.6 to Seneviratna, full and in the block-hole, Seneviratna is gone. 197/6
  DN Wyatt 2 0 8 0 4.00    
   
Match details
Toss Sri Lanka Women, who chose to field
Points Sri Lanka Women 2, England Women 0
Women’s ODI debut A Jones (England Women)
Player of the match LE Kaushalya (Sri Lanka Women)
Umpires GO Brathwaite (West Indies) and BB Pradhan (Nepal)
TV umpire VA Kulkarni
Match referee DT Jukes (England)
Reserve umpire Sarika Prasad (Singapore)

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