In the final game of the day, Zimbabwe took on the USA in a tightly fought contest in Mirpur with Doris Francis’ side coming out victors by just one run despite a valiant effort by Zimbabwe.
Shebani Bhaskar produced a fine 72 that included 11 boundaries. Photos by Shiek Mohamed
It was a tough day in the field for the Zimbabwean bowlers with the large attack used by Sharne Mayers being punished by the top-scorer of the day, the USA’s Shebani Bhaskar. The 17-year-old smashed her way to 72 runs, hitting 11 boundaries in the process, despite her team-mates failing to meet the mark with the bat.
In response, Zimbabwe valiantly chased the target and at one point looked set to secure its first win of the tournament after the middle order put runs on the board, and lower order batter Christabel Chatonzwa combining with the tail to work closer to the target.
However, Triholder Marshall, the 24-year-old who recently joined up with the squad after an injury to Grace Chadderton, had other ideas and the diminutive bowler dismissed the lower order and combined well with Samantha Ramautar for a run out, before Ramautar ran out Sharyce Saili to leave the African side two runs short of victory.
Khadiza Tul Kubra claimed six wickets against Ireland today to lead Bangladesh to its second win of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier.
Bangladesh captain, Salma Khatun, had helped the side to a total of 209 after the 21-year-old struck 73 runs at BKSP* 3, but in response Ireland fell 95 runs short of the target.
Meanwhile at BKSP 2, Shabnim Ismail put in a match-winning performance today for South Africa to claim 6-10 and help her side register its third win in the tournament, this time over The Netherlands. Ismail’s performance (8.3-0-10-6) was her best-ever performance to date for South Africa.
West Indies continued its winning ways as Stafanie Taylor claimed five wickets in the side’s 10-wicket win over Japan, while USA beat Zimbabwe at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium by just one run.
Triholder Marshall bagged 3 for 34 in the USA win against Zimbabwe.
As the teams arrived early at the Bangladesh Institute of Sports ground it was announced that the match would be delayed by half an hour, till the sun had risen and burnt off the thick fog that was shrouding the venue.
Starting at 9:30 am, it was a poor start for Bangladesh with Ayesha Akhter departing for just two runs, while Fargana Hoque Pinky out for only 16, leaving Suktara Rahaman and Salma to lead the Bangladesh batting line up.
Poor running between the wickets saw the home side losing five of its players to run-outs. But despite some swift fielding by the Irish, the Bangladeshis amassed 209 in its 50 overs much to the delight of the students of the sports institute who were cheering them on.
In reply, Isobel Joyce’s side were undone by the star spin bowler of the Bangladesh side, Kubra, who at 16 ripped through the Irish batting line-up. However, Bangladesh’s tallest player, Panna Ghosh began proceedings by dismissing Clare Shillington with her opening ball, as the 30-year-old was declared leg-before-wicket.
Kubra consequently tore through the entire top order of the Irish side, including the key scalps of Cecelia Joyce, Jill Whelan and Laura Delaney as the Ireland batting line-up failed to read the spin of the petite Bangladeshi and Ireland succumbed to its third loss, as the sparsely filled Bangladesh fans who had gathered on the grassy banks cheered the victory.
Ireland head coach Jeremy Bray admitted that his side’s batters were struggling against spin: “There were a number of things that went wrong today, I don’t think we bowled well enough as a side nor did we field well as a collective group, not nearly as well as we can. The team haven’t played overseas for a while but I have to say we’ve been found out against good quality spin here in Dhaka.
“It’s a glaring fact that our play of spin needs to be improved. It has got better this tournament, but it needs to improve further. Now we have a few days off before our next play-off game we can go away and practice taking on more spin as we could end up facing the Bangladesh side again in a play-off situation and we want to put in a better performance.”
Meanwhile, a delighted Bangladesh captain, Salma heaped praised on young Kubra: “Kubra’s one of our newcomers, having only joined up with the side when we recently toured Sri Lanka and since then she’s become one of our best bowlers. I was very happy to see her taking six wickets today and again showing us and everyone else how great a bowler she can be.”
Salma admitted that she was pleased with her own performance with the bat: “I wanted to lead from the front today and by scoring runs I hope it motivated the team to do well. We did have some poor running between the wickets which cost us five wickets but we had wickets in hand and runs on the board and we were taking every chance we could. We need to keep this momentum going ahead of our last group game against West Indies.”
A young Kubra was thrilled with her first spell: “It was great to take my first six-wicket haul and with such support here. I just wanted to make sure I kept bowling the ball in the right line and keep the flight going and it worked out well for us. I began playing cricket after my father encouraged me to train under my local coach. All their hard work and encouragement has paid off with my first six-wicket haul.”
Bangladesh will play its final Group A match at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday against an in-form West Indies.
At BKSP 2, South Africa continued to show its fine run of form as Mignon du Preez’s side brushed aside The Netherlands in the only ODI of the day.
Having won the toss, Du Preez’s side made a brisk 62 in the first eight overs before in-form batter Shandre Fritz was dismissed for 27 after being caught off the bowling of Mariska Kornet. Fellow opener, Tricia Chetty continued alongside former captain Cri-zelda Brits and after Chetty departed for 42, Brits and du Preez combined to make 93 for the third wicket.
Helmien Rambaldo’s bowlers were punished by South Africa’s batters for some sloppy bowling which saw the African side finish its innings on 269.
In response, Ismail and Moseline Daniels combined to provide a lethal bowling attack for the South Africans which ripped through the Dutch batting line up at lightening pace.
Ismail’s fast bowling proved too much for the Dutch as the 23-year-old walked away with six wickets including openers Miranda Veringmeier and Denise Hannema and key middle-order batter Kerry-Anne Tomlinson.
Daniels also showed her worth for the ladies in green and yellow, with the 20-year-old from Paarl walking away with four including the prize wicket of the Dutch captain.
A delighted Ismail collected the Player of the Match award and the ball which saw her claim her best bowling figures to date for South Africa in the side’s 233-run victory over the Dutch.
Ismail said: “It felt great today to lead the bowling attack as the senior bowler out there. To combine with Moseline and help the side to another win is just a great feeling and what also feels fantastic is that my figures of 6-10 are my best to date while representing South Africa at an international level.”
“I think as a side we played really well today, our bowling was great, our captain and batters performed brilliantly to make runs and we were tight in the field which meant ultimately we beat Netherlands.
“Next up we take on Zimbabwe and although we’ve played them plenty of times before, we won’t be taking the game lightly. We view each game individually and we’ll be wanting to win just as we have with these other games,” added the Cape Town resident.
South Africa will play its African neighbours Zimbabwe at Khanshaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah in its final Group A fixture of the round-robin stage of the event on Sunday.
West Indies continued its winning ways at Khanshaheb Osman Ali Stadium today when it defeated Japan by ten wickets in front of a small but energetic crowd in Fatullah.
Having won the toss, Ema Kuribayashi elected to bat first in the hazy sunshine and the side got off to a steady start with Mariko Yamamoto and Ayako Iwasaki making 22 before the latter departed after being declared leg-before off the bowling of Stafanie Taylor.
Shizuka Miyaji steadied the ship for the East-Asia Pacific side and the next wicket didn’t fall for ten overs with the side on 61 runs. Things went from bad to worse for Kuribayashi’s side as Taylor combined her occasional off-spin with in-form spinner Anisa Mohammed and young leg break bowler Shaquana Quintyne to dismiss the entire side for just 71 runs.
Taylor’s match figures of 5-13, saw the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2011 walk away with Player of the Match after West Indies’ Britney Cooper and Kycia Knight, promoted up the order for today’s game, knocked off the easy target set for Aguilleira’s team.
Tomorrow is a rest day with play resuming on Sunday.
Scores in brief – Day Four
At Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium
USA 188-8, 50 overs (Bhaskar 72; Saili 2-23)
Zimbabwe 187 all out, 48.5 overs (Chatonzwa 28; Marshall 3-34)
USA won by one run
Player of the Match: Shebani Bhaskar (USA)
At Khanshaheb Osman Ali Stadium
Japan 71 all out, 38.2 overs (Yamamoto 27; Taylor 5-13, Quintyne 2-17)
West Indies 72-0, 16.3 overs (Cooper 23 not out, Knight 33 not out)
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Player of the Match: Stafanie Taylor (WI)
At BKSP 2 (ODI)
South Africa 259-5, 50 overs (Brits 63, Du Preez 65; De Lange 3-45)
Netherlands 36 all out, 16.3 overs (Ismail 6-10, Daniels 4-25)
South Africa won by 233 runs
Player of the Match: Shabnim Ismail (SA)
At BKSP 3
Bangladesh 209-7, 50 overs (Suktara 47, Salma 73; Kenealy 2-46)
Ireland 114 all out, 36.5 overs (C Joyce 44; Kubra 6-32)
Bangladesh won by 95 runs
Player of the Match: Khadiza Tul Kubra