Women's T20 World Cup 2023 Archives

Meg Lanning becomes captain with most ICC Titles

CAPE TOWN: Australia women’s cricket team skipper Meg Lanning on Sunday became the captain with the most number of ICC titles, following Australia’s Women’s T20 World Cup triumph.

Australia carried on their legacy in women’s cricket as the side on Sunday, edged home side South Africa in the final by 19 runs to lift their record sixth title out of eight tournaments.

Following their world cup glory, Australian captain Lanning became the first captain in the history of cricket to win five ICC titles; leaving behind his country’s legend Ricky Ponting and India’s MS Dhoni.

Lanning, under her leadership, led Australia’s women’s side to four Women’s T20 World Cup titles (2014, 18, 20 and 23) together with the 2022 ODI World Cup.

There's nobody on Meg Lanning's level! 😇 #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/iBYn4T7uxU

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 26, 2023

Furthermore, Lanning has also led her side to win the women’s cricket event in last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Australia’s legendary captain Ponting trails Lanning in the list, who led Australia’s men’s side to four titles including two consecutive ICC Cricket World Cup victories in 2003 and 2007 and ICC Champions Trophy glory in 2006 and 2009.

Meanwhile, former Indian captain Dhoni, who is the only skipper to win all three major ICC tournaments – ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup, is ranked third in the list with three titles.

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Dominant Australia down South Africa to lift sixth Women’s T20 WC title

CAPE TOWN: Dominant Australia ceased South Africa’s dream run in the final as the defending champions outclassed Proteas women by 19 runs to lift the record sixth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title.

Set to chase 157, South Africa struggled throughout their innings to meet the required run rate against a disciplined Australian bowling attack and were eventually restricted to 137/6.

Right-handed opener Laura Wolvaardt fought hard for her side with a gritty 48-ball 61 but saw her efforts going in vain as no other South African batter could make significant contributions in the final.

Besides Wolvaardt, Chloe Tryon remained the other notable run-getter for South Africa and was the only one hanging on before Jess Jonassen struck in the 18th over to get rid of her. Tryon could score 25 off 23 deliveries.

For Australia, Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Ashleigh Gardner and Darcie Brown picked up a wicket each.

Opting to bat first, Australia raised a respectable 156/6 at the back of a magnificent unbeaten knock by their opener, Beth Mooney.

The opening batter anchored Australia’s innings with a sensible 53-ball 74, hitting nine boundaries and a six, while a succession of partners batted aggressively.

All-rounder Gardner batted ahead of skipper Meg Lanning and justified her promotion in the batting order as she scored a brisk 29 off 21 and played a pivotal role in guiding Australia to a decent total.

Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp took two wickets each, while Tryon and Nonkululeko Mlaba struck out a batter each.

Openers, Khaka power South Africa into Women’s T20 WC Final

CAPE TOWN: South African openers Laur Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits struck magnificent half-centuries before bowlers led the home side to edge England and into the final of the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.

Set to chase 165, England fell five runs short as the side finished at 158/8 in their allotted 20 overs with none of their batters could score big in the semi-final.

England were off to a flying start in the run chase as openers Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley stitched a magnificent 53-run partnership.

Ayabonga Khaka then dented England’s pursuit with twin strikes including Dunkley’s wicket in the sixth over and brought South Africa back into the game. Dunkley scored a brisk 28 off 16 deliveries.

Wyatt then stitched a crucial partnership with Nat Sciver-Brunt and added 32 runs for the third wicket before Khaka struck again to see the end of Wyatt’s knock. She scored 34 off 30 deliveries.

Following Wyatt’s dismissal, skipper Heather Knight joined Nat Sciver-Brunt in the middle and attempted to anchor the run chase with a brief 27-run partnership before the latter perished in the 17th over.

Nat Sciver-Brunt remained the top-scorer for England with 40 off 34 deliveries, hitting five boundaries.

Following her dismissal, England ran into a frustrating collapse that eventually resulted in them falling a mere five runs short of the glory.

Khaka led the bowling attack for South Africa with 4/29 while Shabnim Ismail returned with 3/27.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, South Africa piled 164/4 at the back of brilliant half-centuries by their openers Wolvaardt and Britz.

The duo scripted a solid start for their side as they scored 96 runs for the first wicket before Wolvaardt perished briefly after amassing her half-century. She scored 53 off 44 deliveries, smashing five boundaries and a six.

Britz then partnered with Marizanne Kapp and took South Africa to 142 inside 18 overs before finally falling victim to Lauren Bell. She top-scored for the Proteas women with 68 off 55 deliveries and struck six boundaries and two sixes.

Her dismissal triggered a late collapse in the South African batting lineup as the side slipped to 145/4 in the 19th over.

Kapp, however, stood her ground firm and guided South Africa to a defendable total with an unbeaten 27-run knock off just 13 deliveries.

Sophie Ecclestone led the bowling attack for England with 3/22 while Bell made one scalp.

READ: Azam wreaks havoc as United pile mammoth 220/6 against Gladiators

Kaur’s fifty in vain as Australia down India to reach Women’s T20 WC final

CAPE TOWN: India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s quickfire half-century went in vain as Australia edged India by five runs to make it to the Women’s T20 World Cup final.

Set to chase 173, India fell just five runs short as they could score 167/8 in their quota of overs despite valiant knocks by their skipper Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues.

Earlier, India got off to a poor start in the run chase as the side lost three wickets for just 28 runs in the fourth over.

Following the slump, Kaur and Rodrigues attempted to anchor the run chase as they launched a counterattack on the Australian bowlers with a crucial 69-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Darcie Brown then struck in the 11th over to cease the budding partnership as she dismissed Rodrigues.

She scored 43 off 24 deliveries including six boundaries.

Kaur, on the other hand, held her ground firm and kept the scoreboard ticking before an unlucky dismissal in the 15th over brought down the curtains on her magnificent knock and rocked India’s pursuit.

Kaur remained the top-scorer for India with 52 off 34 deliveries, hitting six boundaries and a six.

Kaur’s dismissal triggered a match-defining collapse which barred India from glory despite Deepti Sharma’s unbeaten 20.

Ashleigh Gardner and Brown bagged two wickets each for Australia while Jess Jonassen and Megan Schutt made one scalp each.

Opting to bat first, Australia piled a mammoth 172/4 in their allotted 20 overs at the back of brilliant knocks by Mooney and Lanning.

Earlier, Australian openers chipped in on the big stage as the pair laid a solid foundation for a big total by putting on a vital 52-run partnership before Radha Yadav provided a breakthrough to India by removing Alyssa Healy, who could score 25 off 26.

Following Healy’s dismissal, Mooney then partnered with skipper Lanning and added 36 runs for the second wicket before Deepti Sharma redeemed her dropped catch by dismissing the left-handed opener.

Mooney top-scored for Australia with 54 off 37 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries and a six.

Australia continued to dominate the Indian bowling attack despite Mooney’s dismissal as Lanning then joined hands with Ashleigh Gardener and put on a brisk 53-run partnership for the third wicket.

Gardener, who was the core aggressor of the vital third-wicket stand as she struck a quickfire 31 off just 18 deliveries and hit five boundaries.

Meanwhile, Lanning held his ground firm and carried her bat all the way through to make sure Australia get to a defendable total. She remained unbeaten on 49 off 34 deliveries; smashing four boundaries and two sixes.

Shikha Pandey led the bowling attack for India with 2/32 while Yadav and Sharma made one scalp each.

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Mandhana’s 87 fires India into Women’s WC semis as Pakistan crashed out

GQEBERHA: Indian opener Smriti Mandhana’s career-best 87 powered India to edge Ireland by a mere five runs in the rain-affected clash and into the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

India’s qualification to the semi-finals marked the end of Pakistan’s journey, who take England tomorrow in a dead rubber.

After opting to bat first, India piled a mammoth 155/6 in their set of 20 overs at the back of an astounding 56-ball 87 by Mandhana.

Earlier, Indian openers Mandhana and Shafali Verma scripted a solid start for their side as they raised 62 runs within 10 overs before the latter perished after scoring a cautious 29-ball 24.

Mandhana stood firm and stitched another vital partnership for her side with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who managed to score 13 off 20 before falling off Laura Delany in the 16th over.

Kaur’s dismissal triggered a collapse as Indian batters made desperate efforts to score big with their star batter Mandhana also falling after her career-best knock while India, consequently finished at 155/6.

Mandhana top-scored for her side with 87 off 56 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries and three sixes.

Delany led the bowling attack for Ireland with 3/33 while Orla Prendergast returned with 2/22.

Set to chase 156, Ireland could only bat for a mere 50 deliveries and scored 54/2, five runs behind the DLS par-score of 59 before the rain played spoilsport.

Irish opener Gaby Lewis remained unbeaten with a brisk 25-ball 32 and saw her efforts going in vain as India sealed a narrow victory that powered them into the semi-finals.

For India, only Renuka Singh could pick up a wicket.

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Aliya’s grit in vain as West Indies edge Pakistan in low-scoring thriller

PAARL: All-rounder Aliya Riaz’s fighting 29-run knock went in vain as Hayley Matthews-led West Indies edged Pakistan by a mere three runs in the low-scoring thriller in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Set to chase 117, Pakistan fell three runs short as the green shirts could amass 113/5 in the allotted overs despite Aliya’s fighting 29.

The green shirts were off to a dismal start to the run chase as the side lost both openers – Muneeba Ali and Sidra Ameen – for a mere 15 runs in the third over.

Following the slump, skipper Bismah Maroof and Nida Dar attempted to anchor the run chase with a crucial third-wicket partnership that saw the pair adding 44 runs.

The duo of Bismah and Dar, however, remained a touch too slow amid the crucial stand as they conceded 53 deliveries Afy Fletcher dismissed Dar, who could score 27 off 31 deliveries and hit a boundary.

Bismah then put on yet another crucial partnership for her side as she added 30 runs with Aliya before perishing in the 18th over after scoring 26 off 33 deliveries.

Skipper Bisma’s dismissal put Aliya under immense pressure, who had to bat with tailender Fatima Sana when the side needed 18 off the final over.

Aliya, however, kept Pakistan’s hopes alive with three boundaries in the over but her dismissal on the fifth delivery powered West Indies to run away with a narrow three-run triumph.

The right-handed batter top-scored for her side with 29 off 23 deliveries with the help of four boundaries.

West Indian skipper Matthews led the bowling attack of her side with 2/14 while Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack and Shamilia Connell struck out a batter each.

Opting to bat first, West Indies finished at 116/6 in 20 overs at the back of Rashada Williams’ 30.

The wicketkeeper batter remained the top-scorer for her side with 30 off 34 deliveries and smashed two boundaries.

Besides Williams, Shemaine Campbelle remained the other notable run-getter for her side with a 26-ball 22 while the rest of the West Indian batters failed to make a significant contribution.

Dar was the pick amongst the bowlers for Pakistan with two wickets, while Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal and Fatima could make one scalp each.

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Sciver’s fifty fires England to sink India despite Renuka’s five-for

GQEBERHA: England’s veteran all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt scored a magnificent half-century and cruised her side to edge India by 11 runs in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Put into bat first, England raised a decent 151/7 in their allotted 20 overs at the back of a sensational fifty by Nat Sciver.

Earlier, England got off to a dismal start as the side lost three wickets inside the batting power-play for a mere 29 runs before Sciver scripted an astounding recovery for her side with a gritty partnership with skipper Heather Knight.

The pair charged on the Indian bowlers as they piled brisk 51 runs in 38 deliveries Shikha Pandey broke the shackles by dismissing Knight, who could score 28 off 23.

Following the dismissal, Sciver then put on yet another important partnership for her side as she added a vital 40 runs with Amy Jones before falling victim to Deepti Sharma.

Sciver top-scored for England with 50 off 42 deliveries and smashed five boundaries.

Jones then partnered briefly with Sophie Ecclestone (11) before finally perishing in the final over. She scored a brisk 40 off 27 balls, laced with three boundaries and two sixes.

Renuka led the bowling attack for India with 5/15 while Deepti and Shikha made one scalp each.

Set to chase 152, India fell 11 runs short of the victory despite a brilliant half-century by opener Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh’s 47.

The rest of the Indian batters, however, failed to make an impact with the bat as India could pile 140/5 in their set of overs.

Mandhana top-scored for her side with a 41-ball 52 that featured seven boundaries and a six before falling off Sarah Glenn in the 16th over.

Ghosh, on the other hand, scored an unbeaten 47 off just 34 deliveries but her efforts eventually turned out to be insufficient as England ran away with a thrilling 11-run victory.

Glenn led the bowling attack for England with 2/27 while Ecclestone and Lauren Bell struck out a batter each.

READ: Malik’s fifty goes in vain as Gladiators edge Kings in nail-biter

Bates, bowlers aid New Zealand to thrash Bangladesh in Women’s T20 WC

CAPE TOWN: New Zealand opener Suzie Bates struck a magnificent half-century before a disciplined bowling attack led the side to a dominating 71-run victory over Bangladesh in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

After opting to bat first, New Zealand raised a mammoth 189/3 in their allotted 20 overs at the back of a magnificent 81-run knock by Bates.

New Zealand openers Bates and Bernadine Bezuidenhout laid a solid foundation for a massive total as the duo added 77 runs within just nine overs before Shorna Akter provided a much-needed breakthrough by removing the former.

Bezuidenhout scored a quickfire 44 off just 26 deliveries with the help of five boundaries.

Following her dismissal, Bates put on a brief partnership with Amelia Kerr (16) before finally putting on an unbeaten momentum-boosting stand with Maddy Green and carried her bat all the way through.

The duo of Bates and Green added 82 runs for the fourth wicket in just 42 balls. Green struck a brisk 44 not out off a mere 20 balls, hitting seven boundaries, while Bates top-scored fro the side with an unbeaten 81 off 61 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries and a six.

For Bangladesh, Fahima Khatun bagged two wickets while Shorna could make one scalp.

Set to chase 190, Bangladesh’s batting lineup failed and could only accumulate 118/8 in their allotted overs.

Shorna and Murshida Khatun offered a brief fightback with their respective knocks while the rest of the Bangladesh batters seemed clueless against a strong White Fern bowling attack.

Shorna top-scored for the side with 31 off 22 while Shorna could score 30 in 38 deliveries.

Besides them, opening batter Shamima Sultana remained the notable run-getter with an 11-ball 14, while the rest of the batters could not amass double figures.

Eden Carson led the bowling attack for Australia with 3/18 while Hannah Rowe returned with 2/15.

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Dominant Australia seal perfect win over Sri Lanka in Women’s T20 WC

GQEBERHA: Megan Schutt-led Australian bowling attack restricted Sri Lanka to 112/8 before their openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney led the side to a dominating 10-wicket victory in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Put into bat first, the Sri Lankan batting lineup failed completely and could only raise 112/8 in their allotted 20 overs despite Harshitha Samarawickrama’s 34.

Samarawickrama partnered strongly with skipper Chamari Athapaththu (16) to script a solid start for her side before the latter failed to stretch her knock and perished in the sixth over.

Vishmi Gunaratne then joined Samarawickrama in the middle and added 39 runs for the second-wicket partnership but remained a touch too slow as they conceded 51 deliveries in the process.

Grace Harris, who returned with 2/7 in three overs finally removed Samarawickrama in the 14th over. She remained the top-scorer for her side with 34 off 40 deliveries, laced with three boundaries.

Following her dismissal, Sri Lanka ran into a frustrating collapse and kept losing wickets till the final over with Australia consequently halting them to 112/8.

Schutt led the bowling carnage for Australia with 4/24 in her four overs while Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham struck out a batter apiece.

Set to chase 113, Australia comfortably chased down the total in the 16th over as both their openers Healy and Mooney scored unbeaten half-centuries.

Healy remained the core aggressor of the match-winning stand as she struck a quick 54 off 43 deliveries, while Mooney remained unbeaten with a cautious 53-ball 56.

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Muneeba, Sandhu propel Pakistan to thump Ireland

CAPE TOWN: Pakistan’s left-handed opener Muneeba Ali struck the first-ever century for the nation in Women’s T20Is before Nashra Sandhu led the green shirts to a thumping 70-run victory over Ireland in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Set to chase a mammoth 166, the Irish batting lineup failed completely against a strong Pakistan bowling attack and bundled out for a meagre 95 runs in the 17th over.

Top-order batter Orla Prendergast offered a brief fightback with her 31-run knock in just 21 deliveries and top-scored for her side, followed by Eimar Richardson, who could score 28.

Besides them, the rest of the Irish batters seemed clueless against Pakistan’s bowling attack, led by Sandhu, who picked up four wickets for just 18 runs.

Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar bagged two wickets each for Pakistan, while Fatima Sana could take one.

Put into bat first, Pakistan accumulated 165/5 in their allotted 20 overs at the back of a brilliant century by Muneeba.

Muneeba carried her bat till 19 overs and top-scored for the side with 102 off just 68 deliveries, laced with 14 boundaries.

The left-handed batter stitched a magnificent 101-run partnership with all-rounder Nida Dar, who scored 33 off 28 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and a six before perishing in the final over.

Following their dismissal, Aliya Riaz (3*) and Ayesha Naseem (6) powered Pakistan to finish strongly at 165/5 with the latter falling on the final delivery.

Arlene Kelly led the bowling attack for Ireland with 2/27 while Leah Paul and Laura Delany made one scalp each.

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