Women's World Cup 2017

from Snehal Pradhan at Derby Any confidence that England would have gained thanks to the cloudy conditions, and winning the toss and putting India in, would have evaporated once India started batting. Smriti Mandhana pulled her first ball for four as if she had grown up on county wickets. In the next over she punched a short ball through the covers for four. The following ten overs seemed to be a replay of those two shots stuck on repeat, as Katherine Brunt kept bowling short. Raut played four sedate overs at the other end, but when the batters finally changed ends in the ninth over, Mandhana greeted the first ball she played off Anya Shrubsole with another pull to deep midwicket. She and Raut motored along to 113 unbeaten till the 23rd over, when - out of nowhere - they took the batting power play, forcing Anya Shrubsole to come back into the attack. Her first ball was carted for six by Mandhana, and she and Raut took 20 runs from the over. Although Mandhana fell 10...

In the first completed game of the 2017 World Cup, at Bristol, an 8th ODI century from Suzie Bates saw New Zealand comfortably chase down Sri Lanka’s total of 188 to win by 9 wickets in the space of 38 overs. Skipper Bates (106*) was the epitome of “batting with intent”, driving Udeshika Prabodani’s first ball of the innings straight down the track for four, bringing up her half-century with a huge six over midwicket, and reaching 100 in the space of 107 balls. While fellow opener Rachel Priest departed early - LBW trying to sweep Chandima Gunaratne for 2 - Amy Satterthwaite (78*) continued her recent excellent form in 50-over cricket, effortlessly reaching her own half-century and sharing a 170-run partnership with her captain. Earlier, after New Zealand had won the toss and chosen to field, Player of the Match Holly Huddleston helped New Zealand restrict Sri Lanka to 188-9 across their 50 overs, finishing with 5-35 - the first five-fer of this World Cup. No doubt New...