Women's World Cup 2017

It was a runs-fest today at Bristol if ever there was one. Between them the two sides racked up an aggregate of 678, making it the highest scoring women’s ODI in history, but it was ultimately England who ran out the winners by 68 runs. For South Africa, bowling first at the request of Heather Knight, memories of knocking over West Indies for 48 faded quickly, as Tammy Beaumont fearlessly took on the pace quartet of Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka and Moseline Daniels. Ismail ultimately finished with figures of 1-89 across her 10 overs - the most runs ever conceded by a bowler in a Women’s World Cup match. Beaumont may have denied being out of form - “I don’t believe in form”, she said at the post-match press conference - but after scores of 14, 14 and 12 so far in this World Cup, it was her moment to shine, and shine she did. Her 148 was without doubt her best innings in an England shirt, made as it was against one of the best attacks in world cricket. Mean...

After opting to bat first, Mithali Raj said she was aiming for a total of more than 250. Sport rarely goes to script though. The Indian batting innings was like driving inside an Inidan residential society; smooth road, speed breaker, repeat. One is never comfortable. India lost wicket in clumps between partnerships. After the openers fell early, Raj and Deepti put on 118, both scoring fifties. Then both were dismissed, along with Goswami, before Veda Krishnamurthy and Harmanpreet Kaur put up 50 for the sixth-wicket. The effort took them to 232 for 8, which eventually proved enough to beat Sri Lanka by 16 runs. But the match was decided pretty early in the second innings, thanks to a strangling spell from Poonam Yadav, and some advice from Ekta Bisht. Bisht has played 44 ODIs, and has plenty of experience in England. She made her debut here, picked up her first Player of the Match (in a T20) here, and has played more than 20 percent of her ODIs in England as part of three tourin...

Pakistan failed to press home an early advantage, allowing Australia to put one foot in the semi-finals with a strolling victory at Leicester. Without captain Meg Lanning, resting a recurring shoulder injury, Rachel Haynes stepped in to skipper the side, winning the toss and opting to bat on a green track at Grace Road. But it was Pakistan who made the early going, reducing the Southern Stars to 7-2 with the early wickets of Beth Mooney for a duck, and an uncomfortable looking Nicole Bolton, LWB for 3 off 20 balls. Haynes and Ellyse Perry began a slow, patient rebuild, which saw them make just 18 runs, without a single boundary, off the first 10 powerplay overs, as Perry in particular responded to the Pakistani tactic of bowling way outside her off stump by simply watching the ball pass harmlessly through to the keeper, as if she were playing a Test. Haynes finally found the boundary for the first time in the 11th over; but Perry waited until 15th to hit her first 4. It wasn...

👎 Lanning out of Pakistan match with shoulder injury -  link 👎 Selman and Connell are replaced in Windies squad -  link 👎 Pakistan lose Maroof -  link 👎 Pakistan are sanctioned for slow over rate v England -  link 👍 Sciver & Knight hit centuries as England beat Pakistan - link 👍 Australia brush West Indies aside - link 👍 South Africa squeak past Pakistan -  link 👎 England opener Winfield ruled out of opening match with hand injury -  link 👍 Windies blown away & Aussies win comfortably again as warm-ups end -  link 👍 Big win for Aussies & unexpected win for Pakistan in warm-ups -  link 👍 Sky Sports to show all 31 WWC17 games live -  link 👍 England & New Zealand win opening warm-up games -  link 👍 Official warm-up games start today -  link 👍 West Indies land in the UK -  link 👍 England's Sarah Taylor interviewed ahead of WWC17 - external link 👍 Dane van Niekerk fit to lead the Protea...