Not worrying about pressure and being “ruthless” have been the hallmark of the Indian team so far as it aims to retain the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, said left-arm spinner Parunika Sisodia after guiding her side to the final of the prestigious tournament on Friday. India are just win away from retaining the title when they take on South Africa on Sunday and Parunika said the team enters every match with the determination to dominate. India crushed England by nine wickets to set up a summit clash with South Africa, who defeated Australia by five wickets in the other semifinal.

“We have made it our motto that we are not going to worry about pressure, we are just going to enjoy the game. Whatever happens, we will go through it together. It’s ’11 against all’,” Parunika, who returned excellent figures of 3/21 in four overs, told ICC after the match.

“We have been playing together for seven or eight months. Our support staff has always been there and made sure we are together, making sure we are having fun,” she added.

Parunika had a major task to achieve after England were off to a flying start, racing to 37 for no loss after four overs. She made an instant impact, removing Jemima Spence and Trudy Johnson to stem the flow of runs, before coming back to dismiss the dangerous Katie Jonesas the rivals were restricted to 113/8.

G Kamalini then struck a fine half-century as India reached the target in 15 overs for the loss of one wicket.

“This was the goal, getting to the final and performing well all through the tournament. We are here to dominate, and every time we enter the field that is the goal, we are going to dominate and be ruthless,” she said.

“I’m happier that we are in the final than getting ‘player of the match’ or getting those wickets. Since this morning, I had that butterflies-in-my-stomach feeling. It’s relaxed now that we are finally there, one more game to go.” The 19-year-old said that speaking to her father Sudhir Singh Sisodia, a former domestic player and her coach, before every match gives her the confidence to go all out in every match.

“Today, I woke up very early and had nothing to do. We have a team room so I went there and had a yoga and meditation session. Then I came back, had breakfast and talked to my dad.

“I will always talk to my dad before coming to a match. He played domestic cricket and now he is a coach and me playing is something that has deepened our bond.” “When I was younger, every time he used to take me to a ground, I was never interested at first, but gradually I started getting that interest. He is the happiest person to see his daughter choosing the game that he loved. I’m very happy to give that happiness to my dad,” she added. 

Annabel Sutherland etched her name into history on day two of the Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), becoming the first woman to score a Test century at the iconic venue. The young all-rounder played a masterful knock of 163 off 258 balls, guiding Australia to a commanding 422-5 at stumps, with a lead of 252 runs. Sutherland, who started the day on 24 not out, dominated the English bowling attack, dispatching 14 boundaries in an innings filled with elegant stroke play and resilience.

She reached the historic three-figure mark with a precise cut shot, a moment she described as a dream come true.

Speaking to Fox Cricket after her record-breaking innings, Sutherland expressed her delight at achieving this feat at her home ground.

“It’s a pretty special place, especially as a Victorian. I’m stoked I could spend a bit of time out there, and we’re in a really good position, which is nice. Growing up, there was no better place to be than the ‘G, watching the cricket, watching the footy – a few Grand Finals as a Cats fan, which is cool. To be out there in the middle, it’s such a cool occasion for the whole group.”

Sutherland’s knock was part of a 154-run partnership with Beth Mooney, who remained unbeaten on 98 at the close of play. Mooney’s innings saw her surpass Karen Rolton as Australia’s fourth-highest female international run-scorer.

While Australia’s batters put on a dominant display, England’s fielding woes played a significant role in their struggles. The visitors dropped nine catches, with wicketkeeper Amy Jones also missing a crucial stumping opportunity. Sutherland herself was dropped twice and survived the missed stumping, while Mooney was given three lifelines before reaching 19.

Former England captain Alex Hartley criticised the team’s lackluster fielding, calling it their worst performance of the Ashes series.

“England’s fielding has been under the pump throughout this Ashes series, and in Test cricket, it shows you’ve got to be switched on every single ball,” Hartley told TNT Cricket.

“A couple of really easy chances for England there, and they just weren’t able to take them. Annabel Sutherland averages 418 when she gets past 28, and she’s made England pay for those dropped catches.”

Australian captain Alyssa Healy contributed 34 runs before being trapped LBW, but her dismissal wasn’t without controversy. Healy immediately reviewed the decision, with replays showing the ball wedged between bat and pad, making it difficult to determine if it had hit the bat first.

The third umpire took several minutes to review the footage before ultimately backing the on-field decision. Former Australian cricketer Alex Blackwell weighed in on the tough call, saying:

“It just looks to me there’s small deviation into the pad. Even on the replay, you can see a small deviation. It is a tough one for the umpire.”

The Aussies built their huge first-innings lead without the involvement of Ellyse Perry, who left the field on day one with a hip injury. While Cricket Australia confirmed Perry was fit to bat if required, captain Healy admitted they were uncertain about her involvement.

“To be completely honest, we’re still a little unsure about Pez,” Healy told Fox Cricket.

“What that does to our batting line-up, we’re not sure. I think today we’ll just look to solidify what we’re doing and then probably assess as we go throughout the day as to if we do have a cheeky little bowl tonight. But I dare say we’ll try and get as far in front as what we possibly can.”

With Australia firmly in control, the focus will now be on when Healy decides to declare. With Perry’s injury and the massive first-innings lead, the hosts will look to put England under pressure and aim for an early breakthrough when they bowl.

India would like to continue their flawless campaign when they take on England in the semifinal of the Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup here on Friday. Following a 10-wicket thrashing of hosts Malaysia in their tournament opener, India hammered Sri Lanka by 60 runs, Bangladesh by eight wickets in their first Super Six game and ended the round with a massive 150-run win over Scotland. The Niki Prasad-led side has been in red-hot form across departments with their last Super Six outing against Scotland sounding an ominous warning to the opponents.

The in-form opener Gongadi Trisha notched up a fabulous 110 off 59 balls with 13 fours and four sixes, while her opening partner G Kamalini also gave a commanding display with a 42-ball 51.

With scores of 4, 27 not out, 49, 40 and 110, Trisha has been the leading run-scorer in the competition with 230 runs in five outings at 76.66, way ahead of England’s best batter Davina Perrin who has 131 runs to show from four matches at 32.75 with one fifty.

India had shot our Scotland for a mere 58 runs in 14 overs in a Super Six match with Vaishnavi Sharma (3/5), Aayushi Shukla (4/8) and Trisha (3/6) leading the charge.

Vaishnavi and Aayushi have been at the forefront in the bowling department with 12 and 10 wickets respectively in the competition, which has helped India’s cause to a great extent.

England will be wary of India’s batting firepower and hope their players find their touch quickly in the contest, as a couple of wins and as many defeats in the four Super Six games do not really instil confidence.

Teams:

India: Niki Prasad (c), Sanika Chalke, G Trisha, Kamalini G, Bhavika Ahire, Ishwari Awasare, Mithila Vinod, Joshitha VJ, Sonam Yadav, Parunika Sisodiya, Kesari Drithi, Aayushi Shukla, Anandita Kishor, MD Shabnam, Vaishnavi S.

England: Abi Norgrove (c), Phoebe Brett, Olivia Brinsden, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Trudy Johnson, Katie Jones, Charlotte Lambert, Eve O’Neill, Davina Perrin, Jemima Spence, Charlotte Stubbs, Amuruthaa Surenkumar, Prisha Thanawala, Erin Thomas, Grace Thompson.

Match starts at 12:00pm IST. 

Australia moved one step closer to the semifinals with a dominant performance on their way to a seven-wicket victory over a listless West Indies in the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup here on Saturday. After winning the toss, Australia opted to field and immediately applied pressure, reducing the West Indies to 16-3 by the end of the powerplay. The West Indies batters struggled to settle as Australia kept striking at regular intervals, eventually bowling them out for just 53 runs in 16.3 overs.

Eleanor Larosa, Caoimhe Bray, and Tegan Williamson were the standout bowlers, each taking two wickets. Eleanor Larosa was named Player of the Match for her brilliant bowling performance, finishing with figures of 2/6.

Australia’s chase was swift and efficient. Despite a brief rain delay, they comfortably reached the target in 10.5 overs, with skipper Lucy Hamilton leading the way with 28 runs off 29 balls.

This victory brought Australia closer to a spot in the semifinals, while the West Indies find themselves in trouble, sitting at the bottom of Super Six Group 1.

New Zealand beat USA after getting bowled out for 97

New Zealand made a remarkable comeback as they successfully defended a measly total of 97 to beat USA by 18 runs in their Super 6 Group 2 match.

The slow bowlers, led by leg-spin talent Rishika Jaswal (2/14), pulled off the seemingly impossible task, grinding USA’s run chase to a halt and triggering a batting collapse.

After bowling out the Kiwis for 97, the United States were dismissed for 79.

USA’s superb effort in the field placed them in a prime position to start their Super Six campaign with a win.

New Zealand’s top order made it into the 30s without the loss of a wicket, but that’s when their fortunes shifted.

The first dismissal set off a run of five wickets for just 12 runs, including a marvellous in-swinging yorker from Lekha Shetty and a Ritu Singh off-breaker that turned sharply to bowl dangerous hitter Eve Wolland.

Singh shone with the ball, taking 5/15 from her four overs to edge Jaswal for Player of the Match honours.

Hannah Francis’ 25 off 33, along with Jaswal’s 17 off 27, ensured New Zealand had something to defend.

USA opener Disha Dhingra (30 off 24) had her team on track before Jaswal and Kate Irwin took over, finishing with two wickets each.

USA could not recover from those blows and ended 18 short of their target.

South Africa aim to continue flawless run

In a rain delayed contest which was reduced to 10 overs, South Africa bowled out Ireland for 35 before registering a seven-wicket victory in Sarawak.

Ireland won the toss and elected to bat, but South Africa instantly piled on the pressure by picking regular wickets and not letting any batter to settle.

Monalisa Legodi and Kayla Reyneke were the star bowlers for South Africa, picking four and three wickets respectively.

England, Nigeria match abandoned

Nigeria and England shared the points, after wet weather in Sarawak failed to ease and led the game being abandoned. 

England faced a shocking six-run (DLS method) defeat in the second T20I of the ongoing women’s Ashes against Australia on Thursday. With this win, Australia are 2-0 ahead in the three-match T20I series and have already won the Women’s Ashes. The match, which was curtailed by rain, saw a brilliant fighting knock from England skipper Heather Knight while chasing the revised target of 175. Knight scored 43* off 19 balls but her side still fell short by six runs, which forced the England skipper to give a controversial gesture.

In the last over of the match, England 22 off 6 balls to win. Knight hammered a boundary on the very first ball of the over of Annabel Sutherland and England were hopeful of a stunning win. However, fate had other plans in store as the rain got heavier and match had to be abruptly stopped.

With a score of 168/4 in 19.1 overs, England were six runs short of DLS par score. Resulting which, Australia were declared the winners. Knight, who was batting at 43*, could not believe this and threw her bat on the ground in anger.

Heather Knight throws her bat in frustration.

The DLS par score is 174. #CricketTwitter #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/5m609x1FL4

— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 23, 2025

Later, she picked up the bat and disappointingly walked back to the dugout.

After the game, Knight admitted that her reaction was an emotional one and the umpires made the right decision.

“It was right decision by the umpires. I was really in the zone to try and win us that game, and obviously frustrated that we were going off, but it wasn’t at the umpires at all. It was pretty wet, even when we were running it felt pretty slippy and it was quite hard to attack those twos. So yeah, it was the right decision, hundred per cent,” said Knight as quoted by News18.com.

“It was brilliant game of cricket. Felt like I could get us over the line. I felt really set, and I had some really good boundary options on a very good cricket wicket. It was an awesome crowd and they deserved a finish, and you could hear the frustration from the fans that that we were going off, and the game wasn’t able to reach its conclusion,” she added.

Following England losing the Women’s Ashes, former men’s captain Nasser Hussain has raised the question if the side has been making any improvement under skipper Heather Knight and head coach Jon Lewis. Hussain’s stern words come after Australia retained the Women’s Ashes with a win in the first T20I at the Sydney Cricket Ground and take an unassailable 8-0 lead in the multi-format series. Though there are four more games left, it looks unlikely that England will make a fightback to at least draw the series.

“The reaction and what has happened reminds me very much of when we were playing out there. I don’t think we were whitewashed – and this England women’s side haven’t been whitewashed, but they’ve lost their first four games.”

“The Ashes have gone; I lost them in 12 days, Heather Knight in nine days – albeit different formats. It must be hugely disappointing. Australia have shown their class. To put it in context, just how good Australia are as a cricketing nation, they haven’t lost an ODI series at home for 38 years!

“They’re one of the greatest sides there has ever been. But, instead of looking at the opposition, have a look at your own side. Are you improving under Knight and Jon Lewis? That’s the question that needs to be asked,” said Hussain on Sky Sports’ Cricket Podcast.

England last won the women’s Ashes 11 years ago, and last won a trophy under Heather’s captaincy when they clinched the 2017 ODI World Cup on home soil. Lewis, who took over as head coach in 2022, is yet to coach England to a big trophy.

After England suffered an early exit at last year’s T20 World Cup, former left-arm spinner Alex Hartley claimed that some players were “letting their team down” with their fitness levels. More recently, she claimed that spinner Sophie Ecclestone refused to speak to her for a TV interview. Hussain, though, chose to sympathise with Alex’s viewpoint.

“I thought what Alex Hartley said was pretty fair. It’s part of her job to call it as she sees it. And it’s part of you to react; I’ve been there, with three fingers held up to (Ian) Botham, (Bob) Willis and (Jonathan) Agnew. It’s also part of your responsibility to do the media.”

“But I’ve known the odd player in the men’s game actually who will ask the question, ‘who is doing the interview?’ She questioned the fitness and the fielding in particular. And obviously certain members of the team have reacted poorly to that. It’s been a disappointing couple of weeks,” he concluded.

England’s Alex Hartley with teammates.© AFP

Glimpse of the hot-air balloon of Women’s Ashes© X (Twitter)

Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka have been rested from South Africa’s three T20I matches against England, starting from November 24. The duo though will be back for the ODI leg of the multi-format series. Apart from the duo, Mieke de Ridder is also not a part of the T20I series, while young leg-spinner Seshnie Naidu will be completing her matric exams and would be aiming to represent South Africa in the 2025 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia.

In their absence, all-rounders Eliz-Mari Marx and Nondumiso Shangase find themselves in the T20I team, while Faye Tunnicliffe makes her return to the national squad for the first time since 2021.

For the ODI series, experienced pacer Masabata Klaas is back after missing out on the T20 World Cup in the UAE last month. South Africa have also included fast bowler Ayanda Hlubi, marking this her first 50-over call-up since February’s tour to Australia.

Left-handed batter Lara Goodall, who recently reached her 50th ODI cap in April, returns after missing the ODI series against India in June. “The selection focused on white-ball cricket, with the T20I series giving us a great platform to provide opportunities to some players who have been on the radar, based on their performances over the last year.”

“The ODIs allow us to continue with our preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup and to solidify our position in the ICC Women’s Championship. Faye Tunnicliffe has put in some prolific and impacting performances for her province and has been making steady progress at recently held national camps.”

“Lara Goodall has shown some positive strides domestically and we are positive that she will be in a position to impact the ODI series with her skill. Nondumiso Shangase brings her domestic experience into play with her right arm-off spin and batting capabilities,” said Clinton du Preez, Proteas Women Convenor of Selectors.

In the current ICC Women’s Championship (2022-2025) standings, South Africa are fourth with 23 points from 21 matches, trailing England by five points with three matches to play for both teams. Top five sides, along with hosts India, will qualify automatically for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.

“Everyone is looking forward to the multi-format series against England, and we know it’s not going to be an easy one. It’s always a tough series against them. We know that we need to make sure that our planning is spot on and so far it’s been interesting. We would like to have the same approach as we had in the recent T20 World Cup.”

“We would still like to grow as a team and continue working on our T20 playing philosophy. So we decided to give one or two players a chance in the T20I series to prove themselves and also to give us a chance to look at what stock we have available and what skill we need to work on,” said interim head coach Dillon du Preez.

South Africa will also play England in a historic Test match at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein from December 15-18, the first Women’s Test held in South Africa since 19 March 2002. Cricket South Africa (CSA) said the Test squad will be announced in due course during the white-ball series.

South Africa T20I Squad: Laura Wolvaardt (Captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloé Tryon and Faye Tunnicliffe

South Africa ODI Squad: Laura Wolvaardt (Captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon

West Indies defeated England by six wickets as Hayley Matthews’ side joined South Africa in advancing from Group B at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Chasing a target of 142, openers Hayley Matthews (50) and Qiana Joseph (52) launched a blistering assault, both scoring half-centuries. A rattled England dropped several chances, and their four wickets came too late to stop the West Indies from sealing the victory with two overs to spare. Earlier, a brilliant performance from Nat Sciver-Brunt had set West Indies a target of 142. England had been reduced to 34/3, with Deandra Dottin starring in the field.

However, Sciver-Brunt led a superb recovery, scoring an unbeaten 57 from 50 balls to guide her team to 141/7.

Afy Fletcher was the pick of the bowlers for the West Indies, taking 3/21, while Dottin contributed 1/16 in three overs, along with three catches and a run-out.

England also suffered a blow when captain Heather Knight sustained a calf injury, preventing her from taking the field in the second innings. She could only watch as her team crumbled.

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. She soon made an impact, breaking a strong start by England’s openers to dismiss the dangerous Danni Wyatt-Hodge (16 from 12).

Wyatt-Hodge was caught brilliantly in the ring by Dottin, who had just been moved into position, with celebrations suggesting the dismissal was a planned tactical move.

Dottin was involved again as England ended the powerplay at 34/2, running out Alice Capsey (1) following some miscommunication between the batters.

England continued to attack despite losing early wickets. Maia Bouchier, attempting to keep up the aggressive approach, skied a catch to Qiana Joseph, cutting short her promising knock of 14 from 19 and leaving England in need of a rebuild.

Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight formed a game-changing partnership in the middle overs, with Knight playing the aggressor and Sciver-Brunt acting as the steady anchor.

England had a stroke of luck when replays revealed a not-out decision could have been overturned, but West Indies had no reviews left.

The pair added 46 before a concerning development for England as Knight (21* from 13) was forced to retire hurt.

England’s middle and lower order couldn’t contribute substantially but provided support to Sciver-Brunt. Amy Jones (7), Charlie Dean (5), and Danielle Gibson (7) all scored at a run-a-ball. Sophie Ecclestone, who hit the team’s only six, was also dismissed, caught by Dottin after scoring 7 from 4.

Thanks largely to Sciver-Brunt’s half-century, England reached 141/7 in their 20 overs, setting a target that proved insufficient against a dominant West Indies side.