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. 

Stylish opener Smriti Mandhana extended her purple patch with a classy 91 off 102 balls, propelling India to 314/9 in the first Women’s ODI against the West Indies in Vadodara Sunday. Mandhana, who recorded a 50-plus score for the fifth time in as many innings, got the bulk of the runs in her 110-run stand alongside debutant Pratika Rawal (40 off 69). The launch pad was provided by Mandhana for the middle-order to go big and that is what the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur (34 off 23), Harleen Deol (44 off 50), Richa Ghosh (26 off 12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (31 off 19) did to take India past 300.

After dropping hard-hitting Shafali Verma, India have tried multiple batters to open alonside Mandhana and on Sunday it was the turn of Delhi cricketer Pratika, who batted at a strike rate of 57.97.

The 24-year-old was also dropped at mid-off when she was batting on three in the 10th over. Her four boundaries came on the leg-side as she employed the sweep multiple times.

Mandhana, at the other end, entertained the crowd with her trademark shots including a cover drive and pull.

During the knock, Mandhana also became the first-ever woman player to score over 1600 runs in a calendar year.

Woman cricketers with most runs in a calendar year –

1. Smriti Mandhana (2024) – 1602

2. Laura Wolvaardt (2024) 1593

3. Nat Sciver-Brunt (2022) 1346

4. Smriti Mandhana (2018) 1291

5. Smriti Mandhana(2022) 1290

India changed gears after the arrival of fit-again skipper Harmanpreet who struck at close to 150 to give the innings a timely move on.

The momentum was carried by Richa and Rodrigues who has been in top form of late.

For the West Indies, the pick of the bowlers was left-arm spinner Zaida James who took five wickets for 45 runs in eight overs.

India could have got a lot more in the death overs but the last three overs only yielded 20 runs with James picking three wickets in the final over.

India stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana said the five-year wait they had to go through to win a T20I series at home did not “reflect” the team’s capabilities, a fact she reminded her colleagues ahead of the series decider here on Thursday. Put in to bat, India dished out a dominating batting display. Mandhana (77; 47b) set the foundation before Richa Ghosh (54; 21b) equalled the record for the joint-quickest fifty as the hosts posted their highest T20I total of 217/4. In response, West Indies were limited to 157/9 as India sealed the three-match series 2-1, their first series victory at home since 2019.

“After the last match, I told the girls it has been five years that we have not won a T20I series. That does not reflect the team we are,” Mandhana said.

“I told them that today, we have an opportunity to do that and we just want to keep doing the right things,” added Mandhana.

Mandhana hit a third successive fifty, continuing her red-hot form from the ODI series Down Under where she posted a century in the last match.

“The batting line-up we had, there were a few youngsters coming in, so there was a bit of added responsibility and that kind of thing goes well if you really put your head into it, and when I do that, I probably bat better.” “We lost all three tosses, so had to bat first and that is the harder thing to do (here). Really happy we could put up (a score) and loved the way Richa batted.” On the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur, she said: “Harman has been a pillar in the middle-order. Whenever she is there, you know that if something happens, she will be there.” She was also all praise for rookie Raghvi Bist who made a fine 22-ball 31 not out.

“The girls stepped up beautifully. The way Raghvi batted was impressive. She came in with lots of intent and hitting her fourth or fifth ball for six, I would not have been able to do that in my second match.” Player-of-the-Match, Richa, credited the team’s strong start for the win.

“We got a good start, the way everyone batted. I just wanted to continue that and whenever the ball was in my slot, I tried to hit it,” said Richa.

“In the nets, I think about the match and try to clear (the fence). If the ball is in my slot, whether it is the first ball or the last ball, it does not matter. It feels very good when you contribute (towards such a win and such a series victory).” West Indies captain Hayley Matthews admitted their bowling lacked discipline on a challenging wicket.

“We probably did not bowl as well as we wanted to. It was one of those wickets where we had a very small margin for error. We were not on it with the ball and missed our lengths more often than we wanted,” Matthews said.

Richa Ghosh joined Australia’s Litchfield and Kiwi Devine in scoring the fastest fifty in women’s T20I.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Richa Ghosh loves to finish games, no matter where she bats. Challenging situations bring out the best in her.

Things were no different at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday. Batting at No. 5, she toyed with the West Indies bowlers and went on to join Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine in scoring the fastest fifty in women’s T20I — off just 18 deliveries.

With more than 47,000 spectators chanting her name, Richa (54, 21b, 3×4, 5×6) guided India to a massive 217 for four — its highest total in the format — as the Women in Blue recorded a 60-run win in the third T20I and pocketed the series 2-1.

Coming on the back of a dominating victory, West Indies’ move to field backfired as none of its bowlers could make an impact.

Despite Uma Chetry departing early, India piled on the runs as stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana (77, 47b, 13×4, 1×6) and Jemimah Rodrigues put on a 98-run partnership for the second wicket.

Smriti set the tone by scoring 13 off the third over and 20 off the fourth. As she smashed the bowlers all over the park, en route her third consecutive fifty, Smriti not only made batting look quite easy, but also set the record for most runs (193) by an Indian woman in a bilateral T20I series. Making the most of West Indies’ listless bowling and sloppy fielding, Smriti also became the batter with most runs in a calendar year in women’s T20Is with a tally of 763.

Once the Smriti-Jemimah partnership ended, Richa forged a 70-run stand with Raghvi Bist and carried on the carnage.

Richa found the fence with ease as India scored at nearly 10 an over.

However, with heavy dew settling in, the Indian bowlers had a tough job on hand.

But left-arm spinner Radha Yadav dashed Windies’ hopes with figures of four for 29. 

While Qiana Joseph fell early, Radha broke the 37-run stand between Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews, by removing the latter. As she tightened the noose, West Indies slipped further and was eventually out of the game, despite Chinelle Henry’s quick-fire 43 off 16.

The scores: India 217/4 in 20 overs (Smriti 77, Richa 54, Jemimah 39) bt West Indies 157/9 in 20 overs (Henry 43; Radha 4/29); Toss: West Indies.

PoM: Richa; PoS: Smriti.

Richa Ghosh smashed a record-equalling fastest fifty while Smriti Mandhana made a graceful fifty to propel India to a 60-run victory over the West Indies in the third and final women’s T20I in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. Thus India clinched the three-match series 2-1, and it was also the home side’s first T20I series win at home since October 2019. Ghosh struck a 21-ball 54 (3x4s, 5x6s) while bringing up her fifty off a mere 18 balls and Mandhana made a robust 77 to power India to their highest ever T20I total of 217 for four.

In reply, West Indies crumbled against a mountainous target and crawled to 157/9 in their 20 overs, as left-arm spinner Radha Yadav returned with a four-wicket haul.

The West Indies could never really attain any momentum and lost Qiana Joseph (11) early, while mainstays Hayley Matthews (22) and Deandra Dottin (25) also fell cheaply which severely hampered the visitors’ hopes.

Chinelle Henry waged a lone battle with a 16-ball 43, hitting four sixes and three fours, but her effort came when the fate of the game was all but sealed. India deployed six bowlers to defend 218 and Radha was the pick among them — 4-0-29-4.

The two teams will now move to Vadodara for a three-match ODI series to be played at the new Kotambi Stadium from December 22.

Earlier, Ghosh equalled the world record for the fastest fifty in women’s T20Is (18 balls) after Mandhana’s fireworks as India registered their highest-ever total in the shortest format, going past the 201/5 against the UAE in the Asia Cup earlier this year.

The 21-year-old Ghosh reached 54 off just 21 balls (3×4, 5×6), alongside equalling the record for the fastest fifty being jointly held by New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield.

Ghosh’s blitz came after Mandhana became the leading run-scorer in this format this year, reaching 763 runs in 23 T20Is, while smacking her third consecutive fifty of the series and eighth of the year.

She moved ahead of Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu in the run-scorer’s list.

Having erred in the second game by not putting enough runs on the board, India rode on Mandhana’s charge to get their runs at nearly 10 an over.

Her pull shots were as compelling as her strokes on the off-side, at times effortlessly clearing the in-field to stamp her authority.

Mandhana’s fireworks overshadowed Uma Chetry’s two-ball duck in the first over and Rodrigues’ slow start in which she also survived a leg-before review against Matthews.

However, Rodrigues picked up pace after a slow start to make 28-ball 39 with four boundaries, building a robust platform for a big total as the two put on 98 runs off 55 balls.

At No 4, Raghvi Bisht (31 not out off 22 balls, 2×4, 1×6) made her first impression on international circuit when she danced down the track to clear Karishma Ramharack for a six and scored runs on both sides of the wicket.

Bisht played a perfect second fiddle to both Mandhana and Ghosh, adding 44 and 70 runs respectively while gaining crucial experience herself.

But Mandhana again missed a hundred, as she walked back to the hut after making 77 from 47 balls with 13 fours and a six. It was her highest score in this series, and she was dismissed in the 15th over by Dottin.

India then made the right move by sending in hard-hitter Ghosh ahead of Deepti Sharma, and the young wicketkeeper-batter dazzled.

Ghosh showcased her prowess with powerful hits with the ball landing nearly into the stands, particularly on the leg side, delighting a strong crowd over 45000.

Richa Ghosh (54) equalled the world record for the fastest fifty in women’s T20Is (18 balls) after Smriti Mandhana‘s (77) fireworks as India registered 217 for 4 in the series-deciding third and final match against the West Indies here on Thursday. It was also India’s highest-ever total in the shortest format, going past the 201/5 against the UAE in the Asia Cup earlier this year. The 21-year-old Ghosh reached 54 off just 21 balls (3×4, 5×6), alongside equalling the record for the fastest fifty being jointly held by New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield.

Ghosh’s blitz came after Mandhana became the leading run-scorer in this format this year, reaching 763 runs in 23 T20Is, while smacking her third consecutive fifty of the series and eighth of the year.

She moved ahead of Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu in the run-scorer’s list.

Having erred in the second game by not putting enough runs on the board, India rode on Mandhana’s charge to get their runs at nearly 10 an over.

Her pull shots were as compelling as her strokes on the off-side, at times effortlessly clearing the in-field to stamp her authority.

Mandhana’s firework in the powerplay and beyond overshadowed Uma Chetry‘s two-ball duck in the first over and Rodrigues’ slow start in which she also survived a leg-before review against Hayley Matthews.

However, Rodrigues picked up well after a slow start to make 28-ball 39 with four boundaries, building a robust platform for a big total as the two put on 98 runs off 55 balls.

At No 4, Raghvi Bisht (31 not out off 22 balls, 2x4s, 1x6s) made her first impression on international circuit when she danced down the track to clear Karishma Ramharack for her first boundary of the career — a six — and scored runs on both sides of the wicket.

Bisht played a perfect second fiddle to both Mandhana and Ghosh, adding 44 and 70 runs respectively with the senior batting partners while gaining crucial experience herself.

But Mandhana again missed a hundred, as she walked back to the hut after making 77 from 47 balls with 13 fours and a six. It was her highest score in this series, and she was dismissed in the 15th over by Deandra Dottin.

India then made the right move by sending in hard-hitter Ghosh ahead of Deepti Sharma, and the young wicketkeeper-batter once again dazzled.

Ghosh showcased her prowess at the crease with powerful hits with the ball landing nearly into the stands, particularly on the leg side, with more than 40,000 in attendance here at the DY Patil Stadium. 

India women’s cricket team in action.© BCCI

India Women extended their unbeaten run against the West Indies to nine consecutive T20I victories with a dominating 49-run win in the series opener on Sunday. After Jemimah Rodrigues (73) and Smriti Mandhana (54) powered India to their highest-ever total of 195 for four against the Caribbean side and their third highest overall in the format, the West Indies responded with 146 for seven. At the top, young Qiana Joseph dazzled with a 33-ball 49, while veteran Deandra Dottin (52) recorded her first fifty since making a comeback to T20Is earlier this year, but their efforts were not enough.

West Indies’ hopes were dealt a body blow in the second over when substitute fielder Minnu Mani produced a superb athletic catch to see the back of West Indies’ skipper Hayley Matthews (1) off Titas Sadhu (3/37).

Joseph cracked five fours and three sixes to keep the scoreboard ticking but West Indies could not produce big partnerships in the middle.

Joseph and Shemaine Campbelle (13) put on a laborious 34-run stand for the second wicket off 31 balls, while the former’s association with Dottin did not last beyond 18-ball 44 for the third wicket.

Joseph took a liking for Saima Thakor, hitting the Indian bowler for four boundaries in the eighth over but the asking rate only kept increasing. After Joseph missed her fifty by one run — dismissed by Sadhu — Dottin took charge of getting the big runs.

Dottin hit four fours and three sixes in her 28-ball 52 but even as she got a couple of lifelines with Indian fielders spilling regulation catches, the target was beyond the visitors.

Dottin too became a victim of Sadhu, who capitalized on the pressure created by the spin duo of Deepti Sharma (2/21) and Radha Yadav (2/21).

Earlier, Rodrigues clobbered nine fours and two sixes to make a superb 73 off 35 balls, producing one of her finest knocks in the shortest format at No 3.

Coming off a fine 105 in her last outing — the final ODI of the Australia tour — Mandhana continued with her rich streak of form to notch up her 28th fifty in the format and sixth of the year.

Mandhana’s 54 also took her runs tally past 600 runs in the year while she moved to the fourth spot in the list of highest run-scorers in women’s T20Is in 2024.

Mandhana’s knock included seven fours and two sixes as she, along with the others in her camp, enjoyed returning to favourable and familiar conditions at home as India bettered their highest-ever total against West Indies. Their previous best was 185/4 in November 2019 at Gros Islet.

It was Rodrigues who appeared to have made the most of it, targeting her favourite scoring area on the leg side to pierce gaps with ease and even send the ball flying over the ropes at deep square leg on one occasion to bring up her 12th fifty.

Mandhana and Rodrigues put on 81 for the second wicket off 44 balls before the former was dismissed by Karishma Ramharack, who was the pick among the Caribbean bowlers returning figures of 4-0-18-2.

Richa Ghosh made a quick 14-ball 20 with two fours and a six, and her knock ended with the veteran Deandra Dottin taking a superb catch at deep mid-wicket off Mandy Mangru in the 17th over.

India’s opening pair of Uma Chetry (24) and Mandhana gave their side the early impetus, putting on 50 runs on board inside seven overs.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Saturday backed the Indian women’s team to regain confidence in home conditions during the three-match T20I series against the West Indies, following a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign and a 0-3 defeat in Australia. Having failed to progress beyond the group stage in the T20 World Cup in October, India bounced back with a 2-1 ODI series win against New Zealand at home. However, their 0-3 loss in the ODI series in Australia has once again put the team under significant pressure.

“After the World Cup, we played against New Zealand, we did really well in the home conditions and Australia tour result was not something which we were expecting but lot of learnings for us,” Kaur told the media here before India’s training session ahead of the first T20I against the West Indies.

“In India, whenever we (have) played, we (have) played good cricket, the only (disappointing) thing was (the) World Cup and then the Australia tour which didn’t go according to our plans but apart from that, if I see in this year, we played really good cricket, we won lot of matches in home conditions.” “These things happen and as a team, it’s very important for us to stay together and think about all the positives we have done in the past,” she said.

Kaur said India’s bowling attack was relatively young in Australia and has learned valuable lessons from the experience. “Our bowling attack was quite young (in Australia) and for them, it was a great learning playing against such a good team where (they could) see how good players play and how they can improve,” she said.

Kaur, however, refused to comment on the exclusion of Shafali Verma for T20Is against West Indies despite the right-handed batter being second highest run-scorer this year.

“I would say, ask the right person. I can only talk about the team, (the) team is here and what (all) things we can do to win this series. Regarding Shefali or any other player, (it is) better to ask the right persons,” Kaur replied.

There was very little turnaround time after playing their final T20I in Perth on Wednesday and Kaur acknowledged the scheduling challenges.

“I am not the right person to answer that. You can definitely ask the right person,” she said when asked if the scheduling could’ve been better.

“To be honest, it is difficult because we are coming from Australia and after the game, only within 4-5 hours we left the country and came back to India ,” she said.

“But as a professional, these things happen and we just want to stay motivated and yesterday was a totally off day. We tried to rest well and tomorrow is another game, so looking forward for that.” Kaur said the team had “good talks” on the way back from Australia.

“When we were coming back from Australia, we had good talks in the flight because that was the only time when we can talk and think about how we can start this series. We discussed about how we have to go about in this particular series,” she said.

“When you have very less time, it’s very difficult to reflect on things which we have done in the past. Staying together is something which is very important and which we have been doing. Whatever (is) in our hands, we are doing that to turn things around.” Kaur backed Uttarakhand’s Nandini Kashyap and Raghvi Bisht, who received their maiden call-ups for this series, to come good.

“Both of them (have) done really well in the (Senior Women’s T20) Challenger Trophy and because of that they have got the opportunity. For them, it’s a great platform and I hope they will do really well for the team because if we see, we have very limited girls,” Kaur said.

“(It is) good to see them doing really well in the domestic format and hopefully, they will take the responsibility and start doing well for the country at (the) international level,” Kaur added.

With Yastika Bhatia, Shreyanka Patil and Priya Punia unavailable due to injuries, the selection committee was forced to make some major changes for the upcoming six-match white-ball series against the West Indies Women to be played from December 15. In the T20I squad, the selectors brought in Nandini Kashyap, Sajana Sajeevan and Raghvi Bist as replacements in the 15-member squads for the upcoming series. Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the squad with Smriti Mandhana, who struck a century in the third and last ODI in Australia, will remain the vice-captain.

“The Women’s Selection Committee has picked India’s 15-member squads for the upcoming three-match T20I & ODI home series against West Indies,” the BCCI joint secretary Devajit Saikia informed in a release on Friday.

India’s squad for the three T20I series against West Indies: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Nandini Kashyap, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Deepti Sharma, Sajana Sajeevan, Raghvi Bist, Renuka Singh Thakur, Priya Mishra, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav

India Women and West Indies Women will play the three T20Is at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on December 15, 17 and 19, 2024.

In the ODI squad, the selectors picked Pratika Rawal and Tanuja Kanwer while retaining Tejal Hasabnis, who had come in as replacement for Yastika.

India’s squad for the three T20I series against West Indies: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Nandini Kashyap, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Deepti Sharma, Sajana Sajeevan, Raghvi Bist, Renuka Singh Thakur, Priya Mishra, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav

India’s squad for the three ODI series against West Indies: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Renuka Singh Thakur

The three ODIs will be played on December 22, 24 and 27 at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.