Lynn McConnell
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2nd Semi Final: India Women v New Zealand Women at Lincoln, 20 Dec 2000 Lynn McConnell |
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India Women innings:
New Zealand Women innings: Pre-game: |
India could only manage 117 runs in 46 overs, a total New Zealand passed --.
Tight New Zealand bowling was matched by an attacking batting effort at the top of its chase. Rebecca Rolls hit a quickfire 23 and then Anna O'Leary and Emily Drumm took to the bowling.
India rung the changes with seven bowlers use in 14 overs. Much like the re-arrangement of the batting, it didn't work.
O'Leary batted as well as she has at any time of the tournament. Her cutting and pulling was well executed while her timing of the ball was exceeded only by the superb touch demonstrated by Drumm.
They passed the 100-mark in the 23rd over from 137 deliveries.
When the win was achieved in the 27th over, O'Leary had scored her third half century of the tournament, in 90 balls, while Emily Drumm was 44 not out.
It took India 21 overs to reach their 50, New Zealand was there in the 12th by which time India had employed five bowlers in a bid to curtail the Kiwi assault.
Rebecca Rolls produced another of her cameo innings at the top of the order before she was out, caught off a leading edge from the bowling of Neetu David, one ball after hitting only the second six of the tournament on the BIL Oval.
She was out for 23 of the 35 scored in the opening partnership.
Her departure brought New Zealand captain Emily Drumm to the wicket and she was quickly into her stride, unleashing a superb cover drive for four and then sweeping another boundary with aplomb.
Another shot in the 15th over sped to the mid-wicket boundary from Deepa Kulkarni's slow bowling to take New Zealand to 65/1. Anna O'Leary was 25 not out and Emily Drumm was 16 not out.
Rau was 67 not out when the innings ended with India all out for 117 in the 46th over.
India juggled their batting order for the game, but the side never settled into run accumulation and the New Zealand attack was on top from the outset.
All of the bowlers were frugal while the Indians were also tardy in their running between the wickets.
A classic example of the alert Kiwi thinking in the field was seen when Renu Margrate was watching the umpire Kathy Cross who was considering a leg before wicket appeal from bowler Rachael Pullar.
Wicket-keeper Rebecca Rolls had no time to appeal, she gathered the ball and from 10 metres from the stumps, she threw down the wicket with Margrate staring down the pitch and making no effort to get back into her crease.
Rau was slow in her batting. While lasting as long as she did in the innings, her scoring was slow and once she started losing partners her role was to be there at the end.
Rau took 115 balls for her half century and hit only three fours. That wasn't too bad considering there were only eight boundaries in the innings in total.
New Zealand slow bowler Catherine Campbell regained sole ownership of the world record for One-Day International wickets while taking 1-33 from her 10 overs.
The good thing for New Zealand was the way all the bowlers responded to the situation. None were taken apart.
A re-arranged batting order did not provide the impetus at the top of the innings that India wanted and while Purnima Rao was still there after 30 overs having scored a barely a run an over.
New Zealand's bowling tightened up under the prospect of an Indian assault and by strangling the batting, the frustation got to the Indians.
Kathryn Ramel's second over ripped out Chanderkanta Kaul and Anjum Chopra, both for ducks and removing a significant part of the Indian strike power.
Catherine Campbell regained the world record for wickets in One-Day Internationals with wht wicket of Hemlata Kala caught at the wicket by wicket-keeper Rebecca Rolls for one.
A vital blow was struck when captain Anju Jain was run out for 16, having looked the most effective of the Indian batsmen. She was out after consultation with the third umpire, Peter Parker of Australia.
After 30 overs, India was 74/6 with Rau 30 not out and Deepa Kulkarni still to score
India won the toss and batted first in perfect conditions but the New Zealand bowlers responded to the move by opening with pace bowlers Katrina Keenan and Rachael Pullar. In most earlier games New Zealand had opened with off-spinner Clare Nicholson.
Nicholson missed the last two games with a finger injury but was included in the side for this game.
If the Indians were looking for a quick start to the innings it didn't happen and the bowlers applied the pressure, creating some frustration among the batsmen.
Pullar struck the first blow for New Zealand in the eighth over when having Harikrishna chip a shot to square leg where Helen Watson dived forward, and to her left, to take a good catch.
New Zealand captain Emily Drumm immediately changed the bowling and Kathryn Ramel rewarded her in her second over with two wickets.
Chanderkanta Kaul was caught at mid-on from a leading edge and Anjum Chopra was bowled by a yorker from Ramel bowling around the wicket.
Both went for ducks and India was 25/3. Rau was joined by captain Anju Jain and after 15 overs India was 36/3 with Rau 12 not out.
Conditions for the match are perfect with early morning mist clearing away to a calm sunny day with temperatures expected to get as high as 27 degrees celsius.
The teams are: New Zealand - Emily Drumm (captain), Debbie Hockley, Catherine Campbell, Rebecca Rolls, Anna O'Leary, Haidee Tiffen, Katrina Keenan, Clare Nicholson, Rachel Pullar, Kathryn Ramel, Helen Watson.
India - Anju Jain (captain), Anjum Chopra, Hemlata Kala, Neetu David, Sunita Kanajia, Smitha Harikrishna, Deepa Kulkarni, Chanderkanta Kaul, Rupanjali Shastri, Renu Margrate, Purnima Rau.
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Date-stamped : 20 Dec2000 - 10:27