Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament - playing day 4, 18th November
Ireland failed in their bid to qualify for the 2012 Women's World Cup when they crashed to defeat against Bangladesh in Dhaka today (Friday). Bangladesh won the toss, batted, and quickly lost Ayesha Akhter, caught off Amy Kenealy, who replaced Louise McCarthy in the Ireland line-up. Number 3 Farjan Hoque was run out by Clare Shillington for 14 in the 12 th over to leave the host nation on 38-2, but that was the end of the good news for 21 overs as Suktara Rahaman and skipper Salma Khatun added 86 runs. Amy Kenealy returned to bowl Suktara Rahaman for 47, who was replaced by Lata Mondal. She scored 31 of the next 49 runs before being run out by Amy Kenealy.
Cecilia Joyce ran out Panna Ghosh for a single, and in the final over effected two more run outs, including Salma Khatun for 73, as Bangladesh closed on a useful 209-7. Amy Kenealy justified her call-up with 2/46, and Kim Garth and Jill Whelan bowled tightly. Clare Shillington fell first ball of the Ireland innings, lbw to Panna Ghosh. Jill Whelan joined Cecilia Joyce, and the pair added 68 in 17 overs to put Ireland in a great position. Then Whelan was bowled by Khadiza Tul Kubra for 20, and the sixteen year old off spinner went through the Irish middle order, dismissing Cecilia Joyce for 44, twin sister Isobel for 3, Eimear Richardson for 3, Melissa Scott-Hayward for 7 and finally Laura Delany for a patient 11. Amy Kenealy and Mary Waldron were run out, Elena Tice stumped off Rumana Ahmed, leaving Kim Garth 10* out of 114 in 36.5 overs. Khadiza Tul Kubra finished with 6/32.
The Group B leaders, West Indies, took their time to make very short work of Japan. Ema Kuribayashi won the toss, chose to bat, and must have been very happy when they had reached 61-1 in the 21 st over. Then Anisa Mohammed bowled Marika Yamamoto for 27, and two balls later Stafanie Taylor had Shizuka Miyaji caught for 17. Thereafter only the skipper (37 balls for 3) and Shizuka Kubota (26 balls for 1) got off the mark, and Japan were bowled out for 71 in 38.2 overs. Taylor took 5/13, Mohammed 3/13 and Shaquana Quintyne 2/17. Kycia Knight (24*) and Britney Cooper (33*) knocked off the runs in 16.3 overs.
Group A leaders South Africa won the toss, batted, and put Netherlands to the sword, running up 269-5 in their 50 overs. Shandre Fritz scored 27, opening partner Trisha Chetty 42, number 3 Cri-zella Brits 63, skipper Mignon du Preez 65, Marizanne Kapp 16 and Kirstie Thomson 18*. Only Esther Lanser (1/39) and Esther de Lange (3/45) of the Dutch bowlers escaped punishment. But worse was to come: Shabnia Ismael (6/10) and Moseline Daniels (4/25) bowled unchanged for 16.3 overs to shoot Netherlands out for 36. Lanser (11*) was the only lady to reach double figures.
There was a cracker of a match at the Shere Bangla Stadium, Mirpur, where Zimbabwe asked USA to set a target. Precious Marange bowled Delkash Shahriarian in the sixth over, after which Nadia Gruny and Shebani Bhaskar added 55 in 12 overs. Then Gruny went for 28, but Bhaskar batted on to the 34 th over for 72 out of 141-6. The seventh wicket fell on 144, but the eighth not until the final ball as Anahita Arora (19) and Sara Farooq (16*) took the score to 188. For Zimbabwe, Sharyce Saili took 2/23 off her ten, Sharne Mayers 1/27 and Julia Chibhabha 2/38, but 30 wides were far too many to concede.
Trinholder Marshall and Sara Farooq bowled the Zimbabwe openers inside nine overs, then Erica Rendler had Thandolwenkosi Mlilo lbw to leave them 44-3. Julia Chibhabha (18) and Nonhlanhla Nyathi took the score to 82, Sharne Meyers (19) on to 113, and when Nyathi was sixth out for 26 out of 127 in the 37 th over, it looked grim for Zim (sorry!). But Pellajia Mujaji and Christabel Chatonzwa put on 38 in 7 overs before Trinholder Marshall had Mujaji caught for 25 then caught and bowled Precious Marange for 4. Sarah Dambanevane's 7 got the Africans to 182 when she was run out, then Sharyce Saili hung around with Chatonzwa as they closed to within one run of the Americans. I was watching the live score on cricinfo, and it showed 187-9 off 48.5 overs, then 187 all out off 48.5 overs, Saili run out for 0 and Chatonzwa 28*.