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Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament - playing day 6, 22nd November

Tuesday was playing day six of the Women's World Cup Qualifiers in Bangladesh, and saw three matches: two for qualification slots for the World Cup  in India next year; and the 9 th /10 th  place play-off.

In the first of the qualifiers, Sri Lanka, second to South Africa in Group A, played Bangladesh, third above Ireland in Group B.  The hosts won the toss, batted, and lost two wickets to left-arm medium pacer Prabodhani in her third over, then opener Suktara  Rahama was run out in the ninth over to leave them on 13-3.  Skipper Salma Khatun added 23 with Lata Mondal and a further 23 with Rumana Ahmed, when Salma Khatun  was dismissed for 32 by slow left-armer de Alwis.  Rumana Ahmed hung around for 17, Panna  Ghosh made 12, but Bangladesh were bowled out for 100 in 47 overs.  Prabhodani took 2/14, off spinner Siriwardene 2/23 and de Alwis 2/27.

Sri Lanka lost Mendis to off spinner Salma Khatun in the fifth over and the other opener, Galagedara, caught behind off Salma Khatun for 19 in the 11 th  over, but Jayagani (26), Dolawatte (15) and Siriwardene (22*) saw Sri Lanka  to a comfortable victory in the 27 th  over.  Player of the Match, Salma Khatun, took 2/26.

In the other qualifier, Pakistan, second in Group B, were far too strong for Netherlands, third in Group A.  Sana Mir won the toss for Pakistan and opened her team's innings.  She lost partner Qanita Jalil to Esther Lanser in the third over, then added  97 in 23 overs with Nida Dar.  Lanser returned to trap Sana Mir lbw for 47, but Bismah Maroff came in at number four to take the game away from the Dutch ladies.  Nida Dar was caught off Esther de Lange for 57, bringing in Javeria Khan to strike a 53  ball 67.  Bismah Maroof was 66* when Pakistan closed on 277-4.  Best for Netherlands were de Lange (1/31 off 10) and Lanser (2/49).

Qanita Jalil may have failed with the bat, but she removed keeper Miranda Veringmeier and skipper Helmien Rambaldo in her first five overs.  Denise Hannema and Kerry-Anne Tomlinson took the score to 51 in the 25 th  over, when Hannema  was bowled by Nida Dar for 16.  Lanser was lbw second ball to Nida Dar, then one run later Kiwi-born Tomlinson was stumped of Bismah Maroff for 22.  Thereafter Netherlands struggled to 84 all out in 37 overs, Qanita Jalil taking 2/10, slow left-armer  Sadia Yousuf 2/7, leggie Bismah Maroof 3/13 and offie Nida Dar 3/15.

The 9 th /10 th  play-off between Zimbabe and Japan was a close-fought affair.  Sharne Mayers won the toss for Zimbabwe and elected to field.  She brought herself on second change in the 13 th   over to trap Ayako Iwasaki lbw for 9, and two overs later Shizuka Miyaji was run out for 2 to leave Japan 47-2.  Marika Yamamoto and Ema Kuribayashi took the score to 72 in the 26 th  over, when Yamamoto was bowled by Sinikiwe Mpofu  for 38.  Only Shizuka Kubota, with a 76 ball 14, made any sort of score, and after Kuribayashi was out for 47, Japan crumpled from 124-4 to 152 all out in 49.5 overs.  Mayers took 2/26 from ten overs, Mpofu 1/21 from her ten, and Charumbira helped herself  to 2/10 from two.

Kurumi Ota bowled Ndiraya second ball, but Mpofu (16) and Modester Mupachikwa added 56 for the second wicket.  Chatonzwa (11) got the score to 80, when she, Mupachikwa (32) and Pellagia Mujaji fell for eight runs.  Ashley Nyathi battled 93 balls for 13  runs, and when she was eighth out Zimbabwe were 30 short of Japan's total with 5.5 overs remaining.  Audrey Mazvishaya (15*) and Sarah Dambanevana (12*) kept closing the gap, but were still six adrift when the 50 th  over was completed.   Yamamoto and Kuribayashi each took 1/26 from ten, and it was that pair that closed the game out.  Also tight were Miyaji (1/19) and Kubota (1/22).

Japan and Zimbabwe take no further part in the tournament.  Japan must be delighted with ninth place, while Zimbabwe will rue losing two very tight matches.  On Thursday, the semi finals are between South Africa and Pakistan, and West Indies and Sri Lanka,  all four having booked their passage to India (sorry, the hack in me couldn't resist!).  Positions 5-8 begin to be decided when USA meet Bangladesh, and Ireland play Netherlands.  An Irish victory will keep them in the world top ten and confirm their  ODI status.  A defeat would be a body blow to a promising and talented squad.