South Africa oust India from the ICC Women's World Cup
The South Africa women's cricket team beat India in a crucial ICC Women's World Cup match on Sunday at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Batting first, India Women rode on Smriti Mandhana's fluent 71 to post 274/7 in 50 overs. In response, SA batters clinched a last-ball victory. With this defeat, India Women have been knocked out, failing to reach the semis.
India Women openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma added 91 runs for the first wicket. However, India were reduced to 96/2 before Mandhana added another 80 runs alongside skipper Mithali Raj. India were 234/3 at one stage as Harmanpreet Kaur made sure they surpass 270. In response, SA were 14/1 before a 125-run stand gave them comfort. India fought back but it wasn't enough.
Mandhana slammed 71 from 84 balls, hitting six fours and a six. She has raced to 2,788 runs at 42.24. The southpaw hit her 22nd ODI fifty. She has also surpassed the 500-run mark in the ICC Women's World Cup (559). This was her third World Cup fifty. Shafali (53) registered her third ODI fifty. She has 367 runs at 24.46.
Veteran batting ace Mithali struck a sublime 84-ball 68, hitting eight fours. The middle-order batter now has 7,805 runs at 50.68. This was her 64th ODI fifty. Mithali is now the second batter in ICC Women's World Cup to surpass the 1,300-run mark. She has 1,321 runs at 47.17. Deborah Hockley (1,501) tops the show in terms of runs.
South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt struck a superb 80 for her side. She consumed 79 balls and hit 11 fours. She has raced to 2,915 runs at 46.26, hitting her 26th ODI fifty. She is the third SA batter with 2,900-plus ODI runs. Laura also went past 700 runs in the World Cup. She now has 757 runs at 63.08 (nine fifties).
Harmanpreet Kaur scored an important 48 from 57 balls. She slammed four fours. Harmanpreet now has 2,982 runs in ODIs at 35.50. She also has 876 runs in the WC, surpassing former England cricketer Samantha Taylor, who went on to amass 856 runs at 61.14.
