U19 Women’s T20 WC: Superb bowling, fielding help India bowl out England for 68 in the final

Potchefstroom: A superb bowling performance coupled with some outstanding fielding efforts helped India bowl out England for just 68 runs in the final of the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup at JB Marks Oval on Sunday.

On a pitch that was used in the semifinals on Friday, fast bowler Titas Sadhu, off-spinner Archana Devi and leg-spinner Parshavi Chopra were accurate in their line, and length and found enough help to the pick two wickets each.

Captain Shafali Verma, the left-arm spinners Mannat Kashyap and Sonam Yadav took a scalp each in a dominating bowling performance by India. The fielding, despite a few blips, was athletic with some exceptional catches taken as England never got going with the bat.

Titas made a breakthrough on the fourth ball of the innings by having Liberty Heap mistime the heave and give her a simple return catch. Apart from Titas and Archana keeping things tight, India were also sharp with their ground fielding.

Niamh Holland moved across to sweep Archana through the square leg in the fourth over and was helped by Hrishita Basu parrying the ball over the boundary rope. But on the very next ball, Niamh walked across in a bid to scoop. Instead, Archana found some turn and bounce outside off to crash into the stumps.

On the last ball of the over, Archana gave some width and flight to entice captain Grace Scrivens in dancing down the pitch and loft over long-off. The left-handed batter fell into the trap and was caught by Gongadi Trisha running in from long-off and making the dive to complete the catch.

India could have got their fourth wicket in the Power-play if keeper Richa Ghosh hadn’t dropped a regulation catch offered by Ryana Macdonald Gay on nought, coming off Titas in the fifth over. But the right-arm fast-bowler bounced back in the seventh over by castling Seren Smale with an inswinger.

While all England batters perished after struggling, Ryana began to hit boundaries against spinners by dancing down the pitch to loft twice while using her crease to hit a delicate late cut.

But England continued to sink as Parshavi trapped Charis Pavely lbw on the stroke of drinks break at the half-way mark. In the 12th over, Parshavi struck again as Ryana looked to loft over off-side, but Archana dived full length in the air to take a one-handed stunner.

Two overs later, Soumya Tiwari produced a sharp direct hit from cover to run-out Josephine Groves at the non-striker’s end. Shafali entered the wicket-taker’s column in the 15th over by enticing Hannah Baker to reach out to a delivery outside off-stump and was stumped quickly by Richa.

Alexa Stonehouse’s 25-ball stay at the crease ended in the 17th over when she chipped straight to cover off Mannat. Sonam ended England’s innings on the first ball of the 18th over by taking a return catch off Sophia Smale’s tame chip.

Brief scores: England 68 all out in 17.1 overs (Ryana Macdonald-Gay 19, Titas Sadhu 2-6, Parshavi Chopra 2-13) against India

(IANS)