India crash out of Women's World Cup

So we finally know the six teams that have qualified for the Super Six second phase of the Women's World Cup and the points that they will carry through to this phase with them.

In Group B it is Australia (4), New Zealand (2) and South Africa (0). In Group A it is Sri Lanka (2), England (2) and the West Indies (2). That's right India are out of the competition and will play-off against Pakistan for 7th/8th place on Thursday.

It was another dramatic day which saw another three centurions in Suzie Bates (102) for New Zealand, Meg Lanning (112) for Australia and Marizanne Kapp (102) for South Africa. All of these came in the Group B games. South Africa duly completed a miserable tournament for Pakistan. Set 208 to win, due mainly to the runs of Kapp and Dane van Niekerk (55no) the Pakistani batting once again failed as they were bowled out for 81. Kapp rounded off a magnificent day for her, and a significant one for South Africa with 3/18 and, not surprisingly, the player of the match award.

In the other Group B game New Zealand were inserted by Australia and struggled against the pace of young Megan Schutt who took the first three wickets to fall with just 32 runs on the board. When Hunter claimed McGlashan's wicket shortly afterwards the White Ferns had slumped to 39/4. But skipper Suzie Bates (102) wasn't going to give up without a fight, and with the help of Katie Perkins (41) and Nicola Browne (39) she took New Zealand beyond 200. She eventually fell for 102 with just eight balls of the innings remaining. New Zealand reached a potentially competitive 227/6, given Australia's recent woes with the bat, but after Rachael Haynes was bowled by Lea Tahuhu, Meg Lanning (112) and Jess Cameron (82) finally found the middle of their bats adding 182 for the second wicket. Both finally succumbed, but Australia breezed past the required total with more than 11 overs to spare.

Group A had two staggered games, with England taking on the West Indies in the earlier start. West Indies won the toss and against all expectations, and logic, chose to bat. England seamers Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole must have been licking their lips in anticipation in getting first go on the wicket. It turned out to be a disastrous decision by Marissa Aguilleira as first Kycia Knight and then Stafanie Taylor departed for ducks to the England opening bowlers. Things did not improve as Shrubsole claimed both Campbelle and Nero lbw leaving the Windies on 14/4. Aguilleira's day then got even worse as she ran herself out for 4. Fireball Deandra Dottin strutted to the crease to be greeted by the returning Brunt. She hit her first ball ominously for 4, but three balls later she had her bat under her arm as she was caught behind. Brunt was so excited by her dismissal that she twisted her ankle as she over-exuberantly celebrated with her delighted team-mates. West Indies were 31/6. Kyshona Knight (33) and Shanel Daley (30) did what they could to retrieve the situation adding 58 for the seventh wicket, but West Indies were bowled out for 101 in the 37th over, Aaron Brindle claiming three of the last four wickets without conceding a run and Shrubsole finishing off proceedings for figures of 4/21. England scored 11 off the first over in their reply, but then decided caution was the better part of valour. Makeshift opener Brindle (captain Charlotte Edwards was indisposed) scored 14 off 123 balls. Her opening partner Danni Wyatt was more fluent but still only hit 40 off 133 balls before she was out. There was no logic to England's pedestrian approach to the run getting, except for caution, but even that backfired a little as Brindle, Wyatt, Taylor (first ball) and Greenway all went in quick succession. But the wobble was short-lived and England finished the match off without further losses.

As the game finished the attention turned to the India v Sri Lanka game which had just started. Twitter and TMS were buzzing with Net Run Rate calculations that showed Sri Lanka would be out if they lost to India, which seemed the most likely scenario. But Sri Lanka have already shown that you write them off at your peril. Sri Lanka won the toss and batted and aided by some poor Indian bowling they cruised to 121/1 through Yasoda Mendis (55) and Deepik Rasangika. Only then did Mendis stutter and holed out to mid on. Despite decent progress by skipper Shashikala Siriwardene (59) the Sri Lanka innings appeared to be running out of steam, that was until the enigmatic Eshani Kaushalya came to the crease. As she did against England she used a mixture of brute force and intelligent hitting to score 56 off just 31 balls and take Sri Lanka to a formidable 282/5, their highest ever ODI score.

The equation for the Indians was either to overcome this score and go through with 4 points at the expense of Sri Lanka, or score at least 251 and go through with 0 points at the expense of the West Indies. In the event they did neither. The Sri Lankan's, now full of self-belief, all bowled tight lengths and lines, and the Indians had no answer. Wickets went at regular intervals and the required run-rate just rose and rose. In truth they never looked like getting anywhere near the Sri Lanka score and so it proved. They were bowled out in the 43rd over for 144 and they were out of the competition. Sri Lanka were through as the top team in Group A and with 4 precious points. Who now would be brave enough to bet against them as they face Australia, New Zealand and South Africa? The Super Six stage of this competition is going to be a true test of nerve for all the teams involved, with every run, every wicket and every match absolutely vital.

Scorecards
West Indies v England - http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-womens-world-cup-2013/engine/current/match/594902.html
India v Sri Lanka - http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-womens-world-cup-2013/engine/current/match/594901.html
Australia v New Zealand - http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-womens-world-cup-2013/engine/current/match/594900.html
South Africa v Pakistan - http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-womens-world-cup-2013/engine/current/match/594899.html

MD
05/II/13