Hamilton: Following the aftermath of two tragic incidents, the Australian side, batting with two black armbands, defeated England by 12 runs in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup opener in Hamilton, New Zealand, on Saturday.
Australia reached 310-3 in their first innings, while England’s Nat Sciver’s century from 79 balls kept them in the game until the final over. At the end of a superb England run chase, Sciver was 109 not out.
On match day, the Australian players were informed that Shane Warne, the great Australian leg-spinner, had died in Thailand at the age of 52. That happened just 24 hours after another Australian legend, wicketkeeper/batsman Rod March, died at the age of 74.
Before the game, players from both sides stood with their heads bent as the Australian anthem played out over a deafening stillness in the stadium. Aussies played their match to make their own tribute to Warne and Marsh through their performance. It was a performance of which Warne and Marsh, who both were inspirational mentors to young Australian players, would have been proud.
Australia recorded the greatest total ever against England in a World Cup match, with opener Rachael Haynes making 130 from 131 balls and skipper Meg Lanning 86. In the partnership that built the innings, Haynes and Lanning put up 196 for Australia’s second wicket.
Haynes’ 118 against Sri Lanka in Brisbane in 2019 was her second century in one-day internationals and her highest score. Lanning scored her 18th half-century in one-day internationals, assisting Haynes in keeping the Australian innings on track.
Ayabonga Khaka, on the other side, grabbed 4-32 in Dunedin, including her 100th wicket in one-day internationals, as South Africa defeated Bangladesh by 32 runs.
Bangladesh did well to restrict the Proteas to 207 in 49.5 overs after winning the toss, but Sune Luus’ team secured full points by bundling out the opponents for 175 with three balls to spare in a contest dominated by bowlers.
