Lynn McConnell
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9th Match: New Zealand Women v Sri Lanka Women at Lincoln, 3 Dec 2000 Lynn McConnell |
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Sri Lanka Women innings:
New Zealand Women innings: |
Such was the disparity in standard between the teams that there was never any doubt who was going to win. And New Zealand managed that by holding Sri Lanka to 88 with four run outs at the end of the innings.
But the biggest danger in such a game is slipping into bad habits that can come back to haunt you in tougher games.
Sri Lanka would have been pleased to restrict New Zealand to 72 fewer runs than Australia and then scored more runs than against the Australians.
There was plenty for coach Mike Shrimpton and captain Emily Drumm, who didn't play for the second successive game, to work on for the side's next game against the Netherlands on Wednesday.
Having to score 211 to win, Sri Lanka was soon out of the running, and it was just a case of how many wickets New Zealand could pick up by the end of 50 overs.
One major obstacle in the way was Hiroshi Abeysinghe who scored 30 runs in a 41-run sixth wicket stand with Ramani Perera before she was run out. A smart piece of work by Debbie Hockley with a quick return to Keenan waiting right by the stumps broke the stand and two balls later Perera was caught at cover by Tiffen for 10.
Sri Lanka was 80/7 at that stage. Janakanthi Mala looked to pick up the challenge but after scoring two she attempted one sharp run too many. Kathryn Ramel at mid-on fired a perfect return to bowler Tiffen to get the run out.
After holding New Zealand to 210-4 in its innings, Sri Lanka lost its top order in the first 25 overs of its reply for 39 runs.
The best of the Sri Lankan batsmen Hiruka Fernando was just getting into her stride on 16 when she failed to get onto an attempted off-drive from Kathryn Ramel's bowling and captain for the day, Catherine Campbell held the chance.
Any hopes Sri Lanka had of matching its effort in the field were stymied in the third over when Katrina Keenan had too much pace for Sri Lankan captain Rasanjali Silva and she was bowled for a duck.
Keenan's first five overs yielded one for three while Haidee Tiffen picked up two for seven from her six overs. After 30 overs, Sri Lanka was 47/5.
Sri Lanka vastly improved its showing from its first round 200-run loss to Australia to tie down a New Zealand batting line-up that got itself into all manner of strife as it tried to break up the Sri Lankan defences.
Sri Lanka's hopes of improving its batting were struck a blow when captain Rasanjali Silva was bowled by Katrina Keenan for a duck.
Keenan bowled five overs and had 1-3 in her first spell. She was replaced at the southern end of the ground by Rachel Pullar.
In her third over, Pullar had Chandrika Lakmali caught, edging to Clare Nicholson at first-slip, for 6 runs.
At the end of 15 overs, Sri Lanka was 20-2.
Conditions had improved and while still windy the shelted ground was quite warm.
New Zealand struggled to find the boundary on the small ground and was forced to subsist on a diet of singles and twos for much of the innings.
At the end of the 50 overs, New Zealand was 210-4 after Nicola Payne hit six off the last ball to be 19 not out, from 12 balls, while Anna O'Leary was 91 not out.
The Sri Lankan enthusiasm, despite its 200-run loss to Australia on Friday, was a delight to see. They refused to bow to reputation and left New Zealand feeling very dissatisfied with its batting performance.
As Australia had done, New Zealand struggled through the first 20 overs and it was 39-2 at that stage.
However, the combination of Anna O'Leary and Haidee Tiffen bolstered New Zealand's total without ever giving the long handle to the bowling.
Tiffen did smite a six over mid-wicket but only five boundaries were recorded in the innings.
O'Leary and Tiffen put on 143 runs for the third wicket and both achieved their highest One-Day International scores. Tiffen was out for 58 in the 44th over. Her 50 came from 74 balls while O'Leary's 50 was off 98 balls.
The running between the wickets was not as sharp as it might have been and slowly run first runs minimised the chance for many second runs to be taken.
O'Leary kept the innings together but saw Rachel Pullar depart after attempting to lift the run rate while the recently selected Nicola Payne was at the wicket at the end.
The Sri Lankans gave a re-jigged New Zealand team a searching test during the first 20 overs at which stage New Zealand was struggling at 39/2.
The prized wicket of Debbie Hockley, one of the finest batsmen in women's cricket history, was a big one for the Sri Lankans. Her scalp was claimed by Indika Kankanange who had Hockley caught and bowled for 18.
But the liaison of Anna O'Leary and Haidee Tiffen righted the New Zealand cause. By working the singles, and managing to run threes on the tight Lincoln Green, they built the score up significantly so that after 30 overs the home team was 90-2.
Tiffen had a let-off in the 30th over when she hit the ball high and hard into the long-off area and the catch was put down by Chamani Seneviratne. She was on 20 at the time.
O'Leary had a significant role to play in the final 20 overs. She was on 39 after 30 overs and starting to play her shots.
While the loss of Paula Flannery for one in the seventh over was a useful wicket for the Sri Lankans when the score was nine, it was the taking of Debbie Hockley's wicket that created near hysteria in the Sri Lankan side.
Hockley, one of the finest batsmen to have graced the women's game, was a prized wicket. Hockley opened the innings, having previously batted at No 4, as pinch-hitting opener Rebecca Rolls was given this game off.
However, when on 18 she attempted to hit Indika Kankanange back over her head. All she managed to do was mis-hit the ball and it Chandika, sensing the quality of the wicket in her repertoire positioned herself under the ball and held the catch despite one of her team-mates attempting to run in and take the catch.
Once she had secured the ball she threw it down, almost in disgust that the loss of the wicket could have been at risk had she been jolted.
That left New Zealand 27/2 and after 15 overs it was only on 30/2.
Heavy rain overnight cleared this morning but a cold southerly breeze chilled the ground, although just after play started the sun started to break through a heavy cloud layer.
New Zealand was delighted to win the toss. It was the first time it had in the three games so far that it had won the toss.
Having lost the toss against Ireland in its previous game, New Zealand was desperate for the chance for its batsmen to have a full 50 overs to build a solid total.
The New Zealanders are captained again by vice-captain Catherine Campbell in the absence of Emily Drumm who is still suffering the effects of a painful blow to the elbow suffered in the opening game against Australia in the opening game.
The teams are: New Zealand - Catherine Campbell (captain), Debbie Hockley, Paula Flannery, Anna O'Leary, Haidee Tiffen, Kathryn Ramel, Rachel Pullar, Clare Nicholson, Emily Travers, Nicky Payne, Katrina Keenan.
Sri Lanka - Rasanjali Silva, Deduni de Silva, Hiruka Fernando, Chamani Seneviratne, Hiroshi Abeysinghe, Chandrika Lakmali, Ramani Perera, Indika Kankanange, Thanuja Ekanayake, Janakanthi Mala, Sudarshini Sivananthan.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 03 Dec2000 - 10:23