INDOOR CRICKET WORLD

In their previous two meetings this week, Australia won by 25 and 32 respectively. Both were high scoring games: New Zealand had scored 98 and 103, against Australia's 123 and 135. The difference between these sides is not as great as a cursory glance at the final scores might indicate--New Zealand had taken three of the eight skins off the Australians in those two games.

Batting first, New Zealand had to post a good score, the Australians having shown they could score well over 100 against them.

As in the previous two games against Australia, New Zealand opened up with Liz Boys and Tracey Mortensen. This has had mixed success against Australia--in the first game this pair scored 13, but in the second game they put on a fine 40.
And for the third time against New Zealand, Australia opened the bowling with Sam Dillon, for a cost of 11 runs. The New Zealand openers did not lose a wicket to Dillon in three games (facing three overs from her).
Renee Lee bowled next, bowling Boys and having Mortensen runout. Minus 3 from the over.
Julie Burnett bowled the third over. A runout on the last ball of the over, and New Zealand took 6 runs from it.
Karina Bird closed out the partnership, restricting the pair to just one run (one runout) off the over and a partnership of 15.

Tasha Williams and Antoinette Spain came in next. Despite setting up a third-ball situation at the end of the over (unsuccessful), Donna Dalby's over cost 9 runs.

Cindy Cross bowled the next over, and it was a very good one for Australia--only two scoring shots (1, 2), a runout, and 2 third-ball situations (both unsuccessful). Minus 2 from the over, and New Zealand had slipped to 22 from 6 overs, easily their worst first six overs against Australia for the tournament.
New Zealand recovered only slightly in the next over, bowled by Julie Burnett. A runout, and the over cost 6 runs. 28 after 7 overs.
Karina Bird bowled the eighth over: a runout and a catch saw just a single from the over, and New Zealand were 29 at the halfway mark. It was beginning to look like Australia had saved their best for the Final.

Gaylene Riesma and Donna Trow batted third, and were immediately under pressure--Sam Dillon had the batters on third-ball immediately, and although they negotiated it successfully, they only managed 7 from an over in which they didn't lose a wicket.
Diane Brown came on next. In both of the two overs Brown had earlier in the week bowled to New Zealand batters, she had taken a wicket. That form continued this over, with Riesma stumped early in the over. But the ball was beginning to hit the nets more consistently now, and despite the wicket the batters still managed 7.
With one West Australian following another, April Hames came on to bowl the eleventh. Despite only one scoring shot in the over (to survive a third-ball situation), one no-ball and three wides handed the batters an otherwise risk-free 9 runs. 52 on the board, with 5 overs remaining--a score of around 90 was a distinct possiblity.
Renee Lee bowled the 12th over. With scoring shots kept to a minimum, and a runout, the over cost Australia just 3 runs. The partnership had realised 26 runs, and New Zealand were 55 with 4 overs remaining.

Helen Watson and Maia Lewis (whose previous partnerships against Australia were 33 and 27), batted last.
Diane Brown, whose only previous over to this pair had cost 2 runs (Watson bowled), bowled the 13th. Two third-ball situations were set up, and both were safely negotiated by the batters, but there were only four scoring shots for an over total of 5.

Cindy Kross came on next. A runout early in the over, and another 5 from the over.
With two overs remaining, New Zealand had 65 runs on the board.
April Hames bowled next, and this time didn't bowl a wide or no-ball. With Watson caught late in the over, Hames gave up just 1 run.
Donna Dalby bowled out the innings. A runout and catch late in the over saw -2 from the over, and a parnership of 9 runs.

New Zealand had scored 64, their lowest score of the tournament, with only Spain, Reisma and Trow challenging the Australian bowlers by scoring 12, 13 and 13 respectively off their own bats.

And it was without a doubt the Australian's best performance in the field.

To have any chance of defending their score, New Zealand had to make a big negative impact on the Australian openers. Going back to their most successful (against New Zealand) opening combination, Australia sent Lee and Burnett to open. The last time the faced the New Zealand bowlers, these two built a partnership of 41 runs. A similar performance this game and New Zealand would have almost no hope of winning.
Mortensen opened, and the Australian pair were untroubled taking 11 from the over. New Zealand took a runout on the first ball of Williams' over, and restricted the score from the over to 7. Reisma bowled next, and steady batting saw 13 runs come from the over. Australia were nearly halfway there after just 3 overs.
Trow bowled the fourth over, and very nearly turned things back markedly in New Zealand's favour, setting up two third-ball situations. Unfortunately for New Zealand, the batters successfully negotiated the third-balls (one with a 4) and took 8 from the over. After 4 overs, Australia were 39 runs. With just 26 to get from 12 overs, the pressure was now squarely on New Zealand.

The pressure may have been well and truly on them, but New Zealand were not going to bow to it. They continued to fight the game out until the very last ball, refusing to drop their heads for a second. The contest was maintained to the bitter end for the New Zealand girls, and yet again they did themselves and their coaching staff enormous credit for that.

Australia played their best game of the week tonight. Chasing a modest total, they ruthlessly hunted it down.
Dalby and Bird batted next, losing just one wicket (runout in their first over, bowled by Boys). They passed New Zealand's total on the last ball of the 7th over, and walked off the court with a partnership of 44, and a team total of 83.

Hames and Dillon then set about demolishing the scoreline. They lost two wickets (runout in the 9th over bowled by Boys, and runout in the 11th, bowled by Mortensen), and scored 12, 10, 7 and 28 from their four overs, for a massive partnership of 57 runs. Australia were 140, with four overs still to come.

Kross and Brown batted last for Australia. They lost a runout in the 13th over, bowled by Lewis (for 8 runs), and survived a third-ball in the next, bowled by Reisma (for 8 runs). They survived another third-ball in the 15th over (Lewis), but the New Zealanders took 3 runouts for an over total of -6. Spain bowled the last over, from which the batters took 10, and the partnership was worth 20 runs. Australia had scored 160.

An amazine batting display from Australia, wiping off the New Zealand score in 7 overs. The 100 came up on the 3rd ball of the tenth over, and the 150 just 3.3 overs later.

And as we said earlier, New Zealand never stopped trying, but it was a forlorn effort once the Australians got that very early scent of victory. No matter what the New Zealanders threw at them, the Australians were able to answer by continuously adding runs. A gallant effort by New Zealand, but a totally dominant performance by the Australian batters especially.

INDOOR CRICKET WORLD

Indoor Cricket

World Cup 2002

Indoor Cricket

World Cup 2002