Dubai: Women cricketers have proved that it is not men alone who can score over 650 runs in a one-day match. The England-South Africa encounter produced a run feast that resulted in 678 runs being scored in a day, beating the previous best of 577 runs between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney in December 2012.
The fact that 101 runs more were scored after shattering the early record proves that women can score fast and hit consistently with power.
The architects of the record score were England’s Tamsin Beaumont and Sarah Taylor, who hit centuries.
Meanwhile, Australia and India have proved that they are the two strongest squads in the World Cup this year through their unbeaten runs. Both teams recorded their fourth victory on the trot in the tournament.
It was a record 275-run second-wicket partnership between Beaumont, who cracked 148 runs, and Taylor’s 147 that guided England to an impressive 68-run victory over South Africa at Bristol on Wednesday.
Beaumont and Taylor proved that they can hit boundaries with ease even while playing a long innings.
Beaumont’s innings contained 22 fours and a six during her 145-ball stay in the middle while Taylor hit 24 fours during her 104-ball knock to help England post an imposing 373 for five in 50 overs.
Incidentally, the 275-run partnership between Beaumont and Taylor was the highest-ever for England for any wicket and second best overall in women’s ODIs — breaking India’s Deepti Sharma and Punam Raut’s 320 runs partnership for the first wicket against Ireland in Potchefstroom in May 2017. It was also a record second-wicket partnership, beating the 262-run stand between New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Haidee Tiffen against Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 in Sydney.
Beaumont, playing only her 39th ODI, also reached 1,000 ODI runs during the course of her 39th one day match, while experienced Taylor, playing in her 105th one day match, hit her sixth century. She has scored 3,515 ODI runs and is the ninth most successful batter in the history of women’s cricket.
It wasn’t an easy match for England because South Africa brilliantly chased the score through a fine 128-run stand between openers Lizelle Lee (72) and Laura Wolfvaardt (67) with Chloe Tryon hitting 54 runs and Mignon du Preez scoring 43 runs. However they were restricted to 305 for nine. It was England’s third victory in four matches.
Defending champions Australia are on course along with India, who maintained their unbeaten runs in the tournament when they defeated Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively to almost certainly book their places in the semi-finals.
Australia displayed their might while thrashing Pakistan by 159 runs through half centuries from Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani.
India stopped Sri Lanka by 16 runs after Deepti Sharma and Mithali Raj put on 118 runs for the third wicket, which lifted India to 230 for seven.
Brief scores:
England bt South Africa by 68 runs. England 373 for 5 in 50 overs (Tamsin Beaumont 148, Sarah Taylor 147, Lauren Winfield 24, Marizanne Kapp 3 for 77) South Africa 305 for 9 in 50 overs (Lizelle Lee 72, Laura Wolfvaardt 67, Chloe Tryon 54, Mignon du Preez 43; Danielle Hazell 3 for 70, Heather Knight 2 for 52) Player of the match — Sarah Taylor
Australia bt Pakistan by 159 runs. Australia 290-8, 50 overs (Ellyse Perry 66, Alyssa Healy 63 not out, Elyse Villani 59, Rachael Haynes 28, Alex Blackwell 23; Sana Mir 3 for 49, Sadiq Yousuf 2 for 66) Pakistan 131 in 50 overs (Sana Mir 45, Iram Javed 21; Kristen Beams 3 for 23, Ashleigh Gardner 3 for 28, Sarah Aley 2 for 29). Player of the match — Elyse Villani India bt Sri Lanka by 16 runs. India 230 for 7 in 50 overs (Deepti Sharma 78, Mithali Raj 53, Veda Krishnamurthy 29, Harmanpreet Kaur 20; Sripali Weerakkody 3 for 28, Inoka Ranaweera 2 for 55) Sri Lanka 216 for 7 in 50 overs (Dilani Manodara 61, Shashikala Siriwardena 37, Nipuni Hansika 29, Chamari Athapaththu 25, Poonam Yadav 2 for 23, Jhulan Goswami 2 for 26). Player of the match — Deepti Sharma
