Highlights
- Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma shared a 115-run opening stand as India defeated Netherlands by 95 runs
- Mandhana scored 74 off 47 balls while Verma added 55 as India posted 209-5 in Leeds
- Verma took three wickets and Sree Charani claimed four as India completed a dominant victory
SMRITI MANDHANA and Shafali Verma ran riot as India thrashed the Netherlands by 95 runs in the Women's T20 World Cup on Wednesday (17).
Mandhana and Verma put on 115 for the first wicket, setting the foundation for India's imposing total of 209-5 in Leeds.
Smashing 11 fours and one six, Mandhana top scored with 74 from 47 balls, while her fellow opener Verma hit 10 fours in her innings of 55.
India's run spree left the Netherlands with little hope of a successful run chase. Dutch captain Babette de Leede was their leading scorer with 28, but Verma followed her dynamic display with the bat by taking three wickets.
Sree Charani finished off India's one-sided victory with four wickets from her four overs.
India have won their first two games of the tournament in England after beating Pakistan in their opener.
Australia defeat Bangladesh
Georgia Voll starred as Australia eased to a nine-wicket win over Bangladesh at Headingley.Voll blasted six fours and one six in her unbeaten 45 from 32 balls, guiding Australian to their target of 78 for the loss of one wicket with more than 10 overs to spare.
Bangladesh mustered only 77-8 from their 20 overs, with Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth and Ellyse Perry taking two wickets each.
Australia made it successive wins to start the tournament after their 65-run victory over South Africa on Saturday (13).Bangladesh had beaten the Netherlands in their opening match.
South Africa, meanwhile beat Pakistan by two wickets in what turned out to be a tense contest in Birmingham on Wednesday.
Victory for the Proteas seemed assured after they restricted Pakistan to 126-9 featuring captain Fatima Sana's unbeaten 55, with veteran quick Marizanne Kapp taking 3-23 in an innings featuring four run-outs.
Dropped catches then added to Pakistan's self-inflicted wounds.Yet South Africa, cruising home while Annerie Dercksen was making 52, suffered a dramatic collapse from 76-2 as three wickets fell for just 17 runs.
The slump continued and they were still a run shy of victory when Nadine de Klerk -- missed early in her innings -- was out for 37.
But Pakistan's performance was summed up when South Africa eventually won off a wide with 19 balls to spare.
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, meanwhile, has been ruled out of the tournament hosts' next two matches due to a calf injury.
Sciver-Brunt, who recently returned from a torn calf muscle, was forced to retire on 48 in Tuesday's four-wicket win over Ireland in Southampton.
Scans on Wednesday revealed a calf muscle strain and the 33-year-old will not feature against Scotland or the West Indies.
(AFP)
