India v Australia: Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final – live
32nd over: Australia 207-2 (Perry 56, Mooney 16) And… action! Perry drives Amanjot devastatingly over long-on for six, the first ball she has faced since reaching fifty.Mooney pulled four earlier in the over.31st over: Australia 196-2 (Perry 50, Mooney 11) Perry drives Yadav for a single to reach her first fifty of the tournament: 66 balls, five fours and a six.Reaching the milestone may free her up because India are having a decent spell, with just three runs from that over.India will hope for a reverse of the group game between the sides.
On that occasion India were 192 for 1 after 30 overs and looked set for 370 or more.But they lost their way, were bowled out for 330 and eventually lost by three wickets.30th over: Australia 193-2 (Perry 49, Mooney 9) Perry has scored only 15 runs from her last 31 deliveries.Litchfield’s brilliance means it’s not a problem in the grand scheme, but it’s something to keep an eye on.29th over: Australia 188-2 (Perry 46, Mooney 7) Mooney gets her first boundary with a sweep off Radha Yadav.
India waste a review on an LBW appeal, with the ball pitching a fair way outside leg stump.The keeper Richa Ghosh wasn’t interested but they went upstairs anyway; it was a symptom of scrambled minds.28th over: Australia 181-2 (Perry 45, Mooney 1) Amanjot has quietly bowled a useful spell: 4-0-17-1.The end of a classic innings.Litchfield premeditates a scoop, misses and is bowled by Amanjot.
India needed that wicket like you wouldn’t believe.Litchfield walks off after an innings she’ll cherish forever (if Australia win): 119 from 93 balls with 17 fours and three sixes.27th over: Australia 178-1 (Litchfield 117, Perry 45) Litchfield blasts Deepti back over her head for six, because why wouldn’t you? And why wouldn’t you hack an almighty switch hit over extra cover for six more next ball?The second six brings up the 150 partnership and prompts an almost awestruck smile from Ellyse Perry.That’s Ellyse Perry, by the way, one of the all-time greats.Top-level sport is extremely tough.
Most players tend to enjoy their achievements after the event rather than during, when everything is too intense and important.But Litchfield is different, certainly at this stage of her career.When she bats, one word comes to mind again and again.26th over: Australia 162-1 (Litchfield 103, Perry 43) Litchfield is dropped by the keeper Ghosh! It was a tough chance standing up to the stumps, although Dinesh Karthik on commentary thinks she should have taken it.Litchfield went hard at the ball but the actual deflection wasn’t too big.
25th over: Australia 159-1 (Litchfield 102, Perry 41) Litchfield’s brilliance has allowed Perry to cruise along to 41 from 51 balls.There’s a decent argument she should throw the bat, especially given Australia’s depth, but right now it feels like Australia can do as they please.24th over: Australia 157-1 (Litchfield 101, Perry 40) Sree Charani returns to the attack.Litchfield charges her first ball and drives it sweetly over mid-off to reach a glorious 77-ball hundred.It’s the fastest in a World Cup knockout game, and she’s the youngest – by four years – to achieve that feat.
It’s been a classic Litchfield innings, bursting with skill, intent, imagination and an infectious effervescence,Oh, and boundaries, lots of boundaries: 17 fours and one six,She may have settled this semi-final already,23rd over: Australia 152-1 (Litchfield 96, Perry 40) That single over from Deepti Sharma was to allow Amanjot and now Radha Yadav to change ends,Radha goes around the wicket to the left-handed Litchfield, making a bit harder for her to free her arms.
Three singles from the over,22nd over: Australia 149-1 (Litchfield 94, Perry 39) Litchfield moves into the nineties with an edge for four off Amanjot,Nobody under the age of 26* has scored a century in a Women’s World Cup knockout game,Litchfield is 22,* That was Laura Wolvaardt yesterday.
21st over: Australia 144-1 (Litchfield 89, Perry 39) Deepti, back on for Amanjot, is reverse swept over short third by Litchfield.That’s her 15th four.Deepti stops in her delivery stride, I think as a warning to Perry for backing up too far.A repeat of Lord’s 2022: now that would enliven this semi-final.Drinks“If you have a moment, could you please explain the fielding stats I’ve been reading over the past week, stating that the team at the top of the fielding stats table in this ODI contest is England?” asks Sarah Bacon.
“I am aware that England has improved in a lot of areas since the last Ashes but I’m a tad gobsmacked that they’re number one performers in this area,Happy/not happy to be proven incorrect,”I’m not certain (about anything), but I think those stats are just percentage of catches taken at this World Cup,They don’t take into account the difficulty of the catches, or misfields etc,From memory England did catch well in this World Cup.
20th over: Australia 135-1 (Litchfield 83, Perry 37) One left-arm spinner, Radha Yadav, replaces another in Charani.Litchfield greets her with successive boundaries over and through extra cover.The first wasn’t perfectly timed but had enough to clear the infield; the second was nailed.And so was the third, driven over mid-off to end the over.In fact, that’s drinks.
This is a wonderful innings from Litchfield, 83 not out from 66 balls.She’s 22 years old.19th over: Australia 121-1 (Litchfield 69, Perry 37) The medium pacer Amanjot Kaur replaces Deepti Sharma, who wasn’t at her best in a spell of 3-0-18-0.Litchfield premeditates a lap stroke that brings her 11th four; we’re only in the 19th over.18th over: Australia 115-1 (Litchfield 64, Perry 36) There’s no turn for Charani but she’s bowling very accurately.
Her fourth over goes for only two, and one of those came from a partial misfield off her own bowling.17th over: Australia 113-1 (Litchfield 63, Perry 35) Deepti tries to get herself and her team going by hurling the ball to the keeper, just past Perry’s head.Trouble is, the next ball is on the pads and put away with ease for four.Perry is cruising along and has 35 from 34 balls; Litchfield is on 63 from 53.16th over: Australia 107-1 (Litchfield 62, Perry 30) That was the last ball of the over.
The six Litchfield hit before that was stunning, lasered over extra cover.Yep, it was a bump ball – she dragged the reverse sweep into the ground, after which it bounced up and was well caught by Amanjot.The interesting thing is that Litchfield was halfway off the field when Ellyse Perry ran after her to say it was being checked by the third umpire.The technology was pretty clear that it was a bump ball.WICKET? This could be a vital breakthrough for India.
The ball after driving a sensational six over extra cover, Litchfield scuffs a reverse sweep straight to Amanjot at short third.She’s been given out – but it may have been a bump ball.15th over: Australia 99-1 (Litchfield 55, Perry 29) Perry joins in with a gorgeous straight six off Deepti, straight out of the textbook.India are in abundant bother here; since the resumption Australia have scored 74 in 9.5 overs.
14th over: Australia 89-1 (Litchfield 53, Perry 21) Litchfield, on the charge, thumps Charani back over her head for four to reach a fabulous, tone-setting fifty: 46 balls, 10 fours.She’s going to be a superstar; even at the age of 22, she’s not far off.Litchfield’s ODI record against India is exceptional: 561 runs at 70 with a strike rate of 93.13th over: Australia 82-1 (Litchfield 48, Perry 19) Deepti Sharma comes on to bowl her brisk offspin.Litchfield mistimes a reverse sweep, with the ball hitting the forearm and looping over Ghosh.
At first it looked like a chance but it was definitely off the forearm rather than the glove.Instead there was almost a run-out opportunity; the non-striker Perry wanted a quick single and had to scamper back to make her ground.“India need a Travis Head-esque catch/moment to pull it back,” says Anul Kanhere.“Something to paper over the scars of Australian misery heaped on Indian teams.”12th over: Australia 80-1 (Litchfield 47, Perry 18) The left-arm spinner Sree Charani delivers an over without a boundary.
It’s a really good start, largely on the money and with just a single to Litchfield,11th over: Australia 79-1 (Litchfield 46, Perry 18) Litchfield hammers Thakur over wide mid-off for four to bring up the fifty partnership in 32 balls,This is extremely ominous for India,Never mind a wicket, they just need an over without a boundary,10th over: Australia 72-1 (Litchfield 39, Perry 18) Kranti Gaud is haemorrhaging runs.
Perry hits back-to-back boundaries, both from poor deliveries: a length ball on the pads and a full toss on off stump,A skilful late cut makes it three boundaries in four balls,Gaud, playing the biggest game of her life to date, is having a tough time: her figures are 5-0-49-1,9th over: Australia 60-1 (Litchfield 39, Perry 6) Thakur seams a good delivery past Litchfield’s outside edge, the second of four consecutive dot balls,The run is broken when Litchfield flashes an edge past slip for four.
Thakur’s figures of 5-0-22-0 are a minor scandal; she’s bowled beautifully.8th over: Australia 56-1 (Litchfield 35, Perry 6) Outstanding batting from Litchfield, who twists her wrists to squeeze a wide yorker from Gaud past backward point for four.That is such a skilful stroke.A fierce square drive gets through Amanjot, who should have done better, and runs away for Litchfield’s seventh four.India have been extremely sloppy in the field since the resumption; as if to the prove the point, the next ball flies down the leg side for five wides.
Richa Ghosh probably should have stopped that as well,Gaud switches around the wicket in an attempt to cut out the wides to Litchfield,And though she concedes only a single from the last four balls, the over still costs 15,Despite the loss of Healy, Australia are off to a flyer,7th over: Australia 41-1 (Litchfield 26, Perry 6) Perry’s nervous start continues with an inside edge past leg stump for four.
When I say ‘past leg stump’, we’re talking millimetres.Thakur follows that with a wider slower ball that beats Perry’s edge; she’s been the pick of the bowlers so far, even though it was Gaud who took the wicket.When Perry rotates strike, Ghosh comes up to the stumps to ensure Litchfield can’t keep charging down the pitch.Tactics, tactics.Perry is not out! I think wrong: the ball from Thakur would have missed leg stump by a fair way.
The key point is that it was delivered from wide on the crease so the angle and inswing were always taking it past the stumps.Australia review: Perry given out LBW! I think she’s in trouble here, umpire’s call at best.6th over: Australia 34-1 (Litchfield 25, Perry 1) The players are back but India’s heads are still in the shed.Deepti Sharma’s, anyway: her needless throw from cover, with nobody backing up, gives Litchfield four bonus runs.Litchfield salts the wound by driving the next ball through extra cover for four.
The covers are coming off A passing shower.But enough about England, ho ho ho, because play should resume in the next few minutes.There’s a unique fascination in a battle between players at different stages of their careers, especially when it’s an established great and a potential great.Since the start of September Alyssa Healy, 35, has been dismissed by Kranti Gaud, 22, in four of her five innings against India.But the other match was the group game at this World Cup, in which Healy made an epic 142 and took Gaud to the cleaners
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‘This will hurt’: Edwards looks to next generation after England’s World Cup drubbing
The England head coach, Charlotte Edwards, has hinted strongly that she will be looking to a new generation of players to take England into the next World Cup cycle, after her side’s shock 125-run defeat in their semi-final against South Africa on Wednesday.“We won’t make too many rash decisions, but we’ve got to look at the future now,” Edwards told Sky Sports. “We’ve got some unbelievable talent coming through.”Of the current batters, the openers Tammy Beaumont (aged 34) and Amy Jones (32), the former captain Heather Knight (34) and the incumbent captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt (33), are all unlikely to play in another 50‑over World Cup. A question mark also hangs over the 27‑year‑old Sophia Dunkley, whose highest score all tournament was 22
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South Africa beat England by 125 runs: Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final – as it happened
That’s all for today. Thanks for your company and emails – we’ll be back in the morning for the second semi-final between India and Australia. Goodnight!Very special. Losing to England in the semis of the last two [ODI] World Cups really hurt so just really pleased to get the win tonight.[Did the 69 all out feature in your mind before the game?] It did a little bit! Same opposition, same venue; your mind automatically goes back to that game
South Africa claim historic World Cup final spot as Wolvaardt blows England away
South Africa made history in Guwahati on Wednesday after a phenomenal innings from their captain, Laura Wolvaardt, and remarkable figures of five for 20 from Marizanne Kapp helped them to secure a 125-run win against England and progress to their first 50-over World Cup final.Wolvaardt took 115 balls to bring up a maiden World Cup hundred, which was reason enough to celebrate. But with wickets tumbling at the other end, and England looking like they might have an easy enough chase on their hands, she unleashed a superb display of boundary-striking, adding 69 runs in 28 balls.Wolvaardt slammed four sixes down the ground and slog‑swept Linsey Smith for 20 runs off the 47th over. Even when she holed out to Lauren Bell in the 48th over, Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk took over, hitting 16 off Smith in the 49th as England’s best death bowler was made to resemble an amateur
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