1st ICC Women’s World Cup Match
Manuka Oval, Canberra
England women kicked off their 2009 ICC Women’s World Cup campaign with a win over Sri Lanka by 100 runs. Claire Taylor, currently ranked the best player in the world in the ICC Women’s Player rankings, proved her worth by striking her eighth international century and earned the Player of the Match Award as a result.
Captain Charlotte Edwards lost the toss on a beautiful warm, sunny morning at the Manuka Oval in Canberra and the Sri Lankans put England into bat.
Openers Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins made a solid start for England posting 80 before Taylor was caught at long-on by Chamari Polgampala off the bowling of Shashikala Siriwardane for 38 as she aimed to hit out.
Claire Taylor joined Atkins at the crease. She quickly settled in and together they pushed England past the 150 mark. Atkins made her fourth international half-century but was clean-bowled by Eshani Lokusooriya in the 27th over leaving England 152-2.
Edwards, last year’s ICC Women’s Player of the year, joined Taylor in the middle and they pushed England past 200 with Edwards making 27 before she was trapped lbw by Rose Fernando. Lydia Greenway replaced her with England on 204-3.
Left hander Greenway supported Taylor and together they posted 61 with Taylor hitting her century in the 47th over off a single; the third consecutive century against Sri Lanka in a World Cup match. It took 93 balls and she hit eight fours. She added one more to her tally before she was caught by Dedunu de Silva at long-off off the bowling of Lokusooriya.
England were looking comfortable on 265-4 as Beth Morgan, who was playing her 50th one-day international, joined Greenway at the crease but she only made one before she was run out. The Sri Lankan captain Shashikala Siriwardane dropped a catch from a shot by Greenway and as Morgan was halfway up the pitch going for the quick single Siriwardane recovered to knock off the bails.
With England 268-5 Jenny Gunn replaced Morgan and together she and Greenway pushed England through to 277-5 after fifty overs. Greenway finished unbeaten on 32 while Gunn was not out on three.
In reply the Sri Lankans came out all guns blazing and England’s opening bowlers Isa Guha and Nicky Shaw failed to find a breakthrough.
Sri Lanka’s openers De Silva and Polgampala posted 48 for the first wicket before De Silva was clean-bowled by Holly Colvin who had replaced Guha with the ball. De Silva (27) had been dropped by Sarah Taylor in the second over when she was on one and again on the last ball of the 10th by Morgan when she was on 15.
Hiruka Fernando replaced De Silva at the crease but she and Polgampala only added five to Sri Lanka’s total before Polgampala was run out by Greenway for 15. She struck the ball to Greenway fielding at mid-wicket who gathered it cleanly and threw it to Sarah Taylor behind the stumps who knocked the bails off easily with the batter out of her crease.
With Sri Lanka on 53-2 their captain Siriwardane joined Fernando in the middle. Together they added just ten before Siriwardane was run out at the non-striker’s end by Greenway for seven.
Fernando was joined by Suwini de Alwis and they almost doubled Sri Lanka’s total adding 57 before Fernando (26) was caught and bowled by Laura Marsh who had come on to bowl spin in tandem with Colvin.
England’s fielding was not up to their usual high standards with the players fumbling their pick-ups and miscuing the ball giving away unnecessary boundaries.
Lokusooriya replaced Fernando at the crease with Sri Lanka on 120-4. De Alwis was the next to fall from a catch by Claire Taylor at mid-wicket off the bowling of Marsh for 37. There was some confusion over the dismissal as to whether or not the ball had bounced first and De Alwis stood her ground while the umpires conferred before dismissing her.
With Sri Lanka on 128-5 Dilani Manodara headed to the middle. Manodara and Lokusooriya added 13 before the latter was caught by Colvin off Marsh’s bowling for ten. Inoka Galakedara joined Manodara at the crease with her team behind the runs on 141-6.
Edwards secured the next wicket and put England into the winning position running out Galakedarra for 13. Sripali Weerakkody replaced her in the middle with Sri Lanka on 162-7 in the 48th over.
Gunn took the ball to see out the final over for England and Sri Lanka pushed through to finish on 177-7 at stumps.
Manodara finished unbeaten on 19 while Weerakkody was three not out.
After the game head coach Mark Lane said: “Claire Taylor played brilliantly today for us using all her cricket nouse and experience. The opening bowling lacked penetration and at times the fielding was lacklustre.
“Although we accept the two points for the win we must show improvement in all three disciplines before we take on India on Tuesday.”
Claire Taylor added: “I’m pleased to get some runs early in the tournament. The Sri Lankans must be sick of the sight of me but all due respect to them for keeping going in the field with the ball and attacking us with the bat.
“I’m looking forward to playing against India on Tuesday which I think could be the key match in our group.”
