ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, Super Six Day 1 Review: Australia hand India first loss of the tournament

Eight teams squared off in four games of the Under-19 Women’s World Cup 2023 on the first day of the Super Six stage. The first game saw England and Ireland lock horns with each other, while Rwanda and New Zealand went head-to-head in the second game. While Bangladesh went up against hosts South Africa, the final game witnessed a clash between India and Australia.

England won the toss and elected to bat first. Grace Scrivens put up a brilliant performance with the bat as she notched up 93 runs off 56 deliveries. Opener Liberty Heap and batters Niamh Holland and Seren Smale added 42, 34, and 30 runs respectively on board as England finished at 207/2 in 20 overs. The bowlers did a brilliant job as they dished the opposition out for mere 86 runs, and England bagged a big 121-run victory.

Rwanda elected to bat first against New Zealand, but their decision did not land in their favor. New Zealand bowlers played their part really well as they restricted Rwanda to 96/7 in 20 overs. Henriette Ishimwe emerged as the highest scorer for her side with a 46-ball 30-run knock. The second innings wasn’t easy for New Zealand as they lost six wickets while chasing the 97-run target but eventually managed to win the game by four wickets, with 23 balls to spare.

The South Africa vs Bangladesh contest was a competitive one. Bangladesh scored 106/6 in their allotted 20 overs after electing to bat first. Kayla Reyneke’s four-wicket haul helped South Africa restrict the opponents to a low score. Later, combined efforts from batters helped South Africa chase down the target with seven balls to spare. As a result, South Africa bagged a five-wicket victory.

In the fourth and final game of the day, Australia handed India their first defeat of the tournament. India, who had entered the super six stage after topping their group’s points table after claiming three wins from three games, put up a below-par performance against Australia and skittled out for 87 runs after being put to bat first. In reply, Australia chased down the target in 13.5 overs and claimed an easy seven-wicket win.

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