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Monday, February 10, 2020
Ashburton Guardian 17
■■ CRICKET
Rain cuts off college cricket
By Adam Burns
adam.b@theguardian.co.nz
The weather had the final say in college cricket over the weekend after Ashburton College had asserted itself into a healthy position against Shirley Boys. Only three overs were possible at the Ashburton Domain on Saturday before rainfall led officials to call the two-day game off by 2pm. Ashburton College had resumed the day on 185/5, holding a 41-run first innings lead over the visitors. The hosts made it count after winning the toss and inserting Shirley on Waitangi Day. Shirley struggled to shape any valuable partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals. Ryan Entwistle was solid coming in at number four, however lacked the necessary support at the other end. The end came swiftly after he was dismissed for 53, with Shirley bundled out for 144 in the 54th over. Angus Jemmett illustrated just how capable an all-round cricketer he is as he ripped through Shirley’s middle and lower order
with figures of 4-29 off 13 overs. Jemmett was not finished there, as he and his opening partner Devon Flannery combined for an opening stand of 64. Although Jemmett fell for 35, Flannery and Isaac Bazley drove the hosts into a position of dom-
inance with an 81 run second wicket stand. The pair cruised past Shirley’s first innings total, but Bazley fell soon after for 37. Shirley then clawed back some of the ascendancy late in the day as Ashburton lost three wickets
for 32 runs, including Flannery for a well-made 71. The hosts began to teeter at 177-5 but safely negotiated their way to stumps. In the end though, it was the Ashburton climate which ultimately decided on things.
Above – The covers are put on at the Ashburton Domain on Saturday. PHOTO ROBYN HOOD
Women’s cricket on the verge of big things The upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in Australia has the potential to revolutionise the women’s game as teams are making bigger totals than they have in past, according to India captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Kaur pointed to the transformation of her own team who are currently playing a tri-series in Australia also involving England to trace the overall growth of women’s cricket. “It wasn’t so long ago that a par score in T20 cricket was 120 or 130,” Kaur wrote in her column on the International Cricket Council (ICC) website. “Now, that’s not enough. “Teams are looking much more confident and trying to get bigger scores on the board. “It’s that change in mindset that means performances are getting better across the board and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 has the potential to revolutionise the game ...” India will be banking heavily on Kaur, their batting mainstay, to reach the March 8 final but the 30-year-old said the onus will also be on their spinners to take them deep into the tournament. “Our strength is spin. We’re always looking to find a way to integrate spinners into our team and even now, we’re assessing our plans and how we can exploit that strength.” Kaur believes India will be better prepared for the World Cup than many other teams by virtue of playing the ongoing tri-series. It will also help India to find the right combination for their World Cup campaign in Australia. “One thing’s for sure, we won’t be afraid
New Zealand’s White Ferns are preparing for their first World Cup match, against Sri Lanka on February 23. to give chances to newcomers,” she said. “We have to find out what our best team is and those games will give us a chance to decide that before the World Cup.” India will meet defending champions Australia in Sydney on 21 February in the first match of the 10-team tournament. The ICC is hoping the 8 March final in Melbourne will set a new record for attendance at a women’s sporting event. New Zealand open their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on February 23.
