Women’s European Championship: Netherlands Women win opener by 6 wickets
An unbeaten century from Caroline Salomons bagged http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Netherlands-c753 a six wickets victory over ECB Development Women’s XI on the opening day of the Women’s European Championship at New Williamfield No2 Oval, Stirling, on Monday, 9th August. Chasing ECB Development Women’s XI total of 244 all out, Netherlands, led by Caroline’s unbeaten 100 off 98 balls, set up a six-wicket win with 21 balls to spare.
Half-centuries from Fran Wilson and Beth MacGregor helped the ECB Women set up a competitive total of 244 runs, on a day when most of the side’s players were out of form. Six of the ECB Development players could not enter double figures, including two ducks (Captain Jo Cook and Alex Hartley). Marloes Braat took two wickets, followed by Annemarie Tanke and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Esther-de-Lange-c56440 with two scalps each. In reply, a third wicket-stand of 107 runs between Netherlands’ Captain Helmien Rambaldo and Caroline Salomons set the side on its way to a 6-wicket win.
ECB Development Women’s XI, after winning the toss, opted to bat first. The top order of the ECB Women failed to face the Netherlands’ attack confidently and kept on losing wickets at regular intervals, and soon the side was struggling at 34 for 4. The opening duo of Kathryn Doherty and Alice Macleod could add only 17 runs before the former was trapped leg before by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mandy-Kornet-c74130. Doherty scored nine runs from 8 balls including a boundary as well.
After Doherty’s dismissal, Fran Wilson came to the crease to join Macleod in her assault, but the pair could post only 8 runs for the second wicket partnership. Alice Macleod followed her opening partner back to the pavilion after being trapped lbw by Marloes Braat. Macleod scored 15 runs from 21 deliveries. During a 21-ball innings, she pushed the ball twice through the ropes for a four. Captain Jo Cook, struggling at the crease, drove Braat’s fine delivery into the gloves of wicketkeeper Violet Wattenberg behind the stumps, leaving ECB Development Women’s XI struggling at 29 for 3. The skipper failed to open her account after facing nine balls. Isabelle Westbury came at No. 4 position after Cook’s departure, but could add only two runs to the team’s total during her 15-balls innings. She was trapped leg before by Esther Lanser.
At 34 for 4, the ECB Women’s XI was desperate for a big partnership and that’s when Beth Gregor and Fran Wilson took the initiative. Both the partners played a succession of sweetly-timed shots for the fifth wicket partnership to ease the nerves of their side. Macleod recorded her half century full of boundaries. The partnership was worth 122 when Annemarie Tanke broke it having http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wilson-c98046 bowled off a fine low delivery. Wilson scored 76 runs from 85 balls plundering 12 lofty boundaries.
After Wilson’s dismissal, Westbury continued the assault while the other end kept on losing wickets at regular intervals. Westbury and Hannah Phelps posted seven runs for the sixth wicket stand before the latter departed mistiming Tanke to Lanser. Deanna http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Cooper-c51561 joined and aided Westbury’s assault. Both shared a partnership of more than 50 runs stabilising the side once again. That became 218 for 7 when Cooper was bowled by de Lange. The next three wickets added only 26 runs to the scorecard. The whole team was bowled out for 244 with a ball to spare.
In reply, Netherlands got off to a shaky start, losing two early wickets (wicketkeeper Wattenberg and de Groot) with only 46 on the board. Recovery was led by the captain Helmien Rambaldo and Salomons with a partnership of 100 plus runs, followed by an 88 runs partnership between Salomons and Marijn Nijman with the bulk coming from former. Salomons’ unbeaten 100, including 9 boundaries, took Netherlands home in the 47th over with six wickets intact.
Tags: