Those who thought the World Cup would be a three-way between India, Australia and England must now reconsider. After their opening embarrassment against the English South Africa has won five games in a row, each more menacing than the last. Their match against Pakistan last night was an embarrassment to the latter. To lose by 150 runs in a Duckworth-Lewis 20-over contest cannot be papered over. Wolvaardt, Luus and Kapp hit the ball anywhere they pleased; and Nadine de Klerk , relishing the chance to come in and tee off, managed 41 from 16 deliveries. She presumably wanted to show that her heroics against India were no fluke. There were eleven sixes in their innings of 9/312. From 40 overs, mind. Persistent rain reduced the chase to twenty overs, from which Pakistan managed 7/93. Marizanne Kapp took three early wickets and it was all over. de Klerk’s bustling medium-pacers were not even required.
Unusually for tropical Colombo, the match the previous night also contrived a result. The hosts finally managed a hard-fought win over Bangla Desh, in bizarre circumstances. Athapaththu returned to form with a run-a-ball 46, and Perera was the star with an excellent 85. Yet the Bangla leg-spinners Shorna and Rabeya kept taking wickets. After 35.3 overs Sri Lanka had reached 8/182. What followed was more Test match than white-ball. Prabodhani managed 8 from 37; Madara 9 from 42. The innings ended eight balls early. What was the point? some were heard to ask. Ian Bishop from the commentary box suggested that in the event these few extra runs gleaned from a wilderness of dot balls might well prove crucial. He was right. After three early wickets Sharmin and Joty had the run-chase well in hand until the former was forced to retire hurt. Joty continued with Shorna and at 3/176 the game as as good as over.
Five overs to get 27, with seven wickets in hand? But the Sri Lankan captain took a hand. Like many a skipper before her, she seems to undervalue her own off-breaks. Returning to the fray she had Joty caught by Silva and triggered a horrible collapse. Bangla Desh fell eight runs short, with but one wicket left. Sharmin had been obliged to return to the crease as five wickets fell in the last nine balls. Once again the Bengali women had seen victory snatched from their grasp. And, as Bishop had remarked, sometimes those precious few runs eked out at the end of an innings make all the difference.