ICC Women's T20 World Cup: Top moments of the tournament so far
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Women's T20 World Cup [Source: Twitter]
The Aussies have been, as per usual, charismatic and brilliant. The Proteas women, who happen to be the enterprising hosts have had a few hits but no massive misses.
The Indians have quite simply been brilliant and seemed patchy in small bits. Pakistan and the Windies women have withered away without packing much of a punch.
As the Women's T20 World cup reaches its business end where one simply cannot put a foot wrong, a lot rests on the two upcoming semi finals' clashes, which the sides contesting in would like to certainly treat like a virtual final.
But which individual performances up to this point have made their mark and impressed the cricket tragics? Let's find out in this special listicle!
Renuka Thakur's brilliant fifer
Renuka Singh Thakur with her teammates [Source: Twitter]
So far, it has turned out to be the only fifer of the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup and while not an awful lot of games remain up ahead, it may just stay that way.
When Renuka Thakur of India took on England in what a must-win game for both sides, it eventually turned out to be a scenario where it was the whole of the English batting unit versus the genuine swing bowler.
For it seemed, the others in India's celebrated bowling contingent weren't needed; Renuka holed a gaping void in the English batting attack on her own picking up key wickets in the top and the middle order.
When she pitches it, the ball begins to seam and swing and sometimes, does both to a good effect; though much to the chagrin of India's opponents, which was precisely the case on this occasion.
A miserly bowler who's hard to dislodge and even harder to show the way to the fence, it'll take some rattling on the part of the Australians to keep India's "Himachal Pradesh Express" quiet in the mega semi final on Feb 24.
Nat Sciver's assault on Pak
Nat Sciver in action [Source: Twitter]
All she took were forty odd deliveries to construct a very valuable and unbeaten 81 odd runs, which came at a strikingly good strike rate of 200.
As her brave assault on Pakistan nearly single handedly brought curtains on the Nida Dar-led side's campaign, Sciver was a figure of poise and focus.
Moreover, it hardly seemed that she had broken into a sweat. And that was impressive.
Nat Sciver is one of those players who's gifted with a never say die attitude and that infectious appetite for mega run scoring, something that her England women's side will keenly need in their must-win contest against the mighty hosts; Proteas women.
Alyssa Healy continues to be the daunting force for the bowlers!
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Alyssa Healy has had a stellar WC campaign [Source: Twitter]
There are batters. There are destroyers. And then, there's an Alyssa Healy, whose brute batting evokes in mind the shattering batting display of her famous Aussie contemporaries: Matt Hayden and David Warner.
Often proving to be the sole murderer of Australia's opponents, Healy's batting in this particular edition of the Women's T20 World Cup has been unsparing and quite spot on.
Having only been dismissed twice in three games, whilst registering scores like the unbeaten 54 against Sri Lanka, 55 against New Zealand and 37 versus Bangladesh, Healy's been horsewhipping the medium pacers and spinners alike.
What's stood out, it ought to be said, is that even in games where her usual batting companion Beth Mooney flunked, and there've been two occasions already, there were no full stops where Alyssa Healy was concerned.
Now that she's back in the much-awaited semi's clash against the Indians, there'll be quite a few perturbed brows and concerned looks in the opposition camp.
Harmanpreet Kaur scales a massive moment in Women's T20 Internationals
Harmanpreet Kaur [Source: Twitter]
She may not have scored tons of runs of late and particularly so in this edition of the Women's premier event but Harmanpreet Kaur recently entered the cricketing record books for a very pivotal reason.
In the recent game against Ireland, which thanks to Smriti's bombastic hitting became less of a contest and more of a one-sided affair, India's famous captain went past 3,000 T20I career runs and in so doing, became the only cricketer ever in the women's game to achieve the rare feet.
Of late, she's looked focused and taken her time to get going. But that there's this clear inclination to stay on the wicket instead of being collected at the outfield at the wake of a loose shot augurs well for what remains ahead of her Indian team.
And well and truly speaking, what lies ahead is a mega contest of sorts, one that's actually an eliminator; it's a do or die situation as the key game against Australia awaits.
Hayley Matthews crosses a vital personal milestone despite her team's poor run
Hayley Matthews [source: Twitter]
Matthews' personal form notwithstanding, there wasn't really anything to write home about the West Indies' rather flawed and flimsy T20 World Cup campaign.
Despite possessing a wealth of experience, the likes of Shamilia Connell seemed to clearly struggle. Besides Karishma Ramharack, the rest of the bowlers seemed to pitch it waywardly and were seen bowling sans a clever plan.
Only Matthews, who not only picked key wickets and was excellent of her own bowling, came to the party.
Her excellent and unbeaten fifty that eventually turned out to be a match winning one in the must-win contest against Pakistan proved to be the Caribbean side's only joyous moment under the sun.
Being strong to anything bowled square on the wicket and short or as they say, in the slot, Matthews, the captain led from the front and did the lion's share of runscoring; something seen with gleeful eyes on the part of a certain Deandra Dottin.
The current firmament of the Windies women's cricket is fortunate that a talent like Hayely Matthews is around and going strong.
Tazmin Brits' impressive attacking cameo vs the Aussies that still came in a losing cause
Tazmin Brits in action [Source: Twitter]
Truth be told, in the hearts of her heart, there's a volcano on the verge of explosion where it comes to the Protes women's Tazmin Brits.
Who knows what may have happened if this free striking batterer of bowlers would not have fallen after that rather impressive 45 against the Aussies.
A natural athlete who cuts an imposing figure on the ground, Brits is a bit of thunderbolt and lightning with the cricket willow wielding which she recently guided her team to a beautiful half century against Chamari Athapaththu's Sri Lanka.
That she remained unbeaten until the end was even more impressive.
Coming into the widely anticipated semi final against the England women at the bac of two solid scores, a lot about how the Proteas contest in their next contest, which is actually an eliminator rests on the abilities of this towering smacker of runs.
Orla Prendergast- quite the find of the tournament!
Orla Prendergast in action [Source: Twitter]
She can bowl medium pace with unwavering attention and rapt pace. She can hit the good balls as well as the bad balls anywhere from square of the off side to the backward point region.
And besides giving flying starts even at the fall of an early wicket or two, she can disturb the batter's timber with much glee.
Not a girl of too many words, Orla Prendergast, who's all of 20 and has all the time on her hands to mature into a devastating talent, is a woman of action.
And it must be contended that given her daring exploits and brave brand of cricket, she set the T20 World Cup on fire. Already in the nearabouts of 600 T20I runs from just 32 innings, Prendergast scored much of her sixties and thirties at brisk pace.
Her envy inspiring batting strike rate that's already north of 123 puts her in the league of destructive batters like India's Smriti Mandhana.
It's a shame that Ireland who played a spirited style of cricket couldn't really go a long way further this time around.
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