India set to take on NZ [Twitter]
The inaugural edition of the ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup 2023 is nearing its fruition with four teams — India, New Zealand, Australia, and England — battling it out in the semi-finals tomorrow to book a spot in the final on Sunday for the coveted trophy.
Let's have a look into how each team has fared in the competition thus far.
India-W U19
India, under Shafali Verma, were unstoppable in the Group stage, winning all three encounters with comfortable ease. It was a combined effort of the bowlers and batters across each game, where the top-order scored heavily and the spinners did the most damage.
Shafali and Co. were outclassed in their first Super Six Group 1 encounter against Australia, where they lost by seven wickets, however, a quick turnaround witnessed them notch an outstanding win over Sri Lanka which helped them gain top-sport in the table. -
Most runs - Shweta Sehrawat (231) | Most wickets - Mannat Kashyap (7)
New Zealand-W U19
Like their senior men's and women's sides, the New Zealand team started the tournament as dark horses, and have managed to maintain their loss-less record heading into the all-important semi-final.
Captained by Izzy Sharp, the team out of five encounters, tasted victories in two matches by 10 wickets and one match by 103 runs, displaying their ruthless batting approach. They will face their first tough competition against India tomorrow.
Most runs - Anna Browing (126) | Most wickets - Natasha Wakelin (6)
Australia-W U19
Australia started on the wrong foot, losing to Bangladesh in their tournament opener. The Rhys McKenna-led side has since been peerless, building up a four-match winning streak heading into the semi-finals. Three out of these four matches have been won while chasing, showcasing how well the bowling group has performed.
They dismantled a strong Indian side in the Super Six stage, bundling them for merely 87.
Most runs - Kate Pelle (130) | Most wickets - Maggie Clark (9)
England-W U19
Unlike their opponents, England skippered by Grace Scrivens come into the knockouts with a spotless record, having won all their matches thus far. Scrivens and Co. have out-batted their opposition in all their games, with all the wins coming while batting first.
It has been a collective bowling effort where all the bowlers have come to the party, while the batting has been superbly taken control by Scivens, who is the tournament's leading run-getter.
Most runs - Grace Scrivens (269) | Most wickets - Sophia Smale (8)
India-W U19 vs New Zealand-W U19
Australia-W U19 vs England-W U19
Also Read: 'WPL will ensure grass-root level development in women's cricket'- Roger Binny
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