ICC Women's T20 World Cup - European Qualifier, Rotterdam
Germany 113-6 (20 overs): Shravya Kolcharam 35 (30), Nicole Kingsley 17* (13); Ilenia Sims 3-8
Italy 117-6 (15.4 overs): Chloe Piparo 37 (22), Ilena Sims 25 (32); Iris Edwards 3-13
Italy won by 4 Wickets
Italy secured their first points of the tournament after chasing down 113 runs with four wickets in hand in the second fixture on day two of the ICC Women’s T20 Europe Qualifiers.
The skipper, Emilia Bartman, had an terrific all-round game that help her claim the Player of the Match honours. After picking to 2-4 with the ball she snaffled three catches as well. To top it all off, she made a rapid 20 (12), leading Italy to victory.
Shravya Kolcharam (35) was the top scorer for Germany but was unable to form a lasting partnership due to the consistent wickets by the Italians. The game slipped away from Germany after Ilena Sims ran through the top order, dismissing 3 out of the top 4 batters.
Chloe Piparo (37) and Ilena Sims (25) were the biggest contributors to the run chase. A valiant fightback by Iris Edwards, taking 3 wickets, was not enough for Germany to get back into the game.
The Italians will be ecstatic with their first win in the tournament, which sends them level on points with the Netherlands. The Italians will face their biggest challenge yet with their next game being against a formidable side in Ireland, a team that has won both their games. The Germans will be looking for their first win against the Dutch as the tournament approaches the halfway mark in Rotterdam.
Netherlands 137-6 (20 overs): Heather Siegers 27(24), Phebe Molkenboer 27 (30); Laura Delany 2-19
Ireland 141-2 (19.2 overs): Gaby Lewis 66* (52), Orla Prendergast 28 (26); Caroline de Lange 1-19
Ireland won by 8 wickets
Ireland reign supreme in Rotterdam after handing the home side, Netherlands, an 8-wicket defeat in the early fixture of day two of the ICC Women’s T20 Europe Qualifiers.
Skipper Gaby Lewis led the way with the bat, stroking an unbeaten 66 as Ireland chased down the total with 4 balls to spare. Lewis, who is yet to be dismissed in the tournament, earned the Player of the Match award.
Orla Prendergast (28), Amy Hunter (21) and Leah Paul 17* all chipped in with handy contributions, batting around their captain as Ireland secured two wins in as many days.
The tie between Ireland and Netherlands was always a high-stakes encounter with both teams being widely considered pre-tournament favourites, with strong expectations for both of them to advance through to the Global Qualifiers.
However, it was the Ireland bowlers whose disciplined efforts restricted the hosts to a sub-par total of 137. Laura Delany was once again the pick of the bowlers bagging two wickets for 19 runs in 3 overs, adding to her 4 wickets from Wednesday.
Netherlands captain Babette de Leede expressed regret over missed opportunities in her post-match address. She will be looking to rectify these issues in their upcoming match against Italy.Albeit late in the match an opportunity did present itself for Netherlands, when Leah Paul set off for a non-existent single in the 19th over of the match. However, a slightly awkward throw to Van der Woning made it difficult for her to collect and effect the run out and send shockwaves through the Ireland camp.
During the first innings, Dutch openers Phebe Molkenboer and Heather Siegers started positively in the first innings for the Netherlands, stitching a 53-run partnership in good time. However, a decisive run-out by Lewis ended their stand, after which Ireland's bowlers dominated the match, restricting the Netherlands batters.
