Meek showing against India puts Barbados out of games

BIRMINGHAM, England – Another inept batting effort sent Barbados Women crashing to a second straight heavy defeat in their final game of the Commonwealth Games today.

Asked to chase a challenging 163 against India Women at Edgbaston, Barbados Women never got out of the blocks and stumbled to a disappointing 62 for eight off their 20 overs.

Kyshona Knight, with 16, was the only specialist batter to reach double figures while number 10 Shakera Selman made 12 not out, to be the only other player to pass ten.

Seamer Renuka Singh wrecked the innings, claiming four for 10 from four stingy overs.

Earlier, India were propelled to their eventual 162 for four by Jemimah Rodrigues who top-scored with an unbeaten 56 off 46 deliveries,  while Shafali Verma struck a 26-ball 43 and Deepti Sharma, an unbeaten 34 off 28 balls.

Barbados Women also suffered a chastening nine-wicket defeat in their last game when they were dismissed for a modest 64 by Australia. The Aussie women and India now advance from the group with Pakistan having already lost to West Indies, India and Australia.

The Caribbean side made a promising start when seamer Shanika Bruce trapped the dangerous Smriti Mandhana for five with as many on the board in the second over, Barbados only gaining the lbw decision after reverting to DRS.

 

 

However, any hopes of making further inroads were quickly dashed as Rodrigues and Verma put on 71 for the second wicket to rally the innings.

Rodrigues, a 21-year-old right-hander, struck half-dozen fours and a six while the big-hitting 18-year-old Verma punched seven fours and a six.

When Verma and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (0) fell in the space of four deliveries in separate overs and Taniya Bhatia (6) was taken on the second attempt by Deandra Dottin running around to her right from point, India were stumbling on 92 for four at the end of the 13th over.

However, Rodrigues anchored a brilliant unbroken 70-run, fifth wicket stand with Deepti, to fire India past the 150-run mark.

Barbados’ reply was jinxed from the outset, Dottin losing her leg stump to Renuka without a run on the board and captain Hayley Matthews following in the third over for nine with the score on ten, holing out to mid on off the same bowler. Barbados’ batting success revolves around these two and their early demise meant trouble and Barbados never recovered. Following Dottin’s shock retirement from international cricket at the ongoing tournament, she would not have
wanted to go out with a duck beside her name.

Renuka then knocked over Kycia Knight and Aaliyah Alleyne (0) in the fifth over to leave the innings in tatters at 19 for four and there was to be no recovery as wickets continued to fall steadily.

(CMC)