"VAN" (Sports Desk - 20.01.2025) :: Maisie Maceira’s five-fer and Gabrielle Fontenla’s nerveless batting set up Scotland’s exhilarating one-wicket win over Nepal.
England impressed with the ball and gloves but were made to work with the bat for their six-wicket victory against Pakistan.
South Africa claimed a confident win over debutants Samoa to move to two wins from two in the tournament.
The early matches had seen first triumphs for USA and Nigeria, with Australia edging a thriller.
Scotland edge out last-wicket nail-biter
Maisie Maceira took the first five-fer of the World Cup, but Scotland had to grind out their one-wicket win over Nepal.
Nepal’s captain Puja Mahato was the glue holding her side’s innings together as wickets fell around her.
The all-rounder made 27 before becoming Maceira’s second victim as the right-arm seamer took five wickets for 15 runs to bowl Nepal out for 73 in the penultimate over.
The Nepal skipper was involved early on in Scotland’s chase dismissing Pippa Kelly for a duck before running out her opposite number Niamh Muir to leave Scotland at 11 for three in the fifth over.
Pippa Sproul stood firm as the other batters wobbled and the dot balls stacked up, but she was eventually dismissed for 35 to leave Scotland needing 18 runs in 20 balls with two wickets remaining.
Gabriella Fontenla and Kirsty McColl were tasked with saving the match as a tenth-wicket partnership, as McColl hit the winning runs to spark huge celebrations.
Jones leads England to Pakistan win
Katie Jones starred with the gloves and the bat as England beat Pakistan for their first win of the World Cup.
Pakistan built to 18 without loss having been put into bat, but the wickets fell steadily from there despite Zoofishan Ayyaz’s best efforts.
Amu Surenkumar took three wickets for 17 but the star of the show was wicketkeeper Jones with three stumpings, one catch and a run out as she proved a constant threat.
Pakistan were bowled out for 66 and Davina Perrin started the chase strongly, scoring two fours in the first over before being dropped on eight.
Perrin had to go for 10 and England continued to give Pakistan easy catching chances as they were reduced to 19 for three.
The combination of Abigale Norgrove and Jones steadied the ship for England with Jones fittingly hitting the winning six to claim the victory.
South Africa too much for debutants Samoa
South Africa claimed a second win of the tournament with a dominant 10-wicket win over Samoa in Sarawak.
Samoa were not given a gentle introduction to World Cup cricket having been put into bat, as Norah Jade Salima was dismissed first ball.
South Africa shared the wickets between them with Nthabiseng Nini claimed three for four while Seshnie Naidu did not concede a run from her two overs as the leg-spinner also took two wickets.
Samoa were bowled out for 16 in the 10th over, and South Africa needed just 10 balls to chase the modest total down as both Simone Lourens and Jemma Botha scored six runs.
Nigeria make history with joyous maiden win
Nigeria provided the first shock of the tournament as they defeated New Zealand by two runs in their first-ever World Cup game.
Having seen their first game washed out, Nigeria finally got on the park in Sarawak in a reduced 13-over match.
Captain Lucky Piety led the charge scoring Nigeria’s first World Cup six, but New Zealand hit back, applying the squeeze and claiming two wickets to see Nigeria slip to 28 for three after the powerplay.
Lilian Ude top-scored with 19 before a four off the final ball from Omosigho Eguakun saw Nigeria set New Zealand 66 to win.
The Junior Yellow Greens took their first World Cup wicket off their first ball as Kate Irwin was run out without facing before her opening partner Emma McLeod was dismissed for three.
Eve Wolland and Anika Todd scored patiently but their dismissals gave Nigeria renewed hope.
Ude bowled a perfect final over, conceding only six runs with a run out on the final ball as Nigeria claimed a special and historic win.
USA make their own history with Ireland win
Three wickets for Isani Vaghela and 46 runs from Disha Dhingra saw the USA to an impressive nine-wicket win over Ireland in Johor.
Alice Walsh scored 15 of the Ireland’s first 16 runs before becoming her side’s first wicket as she was bowled by Aditi Chudasama.
The off-spinner took the first and last wickets in the innings, with Vaghela picking up three wickets for 10 as she ran through the middle order, leaving Ireland at 59 for seven in the 14th over.
Ireland were eventually all out for 74 and the USA made light work of the chase with history in their sights.
Dhingra led the charge making 46 from 33 balls with seven boundaries before she was bowled by Lara McBride to end a 75-run opening partnership with Chetna Reddy Pagydyala.
A first-ball four from Vaghela sealed the momentous victory for the USA by nine wickets inside 10 overs.
Australia get revenge over Bangladesh
Australia defeated Bangladesh by two wickets in a nervy contest to avenge their defeat in the 2023 tournament.
Having been put into bat, Bangladesh were building slowly before two wickets for Eleanor Larosa saw them slip to 18 for three in the fourth over.
Afia Ashima Era was the lynchpin for Bangladesh, departing on the final ball of the innings having scored 29 with three boundaries as Bangladesh posted 91 for nine.
In their chase, Ines McKeon scored three boundaries in a row before being run out for 14 having survived being dropped on the same delivery in an eventful third over.
Australia picked up regular boundaries thanks to Lucy Hamilton but lost five wickets for 17 runs as Jannatul Maoua took three huge wickets.
Bangladesh were in the ascendancy but nerves of steel from Ella Briscoe and Tegan Williamson saw Australia squeak home with four balls to spare.
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