Cricket news round-up – February 23: West Indies, New Zealand win at Women’s T20 World Cup, India trail by 103

West Indies and New Zealand won their respective matches at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020; India trail by 105 runs in second innings at tea on Day 3 at Wellington; Bangladesh held advantage at Mirpur despite Craig Ervine’s hundred; and Sri Lanka went 1-0 up in the ODI series against West Indies.

Taylor sees off impressive Thailand

West Indies beat tournament debutants Thailand by 7 wickets at Perth at the Women’s T20 World Cup. Asked to bowl, they restricted Thailand to 78/9 thanks to Stafanie Taylor’s 3-0-13-3. Nannapat Koncharoenkai top-scored with a 48-ball 33.

West Indies were themselves reduced to 27/3 in response, two of the batters getting run out thanks to some exceptional fielding by the Thai. Taylor (26* in 37) and Shemaine Campbelle (25* in 27) then saw them home in the 17th over.

Jensen, Devine help New Zealand win

New Zealand beat Sri Lanka, also by 7 wickets, at the same ground later in the day. Asked to bat, Sri Lanka got back to a splendid start thanks to Chamari Athapaththu (41 in 30) before Hayley Jensen (4-0-16-3) and Amelia Kerr (4-0-21-2) restricted them to 127/7. They managed just 40 off the last 50 balls.

Sophie Devine (75* in 55) then ensured there was no major hiccup during the chase. New Zealand won inside 18 overs.

India trail by 103

Having lost Cheteshwar Pujara at the stroke of the interval India were 78/2 at tea on Day 3 of the Wellington Test. They still trail by 103, and will have to put in some effort to save the Test. Mayank Agarwal is still batting, on 52, while Trent Boult has picked up 2/17.

Earlier in the day, Colin de Grandhomme (43), debutant Kyle Jamieson (44), and Boult (38 in 24 balls) helped New Zealand reach 348 after they were reduced to 225/7. Ishant Sharma finished with 5/68 and R Ashwin with 3/99.

Nayeem puts Bangladesh ahead despite Ervine hundred

Zimbabwe finished Day 1 at Mirpur on 228/6, largely due to a 111-run second-wicket partnership between Prince Masvaure (64) and Craig Ervine (107). Standing in for Sean Williams, Ervine became the second Zimbabwean to score a hundred on Test captaincy debut.

For Bangladesh, Nayeem sent down 36 overs in a day to finish with 4/68. He also held two catches, one of them off his own bowling. Abu Jayed returned 2/51.

Sri Lanka win thriller at SSC

Wanindu Hasaranga’s excellent all-round show (10-2-47-0, 42* in 39) helped Sri Lanka go one-up in the 3-match ODI series against West Indies. Asked to bat, West Indies got to 289/7 thanks to Shai Hope (115) and Roston Chase (41). Isuru Udana’s wickets cost him 82 runs.

Avishka Fernando (50) and Dimuth Karunaratne (52) then got Sri Lanka off to a flying start, adding 111 in 107 balls. At one stage Sri Lanka needed 75 in 74 balls with 4 wickets in hand, when Thisara Perera (32 in 22) brought them back in the match. Sri Lanka then became 262/8 before Hasaranga saw them through.