You may be engrossed
in watching the finals of IPL 2017~elsewhere lot happened !
The Voortrekkers (literally
"fore-pullers") were Boer pastoralists from the frontiers of the Cape
Colony who migrated eastwards during the Great Trek. The Voortrekkers, who descended from the Dutch East India Company's
original settlers at the Cape, undertook the Great Trek in several parties,
under several different leaders, due to grievances with the then-British
colonial administration.
A few days earlier, they
created rather broke records; yet, it is stated that neither Deepti Sharma nor
Punam Raut were aware of all the records they had set until nearly two hours
after the match, when they checked the India women's team's WhatsApp group that
was flooded with congratulatory messages and links to news articles hailing
their achievements. Their 320-run opening partnership against Ireland in
Potchefstroom was the first 300-run stand by any pair in women's cricket and it
also bettered the highest opening partnership in men's ODIs - 286 between Upul
Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya in 2006. Deepti, who was eight at the time of
the Tharanga-Jayasuriya stand, smashed 188 off 160 balls.
Would not have heard of
this place, but for the Quadrangular tournament. Potchefstroom is an academic city in the
North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the
North-West University. It is situated on the banks of the Mooirivier (Afrikaans
for "pretty (or beautiful) river"), roughly 120 km (75 mi)
west-southwest of Johannesburg. The
town, founded in 1838 by the Voortrekkers, is the second oldest settlement of
people of European descent in the then Transvaal. In October 1840, it was decided that
Potchefstroom would unite with "Pieter Mouriets Burg"
(Pietermaritzburg).
We are reading of this
place, as veterans Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj combined to help India women
clinch the quadrangular series by beating South Africa by eight wickets in the
final in Potchefstroom.
Goswami, the record holder
for most wickets in women's ODIs, and Poonam Yadav, the legspinner, picked up
three wickets apiece as South Africa were shot out for 156 in 40.2 overs after
being put in to bat. Raj then struck her sixth successive fifty, the joint most
along with Lindsay Reeler, Charlotte Edwards and Ellyse Perry in women's ODIs,
as India knocked off the runs in 33 overs.
While Goswami and Raj played stellar roles, Punam Raut continued to
present her case for a berth in the first-choice XI ahead of the World Cup next
month. Raut, who returned for the series after more than a year on the fringes,
struck an unbeaten, 92-ball 70 to steer the chase after Deepti Sharma and Mona
Meshram fell in quick succession. Raj
walked in with India 33 for 2 in the 12th over. She added an unbeaten 137 with
Raut as India, who were denied a record 17th consecutive ODI win by South
Africa four days ago, continued to enjoy a successful run in tournament finals
this year. In February, India had beaten South Africa in the final of the
Women's World Cup qualifier in Colombo.
Good luck to Indian team
and we hope that they would win the World cup too.
On 15th May 2017
at Potchefstroom, Indian openers Deepti
Sharma and Raut had a 320 run partnership before PG Raut retired hurt. India scored a mammoth 358 for 2 against
Ireland. Ireland were all out for 109 –
Rajeswari Gaykwad taking 4 wickets and Shika Pandey 3.
Statistically, the highest partnership for any wicket is 372 of Chris
Gayle and Marlon Samuels against Zimbabwe in 2015. This and 331 between Sachin and Dravid
against NZ in 1999 are higher than this.
Deepti came tantalizingly closer
to scoring a double ton in ODI, would have joined Sachin, Sehwag, Rohit, Chris
Gayle and Martin Guptill. Many may not
know, that the 1st double centurion in ODI is a woman, Belinda
Clarka, who on Dec 16, 1997 smashed double ton against a hapless Denmark attack
at Mumbai in the World Cup. She made 229
n.o off just 155 balls – Aussies scoring 412/3.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
21st May 2017
Deepti Photo source : cricinfo.com
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