India Women Secure Dominant Victory Over Netherlands Women

India on top - For now, India Women go top of Group A, thanks to a superior run-rate, but both India and Australia are looking in prime form and the frontrunners in the race for the semi-finals. Next up, we have the chasing pack playing in the third and final game of the day. South Africa Women take on Pakistan Women in Birmingham, and Pakistan have decided to bat first in that clash. You can simply switch tabs and tune in to our coverage of that game, which is about to start at 5.30 pm GMT (11 pm IST). Cheers!

The skipper of India Women - Harmanpreet Kaur says that they were really good with the bat. Adds that it wasn't easy conditions to bat, but the way Smriti and Shafali batted, it set the tone for them. Mentions that Shafali Verma is always ready to bowl whenever the team needs and hopefully she can keep getting the breakthroughs and maybe become a good all-rounder in the future. Kaur shares that she doesn't have an exact update about Shreyanka Patil, but the medical team is looking after her and will provide an update soon. She reckons that they are in a really good position as a team and hopefully they continue to play good cricket as the tournament progresses. Kaur ends by praising the two seamers. Says that Kranti Gaud has been good with the new ball, while Nandni Sharma has used her experience of WPL here as well.

The captain of Netherlands Women - Babette de Leede says that India batted really well, especially up front, but her team came back well with the ball. Reckons they had a chance on this flat wicket, but failed to capitalize with the bat. On the catching, she says that it could have been better, and also with the ball they could have avoided so many extras. On Caroline de Lange, she says that Caroline bowled well and the opposition just played smart cricket, which they can learn from.

POTM - Smriti Mandhana is adjudged the Player of the Match for her brilliant knock of 74 runs. Smriti says that it was a good batting wicket. Adds that she has played a few matches here in Leeds in the Hundred and it is always a good batting wicket and quick outfield, but also credits Netherlands Women for their effort. Mentions that they didn't know much about the Dutch before the game and watched a lot of videos for the preparation but also appreciate the opponents for the way they fielded and bowled. Says it was about sticking to their strength and doing the job for the team. Shares that she didn't middle the ball as she would have liked in her innings and it is still a work in progress, but she wants to keep improving every game.

Recapping the first innings - Babette de Leede opted to bowl first under overcast conditions as Netherlands Women looked to keep the Indian batters in check. However, this backfired and the Indian openers put on a 115-run stand. The Dutch bowlers bowled too many extras up front as both Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana notched up their individual fifties. Netherlands Women did come back well with the ball but India Women managed to cross the 200 run barrier thanks to their batting depth.

The Dutch show sparks of brilliance - The scoreline might depict a huge loss but for a long while, Netherlands Women's top order took the fight to the Indian bowlers. Babette de Leede and Sterre Kalis held the fort down in the middle overs but once the top order got out, things started to fall apart. They went from 113/5 to 114 all out, something they will look to rectify soon.

Nearly perfect - India Women have now won two games on the trot by huge margins and seem like a well-oiled unit, but that injury to Shreyanka Patil is something they wouldn't have wanted, especially so early in the tournament. With the ball, the pacers were decent but Nandni Sharma did show some sparks on her World Cup debut, but the spinners were the stars of the show. Sree Charani picked up four wickets and Shafali Verma too contributed with three wickets, who was given an extended spell after that injury to Patil.

India flex their muscles - Well, that was a quick end to the Netherlands Women innings and India Women have made it two wins out of two to kickstart their World Cup campaign. The reigning ODI World Champions are looking as one of the sides to beat in the shortest format of the game as well.

W

Overs17.3

Score114 - 10

Shafali Verma to Isabel Van Der Woning, OUT! CAUGHT! Shafali Verma wraps things up with a three-fer. INDIA WOMEN WIN BY 95 RUNS. Verma floats it up, full and on middle and leg. Isabel Van Der Woning looks to slog it across the line, but mistimes the shot towards long on. Jemimah Rodrigues runs forward and a bit to her right to take a superb catch around her knees. All smiles in the Indian dugout.

W

Overs17.1

Score114 - 9

Shafali Verma to Silver Siegers, OUT! STUMPED! Shafali Verma gets her second now. She slows it up, full and just around off, Silver Siegers gets low and has a swipe across the line but misses. She loses her balance a bit and drags her back foot out of the crease. Richa Ghosh collects it behind the stumps and breaks the stumps in a flash. She looks quite confident and the fast replay confirms that Siergers never made it back. India Women are just one wicket away from the win now.

W

Overs16.6

Score114 - 8

Sree Charani to Iris Zwilling, OUT! IN THE AIR...GONE! Three in the over for Sree Charani and she ends a fantastic spell of bowling with figures of 4/19. She gives this one some more air, full and on middle, Iris Zwilling sits down on one knee for the slog sweep. She connects well but targets the longer side of the field and does not get the elevation. It flies high in the air towards deep mid-wicket, where Jemimah Rodrigues runs forward and takes a good running catch.

W

Overs16.2

Score113 - 7

Sree Charani to Myrthe van den Raad, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Two in two for Sree Charani and she will be on a hat-trick now. A flatter delivery, full and on off, Myrthe van den Raad looks to work it across the line but the ball keeps straight and grazes the outside edge and goes behind, where Richa Ghosh takes a sharp catch just above her waist. However, Myrthe takes a review here. UltraEdge shows a slight murmur and the on-field call of Out stays.

W

Overs16.1

Score113 - 6

Sree Charani to Frederique Overdijk, OUT! TAKEN! Another one bites the dust. Sree Charani floats it up, full and on middle, Frederique Overdijk uses her feet to loft it down the ground but gets it more from the bottom half of the bat. She gets more height than distance as the ball flies towards long on. Smriti Mandhana runs forward, setttles under it and pouches it safely. Netherlands Women are 113/6 now.

W

Overs14.1

Score98 - 5

Sree Charani to Robine Rijke, OUT! LBW! That seems dead straight, but if there's any bat on it, then the batter might be safe. Robine Rijke has reviewed it as well, so there might be one, let's find out. Sree Charani bowls it flatter and full on middle, drifting the ball in before turning it away. Rijke goes down to sweep but misses it and gets pinged on the pads. The third umpire confirms that there's no bat involved and Ball Tracking then comes up with three reds. Netherlands Women are now 98/5.

DRINKS! Netherlands Women have tried to show good intent with the bat, but the bowlers of India Women have used their experience to keep chipping in with the wickets. India will look to keep doing this and try to make the margin of win a big one that will boost their NRR. The Dutch need someone to stay out there and hold one end, but you cannot blame them for going after the target if they decide to do so. Also, Frederique Overdijk comes out to the middle.

W

Overs13.5

Score96 - 4

Nandni Sharma to Babette de Leede, OUT! STUMPED! Well bowled and that's top stuff from the keeper as well. Babette de Leede pre-empts a bit and charges down the track, but Nandni Sharma adjusts well and jams in a bumper outside off. De Leede is rushed and fails to ride the extra bounce and misses it completely. Richa Ghosh, who is standing up to the stumps, collects it sharply and whips off the bails. She looks quite confident and the fast replay confirms that Siergers never made it back. India Women are just one wicket away from the win now.

2

Overs12.5

Score91 - 3

Kranti Gaud to Babette de Leede, DROPPED! Through the hands! Fullish length, wide outside off again. Babette de Leede goes after it and slashes it flat and hard, just over backward point. Sree Charani over there mistimes the leap and the ball goes through her hands into the deep. Two taken.

1

Overs12.2

Score85 - 3

Kranti Gaud to Robine Rijke, In the air, but will fall short of the fielder. Just back of a length, slinging away from off stump. Robine Rijke rocks back and to pull but gets a top edge towards wide mid on and picks up a single.