Australia clinch World Cup -DAWN - Sport; 11 April 2005


11 April 2005	Monday	01 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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Australia clinch World Cup CENTURION (South Africa), April 10: Australia beat India by 98 runs in the final of the women’s cricket World Cup, to win their fifth title in eight tournaments, here on Sunday. Australia scored 215-4 in their 50 overs and bowled India out for 117 for a comfortable victory at Centurion Park.

Karen Rolton became only the second player to make a century in a final, her 107 from 138 balls, including 11 fours, setting up a total that India never looked like challenging.

Australia were initially struggling at 31-2 before Rolton came to the rescue.

She put on 139 for the fourth wicket with Indian-born Lisa Sthalker, who was caught and bowled in the final over for 55.

India, appearing in their first final, began well by dismissing both openers with the new ball but were then left to rue Rolton being dropped on 62.

They removed Australia’s star batswoman Belinda Clark, who had elected to bat after winning the toss, for 19 and Lisa Keightley for 5.

Then Rolton cut and pulled her way to her sixth one-day hundred while India’s bowlers ran out of ideas.

Rolton joined England’s Enid Bakewell as the only other batswoman to hit a century in a women’s World Cup final. Bakewell’s 118 was achieved against Australia in the first final in 1973.

Anju Jain top scored for India, making 29 as the top order struggled against the tight Australian bowling which saw the Indians collapse to 64 for six wickets and lose four batswomen through run-outs.

Scoreboard for AUSTRALIA:

B.J. Clark c Jain b A. Sharma 19

L.M. Keightley c Dhar b Goswami 5

K.L. Rolton not out 107

M. Jones lbw b David 17

L.C. Sthalekar c and b Dhar 55

A.J. Blackwell not out 4

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-2, NB-4) 8

TOTAL (for four wkts, 50 overs) 215

FALL OF WKTS: 1-24, 2-31, 3-71, 4-210.

DID NOT BAT: C.L. Fitzpatrick, J.C. Price, J. Hayes, S. Nitschke, C.R. Smith.

BOWLING: Goswami 9-2-45-1 (1w); Sharma 10-2-39-1 (1nb, 1w); Dhar 6-0-34-1 (3nb); Al Khader 10-1-35-0; David 10-1-39-1; Marathe 5-0-21-0.

Scoreboard for INDIA:

A. Jain c Sthalekar b Smith 29

J. Sharma run out 5

A. Chopra run out 10

M. Raj lbw b Nitschke 6

R. Dhar run out 6

H. Kala run out 3

A. Sharma lbw b Sthalekar 22

J. Goswami c sub b Fitzpatrick 18

D.M. Marathe not out 7

N. David b Fitzpatrick 0

N. Al Khader b Nitschke 0

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-3, W-5, NB-1) 11

TOTAL (all out, 46 overs) 117

FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-39, 3-54, 4-59, 5-63, 6-64, 7-93, 8-115, 9-116.

BOWLING: Fitzpatrick 8-1-23-2; Smith 10-4-20-1(1w); Hayes 10-1-28-0 (1nb, 1w); Nitschke 9-2-14-2 (3w); Rolton 5-1-9-0; Sthalekar 4-1-18-1.—AFP