COLOMBO: Harmanpreet Kaur hit a six and ran briskly for two runs during the last two balls to steal a tense one-wicket win for India over South Africa in the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers here on Tuesday.

Kaur scored a run-a-ball 41 in India’s 245-9 in 50 overs in reply to South Africa’s 244 all out in their final over at the P. Sara Oval.

India were the pre-tournament favourites, followed by South Africa, in the 10-team qualifying event. These nations along

with Pakistan and Sri Lanka will join England, Australia, New Zealand, and the West Indies in the Women’s World Cup in June in England.

Deepti Sharma was the top-scorer for India with 71 off 89 balls including eight boundaries. Her 124-run stand for the second wicket with opener Mona Meshram (59) set up the successful run chase.

Meshram hit seven boundaries and a six.

India appeared to lose their way later, dropping to 223-8 in the 46th over and 237-9 to start the last over, but Kaur held her nerve to see her team through to victory.

Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka took two wickets each for South Africa, whose top eight batswomen hit double figures.

Mignon de Preez made 40 to emerge as South Africa’s top run-getter.

For India, Rajeshwari Gayakwad took three wickets and Shikha Pandey two.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

L. Lee c Verma b Pandey 37

L. Wolvaardt c and b Yadav 21

M. du Preez c Yadav b Bisht 40

T. Chetty run out 22

C.L. Tryon b Sharma 23

D. van Niekerk c Kaur b Pandey 37

M. Kapp c Krishnamurthy b Gayakwad 14

S. Luus run out 35

S. Ismail b Gayakwad 5

A. Khaka b Gayakwad 1

M.M. Letsoalo not out 3

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-3, NB-1) 6

TOTAL (all out, 49.4 overs) 244

FALL OF WKTS: 1-51, 2-68, 3-99, 4-133, 5-186, 6-187, 7-211, 8-225, 9-229.

BOWLING: Pandey 8-0-41-2; Bisht 9.4-0-39-1 (1nb); Gayakwad 9-0-51-3 (1w); Poonam Yadav 10-0-37-1; Sharma 9-0-46-1 (1w); Vaidya 4-0-28-0 (1w).

INDIA:

M.R. Meshram b van Niekerk 59

M.D.T. Kamini c van Niekerk b Kapp 10

D.B. Sharma c Wolvaardt b Letsoalo 71

V. Krishnamurthy c Chetty b Kapp 31

H. Kaur not out 41

S. Pandey run out 12

D.P. Vaidya b Khaka 0

S. Verma b Ismail 0

E. Bisht b Khaka 6

Poonam Yadav run out 7

R.S. Gayakwad not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-5) 8

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 245

FALL OF WKTS: 1-20, 2-144, 3-148, 4-186, 5-209, 6-210, 7-211, 8-223, 9-237.

BOWLING: Ismail 10-0-43-1 (1w); Kapp 10-0-36-2; Khaka 10-1-45-2 (2w); van Niekerk 10-0-46-1; Luus 4-0-27-0; Letsoalo 6-0-35-1 (1w).

RESULT: India won by one wicket.

UMPIRES: K. Cross (New Zealand) and C.A. Polosak (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: S. Redfern (England).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Deepti Sharma.

PLAYER-OF-THE-SERIES: Sune Luus.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2017