Howl like the Wolfie!

Good afternoon fellow travellers, here’s hoping you’re having a great day! I’ve been at the brewery doing the day job, listening to a couple of cracking games of cricket on the radio! Here’s the action from today.

The early match saw 2022 host’s South Africa take on 2016 Champions West Indies at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This is a Group B match which assuming England top the group (they should do but you can never rule out England getting World Cup fever) then one of these two teams should claim the second qualifying place in the group, a winning start would be appropriated.

South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first. In the 45 degree heat of a Emirati afternoon wearing out your players in the field seemed an odd choice too me but Proteas new captain Laura “Wolfie’ Wolvaardt was backing her seamers to get some early movement. Wolfie played a couple of seasons for the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred so as a Bronze Star Yorkshire woman, we quite like her here at All the cricket.

On the other side of the draw The West Indies were relying heavily on Captain Hayley Matthews, stalwart batter Stafanie Taylor and the returning Deandra Dottin, if a couple of them could fire, WI would be in the game.

Hayley Matthews took to the crease clad in the hallowed Claret and Gold of the Windies and lasted all of 11 balls. Qiana Jones chewed up 14 balls but managed only 4 streaky runs and the great Deandra Dottin, playing for WI for the first time in 2 years after falling out with the board, only chalked up 13 runs………unlucky for some. Stafanie Taylor did offer some resistance with an unbeaten 44 but the rest of the Windies batters fell to sharp bowling, finishing their 20 overs with a disappointing 118 runs for 6 wickets.

In response SA were, well, resplendent! Opening batters Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits scored 59 and 57 respectively, carrying their bats and winning the game with an over to spare.

So the 2022 losing finalists SA have started their tournament with a strong and possibly decisive victory. WI, they’re under the pump already!

Match 2 today saw New Zealand comprehensively muller India by 58 runs. It was a match steeped in controversy, definitely worth catching the highlights!

Tomorrow England kick off their campaign against Bangladesh………pray for us.

All the best,

Nick