FTX by the Numbers: Highest chases, most sixes, mighty records

The highest chases

Gone are the days when 250 was considered to be a safe total in Women’s ODIs. A target of 250-plus, which was achieved only once before (by Australia against Sri Lanka in Bristol in 2017) in the tournament history, has been scaled on three occasions in this World Cup. It’s a stat that underlines how much the women’s game has evolved in the recent years.

The three highest chases in the tournament history have come in this World Cup with Australia’s effort of clinching 278 against India being the highest.

South Africa in the last game of the group stage chased 275 to disqualify the 2017 finalists India from the semi-finals race. It was the second-highest chase in World Cup history.

Highest targets achieved in World Cups

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Last ball finishes

South Africa’s 275 runs chase off the last ball against India at Hagley Oval was only the second time in the World Cup history and first time for South Africa that a chase was completed on the last ball of the match.

The only other last-ball chase came in the 2013 edition in India when Sri Lanka defeated England by one wicket achieving a target of 239 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

Jhulan’s absence

For the first time in five Cricket World Cups, India took the field without the veteran fast bowler Jhulan Goswami.

Before missing out due to side strain against South Africa in Christchurch, Jhulan had never missed a World Cup game and played 34 matches on the bounce going back to her first tournament in 2005.

The 39-year-old seamer is the highest wicket-taker in ODIs (252 wickets) as well as World Cups (43 wickets).

India’s Mithali Raj (35 matches) and New Zealand’s Debbie Hockley (45) are the only two players with more consecutive appearances in the World Cup history.

Most run outs

After Sophie Ecclestone (14 wickets) and Charlie Dean (10), England’s best option of taking wickets in the tournament has been run outs. Their fielders have caught opponent batters short of crease on 10 occasions, the most by any team.

New Zealand and South Africa fielders are next with 8 run outs each whereas Australia, the points table toppers and the only unbeaten team in the tournament, have done only 2 run outs, the least by any team.

The longest losing streak ended

Pakistan finally ended their losing streak, that had stretched to 18 games (the longest in the tournament history), with a win against West Indies at Seddon Park.

In a game that was reduced to 20 overs because of rain in Hamilton, Pakistan restricted the Caribbean women to a total of 89-7 with the help of 4 wickets for 10 runs by Nida Dar, who was also named player of the match. Pakistan chased the total with 7 balls remaining.

It was Pakistan’s only third win in the World Cup history and first since the 2009 tournament in Australia where they defeated West Indies and Sri Lanka.

Most sixes

Although they couldn’t finish in the top four for semi-finals, India were the best six-hitting team in the group stage. Their batters cleared the boundary 15 times, the most by any team.

Only four players have hit 4 sixes in this tournament and two of them (Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana) are from India. The other two to hit 4 sixes are South Africa’s Chloe Tryon and Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner.

World Cup debutants Bangladesh hit the fewest sixes. Their only maximum came from the bat of the opening batter Murshida Khatun against India in Hamilton.

India batters also produced 13 scores of fifty or more, the most by any team in the group stage. Australia are the second best with 10 fifties. Bangladesh batters brought up only two fifties, the fewest by any team.

Laura Wolvaardt eyeing a record

South Africa opener and the World Cup 2022 leading run-getter is 24 away from creating a new record for most runs in one edition of Women’s Cricket World Cup.

The New Zealand legend Debbie Hockley is the current holder of the record. She amassed 456 runs in the 1997 tournament held in India.

Wolvaardt will have an opportunity to topple Hockley’s tally when she takes on England in the semi final at the Hagley Oval. The South Africa opener has 433 runs at an average of 61.85 and hit 5 half-centuries in seven innings.